There have been several occasions where I am cruising at a steady spread and when I try to brake, the pedal just goes down to the floor. It's as if I don't have any brakes at all. I've had my brakes and fluid checked and all is good. This is a very scary and dangerous situation. Doing my research I see that this is a common problem. How is there not a recall on this? This could be a fatal situation. Please advise.

- Freehold, NJ, USA

Recently I have experienced a "soft brake pedal" on my 2011 Lincoln MKZ. I investigated online and here's what I found. So far there is no recall on this vehicle but SHOULD BE. NHTSA believes the hydraulic control valves can become corroded and stuck, causing soft brake pedals and longer stopping distances. In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valves subsequently become unstuck, causing an intermittent condition that makes a correct diagnosis difficult. On Ford's side, engineers discovered a gelatinous material that prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed positions after actuation. The automaker also found the gelatinous material likely occurred when brake fluid hit the valve coating. Federal investigators were able to recover affected brake components in some of the vehicles that were involved in crashes, and engineers confirmed stuck valves and corrosion of the zinc control valves. This problem has just recently evolved and it is very scary when applying the brakes and they go down to the floor. The car stops if you pump the brake pedal. My mileage is 150000 on my Lincoln MKZ but the car looks like new and is excellent shape.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Brakes worked perfectly until I had to stop suddenly. Brake pedal went almost to the floor before brakes engaged, and then only slightly. I made it home with them in that same condition. When I took it to the shop, the brakes worked perfectly again. At no time was any code shown. So far the shop can't get the brakes to do it again, but I can't trust the car I paid for. The NHTSA had a recall for the Lincoln MKZ up to 2010, but my 2011 has the same ABS module issue. Please expand the recall before someone else gets injured or killed.

- Benton, AZ, USA

Driving down the road all of a sudden Accutrac warning came up and then check brake system. The brakes were like a sponge and stopping was very difficult and required using emergency brake. Shut car off for a few minutes and then problem went away. Then it did it again. This is the same exact issue a recall was issued for the 2006-2010 model of Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Mine is a 2011 but built in the same plant. This car now has an unrepaired air bag from another recall that they still cannot fix and now no brakes and can't be driven. I feel this model should be included in the other model years recall.

- Lake Mary, FL, USA

During a braking event that caused my ABS to activate, my brake pedal traveled almost all the way to the floor. I was able to stop the car without accident but feel unsafe driving it. After much research I located Ford safety recall 19S54 which describes my issue exactly, unfortunately Ford has decided to only issue the recall for model years 2006 to 2010.

- Waterford, MI, USA

My brakes completely gave out forcing me to use the handbrake. I took it to a Ford service shop and they said the problem was the HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT. The part itself is on hold due to a recall. However, my car has not been placed on the recall list. I ended up paying out of pocket to have it fixed but was advised that Ford could reimburse me once NHTSA sends the recall notice. Side note: Ford was the third shop I took it to. The other two mechanics could not diagnose the problem. The attached invoice has my name wrong. It's [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Alhambra, CA, USA

My car couldn't break, suddenly got warning while driving through a parking lot by walmart store. Red "check brake system" yellow "service advance trac" "break" and "ABS" dash lights started popping up and I could not even break a little bit even after stepping on the break pedal real hard, I was fortunate enough to not having anyone in front of me on the parking lot as I absolutely couldn't break!!!!!! I put my blinkers on and placed the car in parking gear, yet it wouldn't stop!! I finally had to turn off the ignition then there was a big shake and the engine stalled finally and vehicle came to a halt. Vehicle had to be towed to the local dealership via aaa towing. The local Lincoln dealership did not show any concern and were completely ignorant of my narrating this to them. They simply slapped a charge of $3061 and said that it needs replacing ABS module and a change of hcu (hydraulic control unit) and stated that there is no recall on these components. I called Lincoln global to place a complaint and to check if this was a 'known' issue with Lincoln Mkz 2011 model. They said currently they do not have a recall on this component. I strongly believe this is a serious safety concern as it affects brakes directly and there is zero possibility to stop the vehicle. I was fortunate this occurred in a parking lot where there was not anyone in front of my vehicle while it occurred. While I'm working with the dealership on getting the price of the service a little down, thats not of my main concern. The brake failure of this nature could be fatal for both driver/passenger and people on the way of the vehicle. Please lodge this as a recall investigation/complaint. There is no issue found with the break pads or break lining, drum etc. All are normal. Vehicle is regularly maintained with same Lincoln dealership at all times at all given intervals.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

I was driving, normally around town. My brakes have been working find and normal up until this point. Then, all of sudden I went to press my brakes and the pedal almost went to the floor. Luckily, there was not any cars in front of me or was at an intersection. Several warning lights came on: Check engine wrench, ABS light, service advance track and E brake light. So, I was close to my home and I drove it slowly to my house and checked underneath the hood. The brake fluid level was fine and no brake line leaks whatsoever. Next, I researched the problem online and found out that it is an ABS module failure. I also found out that Ford had a recall on their ABS system, but for only years 2006-2010. Go figure, the new module costs over $500 plus, then labor charges and a dealer has to reprogram the ABS system. Wow, what a super expensive unforeseen repair pill.

