There are 6 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2018 Lincoln MKZin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Check engine light came on. Error code 0302 and 0316 on ODB at dealer. Was advised that engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 which cause the vehicle to overheat. Engine has 3200 miles on it. Safety hazard due to engine seizing at high speed and causing an accident due to loss of power. Also possible engine fire due to loss of coolant/overheating.
Coolant Intrusion of Cylinder 3, car has less than 50,000 miles total and has been very well taken care of. Has had over a gallon of coolant added within the month of Aug
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine light illuminated. While the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I have been told by a ford mechanic on 7.11.2024, 6 weeks before buying the car that there is coolant intrusion in cylinder 2 and the only fix to this would be to replace the long block that cost a little over 8k, some how some way this vehicle dont have any recalls about this well known issue. This in no way should be on the customer due to a defect by Ford engine in there vehicles.
I own a 2018 Lincoln MKZ. Starting the second week in January I started to notice a strange smell in the cabin of my car and outside of my car. I told my husband that I was smelling something strange, and he noticed that the exhaust was a billowy white smoke. My husband noticed that this was not a good sign. We also noticed that my Lincoln app was saying there was a misfire in cylinder 2. My husband checked my coolant and saw that my coolant reservoir was completely empty. My husband added coolant and informed me that we would need to take the car to the shop. By the following week ([XXX]) my husband checked my coolant again and saw that my reservoir was empty again and my app was saying cylinder 2 was misfiring again. On Tuesday [XXX], we took the car to the Suburban Ford of Waterford to have my car looked at. On Wednesday [XXX], the dealership called my husband and informed him that I would need a new engine in my car because the coolant is leaking into cylinder and mixing with the oil which is causing the misfire in cylinder 2. The dealership informed us that this was a problem that Ford and Lincoln had with the 2.0 and 1.5 engines for the MKZ and Fusion. The 2018 MKZ was affected by this problem. The dealership informed us that Ford/Lincoln replaced the engines after they noticed the problem, but they said my car must have had the older engine that had the problem. As you can imagine I was very upset to hear that my car, which is only six years old, would need a new engine. Not only was I upset to hear this, but I am also upset about possibly shouldering the financial burden of a new engine when this is a manufacturing problem that is no fault of my own. Also, since Ford/Lincoln knew about this issue why did they not send out a recall notice about this issue? I have found out that the oil mixing with the coolant causes corrosion in the cylinders. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026