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Lincoln MKS steering lock-up problems

17 of the 376 owner complaints about the Lincoln MKS describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2013 model year.

owner complaints
17
worst model year
2013
typical mileage
100,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

Engine failure 8Power steering loss 5Stalling 3

Trouble codes mentioned

U3000 1

What owners say

Filed Aug 13, 2026 · Steering · NY

While driving home in the center lane on the XXX[XXX] Parkway, my steering wheel locked suddenly, preventing me from turning left or right. As I used my full strength to turn right against the tightness of the steering wheel, trying to get off at the next possible exit, the power to the steering wheel abruptly returned, causing me to swerve out of control, past the right lane, onto the shoulder and into the grassy roadside area. The vehicle didn't suffer any bodily damages. I struggled mightily with the steering but was able to drive home safely and park it. The next morning, I took the car to a mechanic, who after checking the power steering, informed me that the E.P.A.S. motor sensor at fault and that there's an active service recall on vehicles fitting the year, make, and model of my car. I called Lincoln of Queens Center, and was told that my vehicle was not on the list for recalls. This was after I provided them with my VIN number. The customer service representative couldn't give a valid or specific reason why my VIN number was excluded from the list, except to say, "that's the way it's always been, I don't make the policies." In search for a better explanation, I was transferred to Ford Recall department, then Client Relation Center, where representative [XXX] submitted an A.S.O form and referred me to (N.H.T.S.C), where I spoke with Ms [XXX] who stated that they are not responsible for omitting certain VIN#'s from the recall list. I don't want to believe that a powerful and reputable automobile manufacturing company like Ford and Lincoln would exclude certain VIN numbers from their service recall list, knowing at any time, a faulty motor sensor, needed for safe navigational steering, can go bad, resulting in multiple automobile accidents, that can cause serious injuries, or death to innocent unsuspecting motorists. If possible, I would highly appreciate if Ford/Lincoln could add my VIN number to their recall list Truly, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),

Filed Apr 22, 2024 · Brakes, Steering · NJ

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

Filed Oct 31, 2023 · Steering · CA

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.

Filed Jul 31, 2023 · Engine, Steering · 101,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Filed Oct 13, 2022 · Steering · PA

Steering wheel locked up while the car was in motion. "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" appears on the dash. Mechanic has checked out the car and believes the steering rack might have to be replaced.

Filed Aug 10, 2022 · Steering · 115,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 40 MPH, the steering wheel locked up, almost causing her to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife slammed on the brakes and veered to the side of the road. The contact's wife wiggled the steering wheel and was able to continue driving. However, the failure reoccurred while driving at 65 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with a recall and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Filed Jul 28, 2022 · Steering · 100,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2014 Lincoln MKS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the "Steering Assist Fault, Service Required" message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Dec 4, 2021 · IN

As I was returning home from a haircut, my 2011 Lincoln MKS shut off as I was attempting to stop at a red light. I was able to get the car to complete stop. I looked at the dash to see if any warning signs, alerts or any gauges we abnormal. When nothing alarmed me I started my vehicle and proceeded when the light turned green approximately 1/2 mile the car stalled again as I was driving at 35 mph. I had a difficult time getting the car to stop as the steering wheel locked and the brake pedal was hard to push in. I eventually was able to get it to a complete stop on the right side of the road, by pushing extra hard on the brake and pulling the steering wheel to the right. Which the driver side of my vehicle still in the path of other vehicles I knew my car wasn’t safe there and could possibly cause an accident. I called my husband who came to the location of the car and raised the hood when he noticed the coolant in the overflow reservoir was empty. We filled the reservoir. We started the vehicle which ran normal and didn’t not illuminate any warning light or raise any gauges. Drove vehicle home which was approximately 3 miles as pulling into my driveway the temperature gauge slowly began rising above normal line. I shut car off immediately got out and raised the hood when I seen smoke emerging from under the hood. The coolant reservoir was completely empty again. My husband pulled the dipstick to check the oil where we observed antifreeze covering the entire length of dipstick. This is impossible to prevent or fix if there are no signs or symptoms given to the driver that there is a problem. We have our vehicle serviced regularly and have all the receipts to prove. Ford need to fix and /or replace these engines. People work hard everyday and depend on there vehicles for there daily lives. It’s not an honest sales when a faulty water pump is placed inside and engine knowing water pumps are a commonly replaced part and that if this water pump fails it would ruin engin

Filed Jul 27, 2021 · Steering · NJ

Issue: Power Steering INOP U3000-49 Control Module Failure Pro Date 5/2012. Steering wheel locked making it difficult to turn wheel and drive car safely. Problem was confirmed by 2 Mechanics, one being the Dealership- Chapman Ford Lincoln. A Warning lamp came on: Power Steering Assist Fault.

Filed Feb 26, 2021 · Steering · 71,000 miles · FL · crash · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 lincoln mks. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle went across the road and hit a mailbox then a pole. The air bags deployed and caused a chin abrasion, nosebleed, chest and rib pain to the contact and medical attention was received. There were no warning lights illuminating when the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to a lot and deemed totaled by the contact's insurance company. There was a police report filed. The contact stated there was a recall notification with the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v340000 (steering) but his VIN was not a part of the recall, however the vehicle experienced the failure of the recall. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 71,000.*dt*jb*dt

Related recalls

Steering: electric power assist systemReported June 2, 2015 · 393,623 vehicles affected
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

Questions about the Lincoln MKS steering lock-up

Which Lincoln MKS years have steering wheel locks up problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2013 (7 complaints), 2011 (5 complaints) and 2014 (3 complaints).

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