What 183 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Lincoln Mkz Hev

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the steering rack. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679126

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the brake service warning light illuminated. The contact used excessive force on the brake pedal and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 168,258.

NHTSA ODI 11669507

While traveling on interstate at70 mph a red triangle appears on dash engine turns off warning on dash to stop asap. All you have is electrical power which is not much. Car needs to be turned off and restarted. This may occur again in a few minutes or not. Took to dealer they said they replaced an O2 sensor. It still turns off. Back to dealer. They can’t reproduce. Has happened to me at least 8 times on surface streets and highways. Extremely dangerous to loose power on highways. This started about 6 months ago. Still happening. Last incident was today

NHTSA ODI 11642912

As I was traveling home from work, I noticed the car jerk slightly and immediately decelerate. The engine temperature gauge light came on the dash and the temperature gauge immediately moved to the “H” position on the dash. Due to the fact that I was in rush hour traffic on the highway, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough speed to get to the median. I turned on my hazards and coasted safely to the side of the road but was nearly ran over by other vehicles not realizing the issue I was having. I was unable to accelerate out of the way and at the mercy of other drivers being courteous and give me space to move. I turned the car off and looked under the hood locating the coolant reservoir. It appeared empty. I was able to get a ride to the nearest auto parts store and buy coolant. When I returned to my car, I emptied coolant into the reservoir and cranked the vehicle. Within a minute the gauge returned to normal temp and carefully got back in flow of traffic but stayed close to the emergency lane. Within a couple hundred yards of driving again, the lights and gauges indicated another overheating issue. At the next stop, I pulled into a gas station. And parked the car to have it towed. My mechanic informed me that the coolant was leaking from the coolant pump into my oil pan. Now the engine is flooded with a mixture of oil and coolant and I will need a new engine. He said this issue has been reported before but wasn’t sure what Ford/Lincoln may be doing about it. I’m lucky I didn’t have an engine fire or some sort of collision while driving along a highway during rush hour traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11609001

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that it might have been an axle leak. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who in turn advised her to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with water pump failure. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11607300

I was stopping at a stop sign and was unable to stop immediately, instead I coasted a little bit before stopping. Then the brake warning lights and ABS and traction lights came on. I pulled over to a parking lot and turned the car off and turned it back on: all the lights came back on. I put on my flashers and very carefully and slowly drove my car to Jiffy Lube. They did an $108 oil change and checked the brake pads and brake fluid levels and said everything was fine and I would need to take it to a larger shop. I contacted the Apple Ford dealer near me and had my family follow me as I dropped it off. They said it would be a total of $310 for diagnostic and brake flush. I did the flush and it didn’t work. They said it would cost just shy of $3k to replace the entire hydraulic system. I took the car home because that is too much for a 2011 vehicle. I ended up having to get a new car because I need transportation for me and my two young children. My neighbor took a look at the car (he works on trucks) and the battery wouldn’t work. I bought a new battery for the car at $238.14. The lights are still on. I would like to have this car fixed or be able to trade it in. I am now being recommended to run a computer test on it to reset the codes. I would like to have this fixed as this seems to be a known issue with this car and I could have crashed if I wasn’t already driving slowly.

NHTSA ODI 11595694

I was driving home in rush hour traffic at approximately 50 mph. I tried to brake but the pedal went to the floor and I had no brakes at all. Turns out this was a recall issue for the same issue for the previous four years MKZs. Replacing the fluid did not fix the problem and the 2,000 dollars charged for just the module that controls this is disgraceful. That doesn't include the other thousand for a mechanic to install the part. I managed to avoid hitting anyone, but not by much. This is extremely dangerous and should be addressed

NHTSA ODI 11576429

The tire is a NEXEN 225/45R18 After driving at highway speed on an out-of-town trip for several hours, got off the highway on the way to the hotel using suburban roads. About a mile later, a noise suddenly started at the driver's side front. The "slapping noise" got worse as the car went faster. I pulled off into a parking lot and found a steel bead from the tire had come loose and was hitting the inside fender well. I also noticed there were cracks in the side wall. I changed the tire using the spare tire and drove to the hotel. The next day, I went to a local tire dealer to buy replacement tires. Since the car is an All Wheel Drive vehicle, I had to replace all four tires. And, it is a good thing I did since when I inspected the old tires, the other front tire (the passenger side) had side wall cracks worse than the driver's side tire that had the bead separation. The two rear tires showed no evident side wall cracks. I kept the two front tires with the failures and one of the rear tires that did not have any evident cracks. There was not enough room in the car to bring all four tires back home. Attached are photographs of the two failed tires. NOTE: I am a former Director of the Office of Defects Investigation [XXX] ) and this is my wife's car. I brought the tires back with me since I believe ODI may want to have the tires in the event it believes a PE is appropriate. The tires are in my garage in Northern Virginia. The email and phone number are mine, not my wife's. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11541366

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went down to the floorboard and the stopping distance was extended. The "Check Braking System" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed. The ABS, brakes, and the electronic stability control warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and engaged the electronic parking brake. The contact stated that when she turned off and restarted the vehicle, the warning lights turned off and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred on two separate occasions; however, on the last occasion, the warning lights remained illuminated upon restarting the vehicle, and the brake failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. The contact stated the ABS module failed, the older model years were under the recall but the newer cars were not included in this recall. The contact is requesting reimbursement for repairs made to this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11537859

There have been several occasions where I am cruising at a steady spread and when I try to brake, the pedal just goes down to the floor. It's as if I don't have any brakes at all. I've had my brakes and fluid checked and all is good. This is a very scary and dangerous situation. Doing my research I see that this is a common problem. How is there not a recall on this? This could be a fatal situation. Please advise.

