What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power Steering While driving yesterday, doing shopping and online order deliveries, the steering wheel started having slight resistance during turns. It became worse shortly after. As I attempted to leave a grocery store, less than 5 minutes away from home, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. I didn't see any leaks under the hood nor on the ground underneath my car. Nor was there any smells nor odors. On 5/1/2026, I did hear a slight noise when I turned the steering wheel to back into the driveway at home. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Steering wheel became difficult to turn right or left. I barely made it home to park it, as the longer I drove to get home, the more difficult it became to make turns. I parked it immediately as I didn't want to make too wide of a turn on a road, risking any accidents. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. I will need the car towed to a local Ford/Lincoln dealership for assessment. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet, in the process of contacting my auto insurance about it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The message on the dashboard was "Service Power Steering" and it appeared on 5/2/2026 for the very first time. Also, the power steering icon showed in a stable amber color. This message did not appear before.
The worst 2011 Lincoln MKS problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering21
- Brakes5
- Engine5
- Acceleration3
- Driver assistance3
- Electrical3
- Fuel system3
- Lights3
- Airbags2
- Body2
- Locks1
- Suspension1
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Lincoln MKS
Recalls 3
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
Recall number 16V247000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Recall number 15V340000 · Recall details
Structure: body: door
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
- Risk
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
Recall number 15V040000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 Lincoln MKS 31
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to
- Oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket
- Distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface
- On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be...
- Ssm 47948 - 2010-2019
- For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related...
- Propane or natural gas odor during idle or low speed driving
- Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or...
- 2010-2018 various vehicles equipped with SYNC or SYNC 3 may not function when attempting to find or use...
- Some 2007-2016 edge/mkx/flex/mkt/mkz/mks/taurus/taurus police/explorer/explorer police equipped with all...
2011 Lincoln MKS fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 25 | 20 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 22 | 19 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
What 2011 Lincoln MKS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was later restarted, and the traction control and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the steering gear had failed and that the steering rack needed to be replaced; however, the steering rack was no longer manufactured so the vehicle required an aftermarket steering rack. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 212,000.
I was driving and I hear a beeping sound,and my steering just stopped working and made it difficult to control the vehicle in a curve.. Recall Details: 2011–2013 Power Steering Electric Assist Loss •In June 2015, Ford issued Recall #15S18 (the federal safety agency Campaign 15V340000) for a range of vehicles—including the 2011 Lincoln MKS—due to a potential intermittent electrical connection in the steering gear. This defect could cause loss of electronic power steering assist, increasing steering effort and potential crash risk , I never received notification of this potential risk and it was lucky that my grandchildren was not in the car because I usually pick them up from school about the time this occurred. Just want to know what action can I take and how can you assist me?
the steering system locks up and loses power assist,and the brakes and traction control sys also malfunction, and several failure lights all come on ,as I was making a left turn in front of a police car the steering locked up and I almost hit the police car,the vehicle isn't driveable,the policeman advised me not to drive the car,he verified the steering didn't work,when the problem occurs the steering gets extremely hard and at the same time lights and bells start ringing in the car and it's very scary because between the steering and brakes not working the bells and lights are very distracting
In 2015 a recall was done to repair the power steering failure issue. In October of 2021, while driving the vehicle down the highway, the power steering went out making the vehicle almost impossible to steer. Had the vehicle towed to the dealership where they verified the issue and pulled code U3000 for steering gear failure. With 68827 miles, I was charged for the entire repair with not one mention about the extension to the power steering recall. The parts and labor that were charged were those mentioned in the recall. Fast forward to November 2022, had the vehicle towed to the same dealership for the same issue. Lights on the dash were present, and concern verified that the power steering was completely inoperative. No communication with the unit told me that the power steering control needed to be replaced. Again there was no mention or advocating involving the power steering recall that involved this exact issue. This time was told that they installed a part that was used in the previous repair so again I had to pay the entire cost. Currently, there are no issues with the vehicle but I have been looking to sell it because I have not driven it much due to the cost of these repairs. It was during my research to sell that I came across all the recall information on my vehicle and do not understand why all of these costs were not covered and why the dealership did nothing to advocate for me.
Woke up to leave house and steering wheel was very stiff and hard to control
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated that while attempting to secure items into the trunk of the vehicle, the rear trunk door suddenly came down and struck the contact on the head. During the incident, the contact sustained a head contusion which did not require medical treatment. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 100,000.
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. Had a difficult time pulling vehicle over after failure. Notice I missed recall by 90 days.
The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The contact's daughter was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, and after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module and gear. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Was driving my 2011 Lincoln MKS (build date 06/07/2010) when the steering froze up and then a message appeared in the center stack indicating a possible steering gear failure. Luckily, I was able to get home and pull it on my driveway with great difficulty. Recall 15S18 starts with build dates of 09/2010. This recall should be extended. Repair quote: $1900 part 6.2 hours labor + Alignment ($120) from Local Ford dealer.
Compare the 2011 Lincoln MKS
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Questions about the 2011 Lincoln MKS
Is the 2011 Lincoln MKS reliable?
Owners have filed 43 complaints about the 2011 Lincoln MKS, close to a typical MKS model year.
What is the 2011 Lincoln MKS year score?
The 2011 Lincoln MKS scores 65 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Lincoln MKS: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Lincoln MKS?
Steering, with 21 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles. Next is brakes (5).
How many recalls does the 2011 Lincoln MKS have?
3 recalls, covering air bags, steering and structure.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Lincoln MKS steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 15V340000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Lincoln MKS have bad steering?
The Lincoln MKS model years with the most steering complaints are 2013 (61 complaints), 2011 (21 complaints) and 2010 (15 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2011 Lincoln MKS get?
Official estimates for the 2011 Lincoln MKS range from 19 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, AWD) gets 17 city and 25 highway.
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