Upon braking my brake pedal goes to the floor and I hear the ABS .the vehicle slightly slows. The pedal remains spongy. Ford does think it could be the "hcu". According to department of transport problem that hcu may be sticking open. This happens every time a heavy application is made when road surface is wet.
2008 Lincoln MKZ: soft or spongy brake pedal
7 of the 281 complaints about the 2008 Lincoln MKZ describe soft or spongy brake pedal.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 126,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Soft or spongy brake pedal by model year
- 20161
- 20111
- 20101
- 20092
- 20087
- 20072
What owners say
Very soft brake pedal
Abs engaged on snowy road. Now, brake pedal is extremely soft/spongy...does not engage until pedal is fully depressed. County road. Straight-line stop. Replaced brake master cylinder and performed factory pressure/service bleed. Cause is certain to be the historically faulty ABS hcu/control module.
Brakes spontaneously went soft, during travel (30 MPH?). Changed master cylinder which seemed to resolve issue. Couple of weeks later, happened again uwhile in motion. Master cylinder changed 2nd time under warranty. Happened third time within weeks traveling about 50 MPH. The third time, it happened upon application of brakes (not aggressive) which caused ABS activation. Pulse was felt in brake pedal and immediately brakes pedal went soft (almost to floor). Pumping brake pedal firmed the brakes. Couple of days later, tested ABS on gravel road by aggressive braking, ABS activation and brakes went soft immediately during the action. Pumping up brakes resulted in firming, at top of brake pedal travel without slowing vehicle then into soft travel through 3/4 travel until firmed again at bottom of travel. Concern is that in the event of emergency braking which activates ABS, typical braking changes to 'soft pedal' (belief of failed brakes) and potential for panic and resulting collision. Dealer tested system today (10/03/2018) and could not diagnose any problem. No dash light was ever activated in any of the events described. No brake fluid leak detected, no loss of brake fluid.
After an ABS braking event the brake pedal is now soft and spongy and exhibits excessive travel. Brakes still function effectively. Brakes will "pump up" harder with an additional pedal stroke.
Soft and long travel brake peddle, occasionally peddle will travel all the way to the floor. Scary stopping. Intermittent peddle travel. Sometimes corrected with heavy pumping. Never know which brake peddle will occur. Spongy peddle feel can occur on stopping and can also be felt when in park or coming to a stop. Wife crashed into garage.
Excessive brake pedal travel or soft pedal which requires greater foot force to insure safe stopping. This occurs when the car is in motion.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.
- Risk
- If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.
Recall number 19V904000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 Lincoln MKZ spongy pedal
Is soft or spongy brake pedal a common problem on the 2008 Lincoln MKZ?
7 of 281 owner complaints about the 2008 Lincoln MKZ (2%) mention soft or spongy brake pedal. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Lincoln MKZ?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Lincoln MKZ
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