NHTSA ODI 11530068

Recently I have experienced a "soft brake pedal" on my 2011 Lincoln MKZ. I investigated online and here's what I found. So far there is no recall on this vehicle but SHOULD BE. NHTSA believes the hydraulic control valves can become corroded and stuck, causing soft brake pedals and longer stopping distances. In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valves subsequently become unstuck, causing an intermittent condition that makes a correct diagnosis difficult. On Ford's side, engineers discovered a gelatinous material that prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed positions after actuation. The automaker also found the gelatinous material likely occurred when brake fluid hit the valve coating. Federal investigators were able to recover affected brake components in some of the vehicles that were involved in crashes, and engineers confirmed stuck valves and corrosion of the zinc control valves. This problem has just recently evolved and it is very scary when applying the brakes and they go down to the floor. The car stops if you pump the brake pedal. My mileage is 150000 on my Lincoln MKZ but the car looks like new and is excellent shape.

NHTSA ODI 11524892

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the brakes failed to operate upon depression of the brake pedal with several unknown warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. The contact immediately applied the parking brake and drifted the vehicle off to the roadway. The contact restarted the vehicle three times and the warning lights reappeared on the instrument panel. The contact drove the vehicle home and later had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer inspected the vehicle and informed him that the ABS hydraulic control unit was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11522318

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering failure message was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V34000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not repaired under the recall, and that the recall had expired. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA ODI 11512380

While making a right turn into Walmart parking lot, car was suddenly very difficult to turn. We almost hit the car in the lane next to us. We had to back up into the main road and risked a collision there as well just to pull into the parking lot. Like the power steering went out. Just a mile before that turn we made a turn and had no issue. Highway driving is okay, it is just difficult to steer in low speed city driving conditions. I had a mechanic look at it. he could not find anything wrong so we flushed the power steering with fresh fluid. It did not seam to help. He concluded that the electric assist is probably what failed. We looked this up, and it is a common problem with this model year MKZ and a recall has been out for this. But, for some reason my car does not pull up this recall.

NHTSA ODI 11502687

Brakes worked perfectly until I had to stop suddenly. Brake pedal went almost to the floor before brakes engaged, and then only slightly. I made it home with them in that same condition. When I took it to the shop, the brakes worked perfectly again. At no time was any code shown. So far the shop can't get the brakes to do it again, but I can't trust the car I paid for. The NHTSA had a recall for the Lincoln MKZ up to 2010, but my 2011 has the same ABS module issue. Please expand the recall before someone else gets injured or killed.

NHTSA ODI 11500983

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact recently received a recall notice stating that parts were available; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the parts were still not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11486097

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11479825

Driving down the road all of a sudden Accutrac warning came up and then check brake system. The brakes were like a sponge and stopping was very difficult and required using emergency brake. Shut car off for a few minutes and then problem went away. Then it did it again. This is the same exact issue a recall was issued for the 2006-2010 model of Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Mine is a 2011 but built in the same plant. This car now has an unrepaired air bag from another recall that they still cannot fix and now no brakes and can't be driven. I feel this model should be included in the other model years recall.

NHTSA ODI 11474898

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11471627

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that water had leaked into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11464857

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking noise detected and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that water had entered the engine and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463184

My vehicle has a safety recall for a possible exploding driver airbag, recall number 21V158. This recall was issued 3/25/21, about 10 months ago, and the manufacturer still does not have a fix for it. This is unacceptable given the severity of the recall. The NHTSA website states that if the manufacturer has not remedied a recall in a reasonable amount of time, then a vehicle complaint should be submitted. In my mind, 10 months is an unreasonable amount of time. I hope that the NHTSA can put additional pressure on Ford/Lincoln to remedy this recall ASAP.

NHTSA ODI 11448056

During a braking event that caused my ABS to activate, my brake pedal traveled almost all the way to the floor. I was able to stop the car without accident but feel unsafe driving it. After much research I located Ford safety recall 19S54 which describes my issue exactly, unfortunately Ford has decided to only issue the recall for model years 2006 to 2010.

NHTSA ODI 11441895

SECONDS AFTER STARTING AND DRIVING APPROX 200 FEET MY, 2011 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID , CARS POWER STEERING STOP WORKING. ON THE MESSAGE CENTER ON THE DASH LITE UP LISTING THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE IN RED LETTERS. I STOPPED TURN THE KEY OFF RESTARTED THE CAR UPON STEERING WAS NORMAL, THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, I HAD THE FORD DEALER,"MULLAHEY FORD" IN ARROYO GRANDE LOOK AT IT. HE STATED THAT NO CODES CAME UP SO THEY WOULD NOT DO ANY REPAIRS, WE PURCHASED A FULL WARRANTY, $3500 FOR REPAIRS BUT HE WASNT WILLING TO REPAIR IT SINCE NO CODES AROSE ON THE CARS COMPUTER.

NHTSA ODI 11431294

My brakes completely gave out forcing me to use the handbrake. I took it to a Ford service shop and they said the problem was the HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT. The part itself is on hold due to a recall. However, my car has not been placed on the recall list. I ended up paying out of pocket to have it fixed but was advised that Ford could reimburse me once NHTSA sends the recall notice. Side note: Ford was the third shop I took it to. The other two mechanics could not diagnose the problem. The attached invoice has my name wrong. It's [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11419202