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2018 Lincoln MKZ

HybridGas

Midsize Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

84 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns2

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA34

Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA40 mpg

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Lincoln MKZ is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MKZ Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 34 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
MKZ Hybrid FWD	Hybrid	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl + 280V Li-Ion	41	38	40	$1,550
MKZ FWD	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	31	24	$2,600
MKZ AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	28	23	$2,700
MKZ FWD	Gas	FWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	27	21	$2,950
MKZ AWD	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	17	26	20	$3,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39431, 39429, 39430, 39433, 39432.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

23S12

1,280,726 vehicles

ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.RiskA brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

NHTSA campaign 23V162000reported Mar 10, 2023Ford Motor Company

▲high

Steering

18S08

1,301,986 vehicles

ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.RiskA steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.

NHTSA campaign 18V167000reported Mar 12, 2018Ford Motor Company

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings — Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures closed

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fl

Opened Aug 8, 2022 · closed Mar 24, 2023 · action RQ22004

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

34complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2019: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Engine10

Power Train9

Unspecified4

Engine And Engine Cooling3

Electrical System2

Exterior Lighting2

What owners describe

“My Check Engine Light came on, I took my car to the dealership that I have using for eight years with less than 38k miles on it and I was told by the service technician who gave the diagnose as, there was coolant in the cylinder where the spark plug #3 is housed. He stated that the car is misfiring and I was told I nee…”Jun 14, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

“The car had an internal transmission failure and caused most of the transmission fluid to leak out between inspections. Upon removing the cv axle on driverâ€™s side, the seal was fine and replaced along with cv axle. The fluid drained and was only about half a liter (needs about 4.5L normally). After servicing the tran…”Jan 14, 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

“Car only has 97K miles and the transmission fluid has been leaking for some time causing loud noises from the transmission which took time to locate. The transmission leaked fluid and only had about half a liter of fluid when it should be around 4.5 liters. The fluid leaked from the transmission on the driver cv axle s…”Dec 28, 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other MKZ model years

2020 Lincoln MKZ

1 recalls · 3 complaints

2019 Lincoln MKZ

1 recalls · 22 complaints

2017 Lincoln MKZ

4 recalls · 154 complaints

2016 Lincoln MKZ

6 recalls · 68 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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