2012 Lincoln Mkz Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had progressed over time. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remained for further investigation; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

NHTSA ID

11697881

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Mileage

135,000 mi

My car has lost powering steering three times now. I have replaced the rack and pinion module twice and I’m fixing to a third time. This has happened all within the last 3.5 years

NHTSA ID

11667052

Incident

Sep 1, 2024

I became the owner of a 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid in 2016. At first there was no issues. Roughly a couple of months later, there was a power steering issue- so the car was driven to Ford with great difficulty where they reset the sensor or something and the power steering was working again. Now a couple of years later, the problem occurred again. The power steering chime came on, the car read “service advancetrac” in yellow and “power steering assist fault” in read, accompanied by the wheel stiffening. I pulled over turned the car off and back on, and the problem went away. It occurred several more times and turning the car off and back on remedied the problem. It would only occur every couple of months, but more recently it started happening every couple of weeks and now- the last ten days it has happened every time I drive. Each of those times, with the exception of the most recent occurrence, turning the car off and letting it sit for a couple of minutes, followed by turning it back on, solved the problem. The most recent time, I was traveling on the highway going 60 mph when the messages appeared and my wheel stiffened. It terrified me as I was moving fast on a Southern California highway where there are hundreds of cars. I was on my way to take a final exam, that I could not miss, so I kept driving. Steering was near impossible at low speeds. I went in to take my final and three hours later, when I turned the car back on, the power steering still was not working. After hours of research and years of dealing with this problem, I have found that there was a recall regarding the PSCM in the 2012 Lincoln MKZ. I am unsure if this problem extends to the hybrid model, and if so whether it was remedied by a past owner, but a detailed vehicle history report indicates that it was not. I have never received any notice as to this recall. I do know that my car was manufactured in the applicable time period (2011), and that it is experiencing exactly what the recall describes.

NHTSA ID

11586690

Incident

May 2, 2024

Power steering control module stop working. Ford is aware of this issue and refusing to classify it as a recall. Vehicle inoperable at 83k miles.

NHTSA ID

11581296

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

While driving I noticed that at times my steering wheel would be difficult to turn. At first, the problem seemed small until I was trying to make a left turn on a very busy 4-lane road, and without warning the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. I narrowly avoided being hit and ever since then, the steering has not been the same. I sought help at my nearest Ford dealership and after they inspected the car they determined that there was a problem with the steering assist and possibly the rack and pinion. We then discovered that the very same parts were recalled in 2011 for the same make and model car. I was never notified of any recalls and I asked why I was never contacted. The Ford dealership did not know why. According to them the vehicles that were recalled were vehicles that were made at the same facility as mine. They pointed out that normally my car would have been included in the recall and they did not know why I was excluded. I have attached the documentation they provided me proving that my car was built in a factory that had other cars recalled for the same reason. Currently, they are telling me that they cannot honor this recall because my car is not in the system as one that should be included in this recall. Due to the near misses that I have had I believe that this is a serious safety issue and should not be something that I pay over 2000 dollars to repair. Especially since all the other vehicles that had the same problem were recalled and repaired for free. Please help me figure out how to hold them accountable for not notifying me and refusing to honor the safety recall. NHTSA Campaign Number 15V340000

NHTSA ID

11568886

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

After getting an oil change and battery software update, I headed home. Before arriving home the warning light to service Power steering and traction control came on. Returned to dealer, they said the power steering needed to be calibrated. Left and before making it home power steering stopped working and warning lights returned. Dealer has stated the power steering gear needs to be replaced but because the milage is 224,000 and the car is over 10 years old Ford will not extend the warranty and it will cost $2,500 to repair.

NHTSA ID

11493738

Incident

Nov 3, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist fault message intermittently appeared on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle resume normal operation. Recently, the contact stated that the traction control and the power steering warning lights would illuminate at start-up and remained illuminated despite the engine restart. The contact also mentioned that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle while driving at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and he was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11436641

Incident

Jun 1, 2020

Mileage

65,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, AN AUDIBLE CHIME WAS HEARD AFTER WHICH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FELIX SABATES LINCOLN (7601 SOUTH BLVD, CHARLOTTE, NC 28273, (855) 975-3985) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE RACK AND PINON TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11395224

Incident

Dec 15, 2019

Mileage

200,000 mi

THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING*DT

NHTSA ID

11395001

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

60 mi

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR AND RAN INTO MY GARAGE DAMAGING THE RIGHT FRONT OF MY CAR. LOCAL DEALER WITHOUT SEEING THE CAR SAID COST WOULD BE AROUND $1800 TO FIX STEERING AND STABILITRAK. THIS WAS A 2012 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID.

