Check a VIN

Lincoln MKX spongy pedal problems

19 of the 1,418 owner complaints about the Lincoln MKX describe soft or spongy brake pedal, most of them for the 2013 model year.

owner complaints
19
worst model year
2013
typical mileage
89,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

ABS 6Brake failure 2

Trouble codes mentioned

U0401 1

What owners say

Filed May 11, 2026 · Brakes · 75,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKX. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact then stated while driving at at speeds, the brake pedal had become soft and spongy upon depression without warning. In addition, the contact stated that a puddle of brake fluid would accumulate underneath the vehicle near the rear passenger tire. The contact called a local dealer in reference to the failure and was informed that a temporary fix can be made to the failure; the contact declined the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

Filed Mar 12, 2026 · Brakes · 88,779 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The brake pedal was soft and spongy. In addition, the service brake warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floor, and the vehicle rolled forward before coming to a complete stop. The vehicle was driven to the residence of a friend. The failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floor to stop the vehicle. The contact's friend, who was an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and determined there was failure with rear passenger's side brake hose. The contact was informed that the rear passenger's side brake hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts were not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,779.

Filed Sep 6, 2024 · Brakes · OH

Continious soft brake pedal , with failure of brakes a couple of times nearly causing wreck. Auto inspected by Reineke Ford Findlay, Oh. Needs replacement of ABS brake module - hydrolic and electrical. No warning lights ever. Ford needs to extend the ABS module recall to include additional years, one of those being my 2014 MKX. To add to problem, even if I could afford to fix $2,000.00 repair......parts are on backorder........hence defining what a problem this is! This has been going on since April 2024.

Filed Aug 20, 2024 · Brakes · PA · crash

In June 2024, i received a letter dated March of 2024 for a Customer Satisfaction Program 13N02 that ended before i had a chance to take my vehicle into the repair shop to have this item fixed. Actually, i received the letter past the date that it could qualify for the repair as it was 10 years from the original warranty or 150,000 miles. My original warranty start date was December 2013. So they sent the "Customer Satisfaction Program notice 13N02" After the date it could be repaired. I called the dealership anyway, despite their error, to see if they may want to fix this Spongy Break Pedal anyway since they had messed up their mailing date. (Shultz Lincoln in Wexford, PA) They declined and told me they would be happy to look at it for a low fee of $180.00. I told them they should do it for free. I then called Lincoln directly where i spoke with a very nice gentleman. He looked through every possible scenario and decided that i was not able to get it fixed under the program. There really should be some type of law disallowing them to send out post dated letters knowing very well that they were not going to fix it because it was past the date of repair. My brake pedal hits the floor when i try to stop and if i do not push on the pedal hard enough to brake without the booster kicking in, i bump into things. Solution, i have attached a 2 channel dash cam to the vehicle with a live feed posted to a server in order to document my death caused by Lincoln. I have instructed my attorneys to release the feed upon my death and have authorized a law suit in my name. if won, they have been told to distribute the money to all of the homeless people that the Lincoln Executives drive past with their pocket tight and windows up every day on their way to work. This should be a crime. They should fix their safety issues, they should not be allowed to send out notices offering to pay for repairs that they do not plan on repairing. Also, they could spare a dollar for the Homeless

Filed Apr 5, 2024 · Brakes · 104,658 miles · MN

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while coming to a stop, the brake pedal became stiff while being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,658.

Filed Mar 25, 2024 · Brakes · FL

Our car has been having issues with the breaks. At random times the break peddle gets very spongy and has to be pushed to the floor before the brakes will activate. The reduced break pressure has caused near crashes as the vehicle does not slow down when the breaks are pushed until the pedal is pushed to the floor. We took the car into a Lincoln dealership and they spent a day looking at the vehicle. The mechanic informed us that the vehicle has a faulty ABS pump and that the part needs to be replaced to remedy the brake issue. We were told by the Lincoln dealer that the part is on back order and that this part is known to fail on our year and model of car.

Filed Feb 12, 2024 · Brakes · SC · crash

We have had numerous failures in the braking system. This started with occasional spongy pedal issues that resulted in replacement of the brake booster. This started a two year long journey to repair brake issues. This has gone thru two of the most reputable auto mechanic shops in our area. We have gone thru three brake boosters, one master cylinder, and about to replace the second ABS hydraulic unit. The ABS hydraulic/module unit is the most frustrating because it is failing at such a rate the mechanics cannot get them new and we have had to use refurbished ones. This is a tremendous safety issue and we as consumers are working diligently to repair the issues... only to have erratic unsafe braking conditions. This is a huge lawsuit waiting to happen if Ford/Lincoln does not address the issues and research a solution.

Filed Jan 6, 2023 · Brakes · TN

Have a hard brake pedal. U0401 code. Ford replaced battery. It got rid of code but still had a hard brake pedal. Ford replaced power assist unit. That fix the problem.

Filed Jul 23, 2022 · Brakes · OH

Brake pedal will go all the way to floor. Very soft pedal. For over a year we have talked to the dealers around Home. They all say Ford and Lincoln don’t have a problem. I talked to Lincoln concierge and she said if it became a safety issue to contact a dealer. It was still on the csp recall at the time. But I was told it expired. I paid to get the car worked on and had a pedal again. Now it’s back to the floor. Backing up a lot and putting on brakes doesn’t help this time. Now ford says yes they had a problem but it expired a year ago. I don’t drive this car every day. It now has 70700 miles. It had 52000 when I bought it 3 years ago. But to me brakes are important. I had to stop quickly in traffic and stopped in the intersection and luckily didn’t have an accident. It should be repaired without cost to me. It is a very serious problem. I’m also calling NTSB with this information to see how many crashes that there has been

Filed Oct 21, 2021 · Brakes · MA

Lincoln mkx suddenly had a hard pedal and checked for the possible fluid leaks and bleed the system. No brake fluid leaks were found. It has been incormed this could be a brake booster or ABS pump issue, almost crashed my vehicle in a highway

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported August 22, 2025 · 499,129 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The rear brake jounce hose may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Risk
A brake fluid leak can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake jounce hoses and adjust brake jounce hoses with no damage present, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S87.

Recall number 25V544000 · Recall details

Service brakesReported August 10, 2020 · 488,594 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture prematurely.
Risk
A ruptured front brake hose will cause a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake hoses with the new hoses that have a revised braid material, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S42.

Recall number 20V469000 · Recall details

Questions about the Lincoln MKX spongy pedal

Which Lincoln MKX years have soft or spongy brake pedal problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2013 (7 complaints), 2011 (5 complaints) and 2010 (2 complaints).

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used Lincoln MKX?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history