NHTSA ID

11337748

Incident

Apr 12, 2020

Mileage

79,814 mi

I TURNED ON MY CAR AND RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM IN THE INFORMATION PANEL STATING, " POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". ITS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL. I DRIVE EASY ON MY CAR AND THE ROADS ARE SMOOTH IN MY COMMUTES. *TR

NHTSA ID

11324583

Incident

May 14, 2020

Mileage

133,950 mi

STARTED MY CAR TO LET IT WARM UP, WHEN I RETURNED AND WENT TO LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY IT FLASHED SERVICE STABILITRAC AND SERVICE POWER STEERING. TRIED TO DRIVE IT AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. THERE IS A RECALL ON MANY OF THIS SAME CAR FOR THE SAME REASON BUT NONE FOR MY VIN #.

NHTSA ID

11306599

Incident

Jan 31, 2020

Mileage

180,000 mi

MY TRACTION CONTROL AND ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ARE ON AND I HAVE NO POWER STEERING. THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL ON THIS AND THE DEALER SAID NOT FOR MY VIN NUMBER. MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ISN'T WORKING

NHTSA ID

11266703

Incident

Oct 5, 2019

Mileage

146,000 mi

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW. FIRST INCIDENT WAS SEPTEMBER 29TH 2018, SECOND WAS TODAY AUGUST 23RD 2019. THERE WAS A RECALL PREVIOUSLY BUT ISN'T ONE FOR MY VIN NUMBER. VEHICLE FIRST TIME WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET, SECOND TIME WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY OF HOME.

NHTSA ID

11246013

Incident

Aug 23, 2019

Mileage

129,149 mi

AUG 2, MY HUSBAND & I WERE APPROACHING A 4-WAY LIGHT NEAR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WERE SLOWING DOWN TO TURN RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION. AS WE BEGAN THE TURN, THE TIRES LOCKED & OUR CAR SLIDE LEFT ACROSS LANES THAT RESULTED IN A CRASH. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD, DESPITE MY SEAT-BELT, BUSTING IT. THEN, MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED. IT WAS LIKE MY HUSBAND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. TIRES WERE STILL LOCKED WHEN TOW-TRUCK ARRIVED. OTHER CAR INVOLVED DID NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE. WE DO NOT HAVE A HYBRID, BUT WONDER IF THE STEERING RECALL THAT STARTED WITH 2012 MKZ HYBRIDS & OTHERS COULD INVOLVE ADDITIONAL MODELS LIKE OURS (RECALL 15V340000). WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WAS NOT NORMAL.

NHTSA ID

11242528

Incident

Aug 2, 2019

Mileage

63,000 mi

I WAS ON A CITY STREET MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN I WAS HIT BY A BARRELING CAR AFTER HE HIT ME ONCE THEN HE BACKED UP AND HIT ME AGAIN TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY HE TOOK OFF THEN MY CAR ACCELERATED GOING UP CURBS THE STEERING AN BRAKES DID NOT WORK IT TOOK TWO OF US TO AVOID A BRICK WALL AFTER PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TWICE IT FINALLY STOPPED WITH A BANG

NHTSA ID

10925131

Incident

Nov 4, 2016

Mileage

21,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING AND EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE DROVE ONTO A CURB AND FRACTURED THE RIMS AND TIRES. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

NHTSA ID

10730157

Incident

Feb 2, 2015

Mileage

29,000 mi

ON SPETEMBER 5, 2014, I WAS TRAVELING IN MISSOURI. THE CAR DIDN'T SEEM TO HANDLE AS IT SHOULD. I HAD A STOP SIGN, AND IT SEEMED TO BE OKAY THEN. I DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN IN CASE THERE WAS AN ISSUE. THE FIRST CURVE I CAME TO, THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN RIGHT, AND WENT DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, I WAS NEVER ABLE TO STEER IT RIGHT TOWARDS THE ROAD AGAIN. MY LEFT KNEE WAS INJURED. ALSO, THE CAR NEEDED A NEW PCM. ...UPDATED 01/29/15 *BF

NHTSA ID

10680205

Incident

Sep 5, 2014

Mileage

34,000 mi

ON TURNING RIGHT POWER STEERING SHUTS OFF AND ONLY HAD MANUAL STEERING CONTROL UNTIL WHEELS WERE STRAIGHTENED AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNED. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ON TURNING RIGHT. WENT TO DEALER COMPLAINT IS ON FILE , DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG NEW CARS POWER STEERING DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS CARS. THIS IS TERRIBLE AND IF NOT FIXED I AM GOING TO TRADE IN THIS CAR. IT IS THE WORST STEERING AUTO I EVER HAD. I AM 83 AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CARS IN MY LIFETIME FROM DIFFERENT AUTO COMPANIES BUT NONE EVER HAD THIS STEERING PROBLEM.. *TR

NHTSA ID

10643495

Incident

May 2, 2014

Mileage

20,222 mi

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN POWER STEERING FROZE. WARNING LIGHT "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" AND "POWER STEERING FAILURE CAME ON. I TURNED CAR OFF AND ON AND STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. TWO DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER STARTING THE CAR. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS, AS THE CAR WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. CAR IS AT DEALER NOW, THEY SAY PART HAS A BACKLOG OF OVER 1700 UNITS. COULD TAKE MONTHS FOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10472576

Incident

Aug 24, 2012

Mileage

4,700 mi