- Valley View, OH, USA

I started my car and pressed the pedal to shift into reverse and started to back up from a parking spot. The pedal suddenly went to the floor and the car kept moving, pulled the emergency brake. Had warning lcd icons in red about brakes. Tried shutting car off and restarting to see if condition changed, no change, pedal went to floor and no pressure. Checked for leaks under car and no leaks of brake fluid were present. As I could build pressure slowly and had the ebrake, I drove slowly to the nearest dealer. While driving other messages came on to service advance trak and the yellow wrench. Pedal would make contact with brakes at the very lowest point or by pumping brakes otherwise I would have not driven to the nearby dealer. I could have gotten into a serious accident had this happened at higher speeds than backing out of a spot because its so sudden and your stopping distance is greatly affected even with something so slow as adjusting a parking job. Car had around 96,140 miles when it happened. This is a very dangerous condition as even at low speeds I needed a large distance to stop safely before cars in front of me. Car is at the dealer and was just quoted 1,100 dollars but this does seem to be the same issue I read about for previous years recalls and should be investigated.

- Stuart, FL, USA

I was traveling down a hill that ends with a stoplight on a backroad in the city. The light turned red, I applied my brakes and my foot went to the floor with no brake pressure. I was able to pull over and use my emergency brake to stop me. There was no fluids visible.

- Norwich, CT, USA

Car in question: 2011 Lincoln Mkz hybrid, 163,287 km (101,484 miles). Driving on a city street all of the sudden warning lights come on: ABS, traction control, giant wrench, P/brake light, service advancetrac. Brake pedal all the way to the floor, I blew a stop sign, as car was slowing down, but than just rolled thru the intersection. Had to use a parking brake to come to a complete stop when I was looking for a safe spot to pull over. Had to replace hydraulic control module and ABS module.

- Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln Mkz. While the contact's wife was driving and attempting to apply the brakes, the brake pedal lowered slowly. The contact stated that his wife struck a flower pot on a nearby lawn and had to apply the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not towed. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who repaired the master cylinder, but the failure recurred. The contact returned the vehicle to the certified mechanic who discovered a mechanism under the brake pedal that prohibited the brake pedal from being able to be depressed appropriately. The mechanism was removed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact had not yet received a response. The failure mileage was 40,000. The consumer stated there was an obstruction above the gas and brake pedals. The obstruction prevent the driver from applying the necessary pressure to the pedals. A mechanic stated the failure was due to poor response timing of the vehicle's master cylinder. The master cylinder was replaced, but the failure recurred several more times. The vehicle was involved in 2 accidents due to the failure.

- Ventura, CA, USA

The vehicle remained without brakes while driving. One week and I have no news. Please call Lincoln and how the car carries for 8 years, they did not want to do anything when it is something of safety and life.

- Tons River, NJ, USA

At any given time the brakes will go out in the car and give a fault code to check ABS system. This has happened 4 times over a 2 year period, one of those times I was going 55 mph and went to stop at a yellow light. My brakes failed and I ended up running the red light almost hitting a car starting to cross from the other direction. Once you shut off the car and turn it back on the brakes work again like nothing was ever wrong. I took the car to the dealership and they were not able to find anything wrong with the car. Each time it has done this the dealership can't find anything wrong. I've seen other people having the same issue that has caused accidents, I'm not sure why there hasn't been anything done about it yet.

- Canton, OH, USA

I was driving at roughly 35mph suddenly and without any warning lights or chimes, my brakes lost pressure, the pedal then sunk to the floor. Upon pumping the brakes a few times I was able to slow to a stop but the pedal then continued to sink to the floor. Upon going all the way to the floor, the car barely stops and pulls hard left, as if the passenger side front brakes aren't working.

- Petaluma, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln Mkz. While driving various speeds, the brake pedal was applied and traveled to the floorboard without warning. The vehicle was towed to craft Hyundai (2625 lakeside dr, lynchburg, va 24501, (434) 455-7060) where it was diagnosed that the calipers, front brake pads, master cylinder, and brake hydraulic control needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the parts needed to be replaced again. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

- Lynchburg, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2011 Lincoln Mkz. The contact stated that the vehicle unintentionally accelerated. Also, when the brake and the accelerator pedal was depressed at the same time, the pedal traveled to the floorboard. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a brick wall. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to jack demmer Lincoln (21531 Michigan ave, dearborn, mi 48124, (313) 274-8800) where the contact was informed that the only way the vehicle could be diagnosed was if the failure occurred while at the dealer. The front end of the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,273 at the time of the crash.

- Detroit, MI, USA

After my wife driving approximately 1/2 mile out of the driveway she lost all of her brakes. The brake pedal went to the floor with no resistance, she shut off the ignition and the car coasted to a stop. She managed to get it back home by turning the ignition on and off. She called autonation Ford and had them toe it in. Autonation Ford confirmed that all braking was lost and they said there was a short in the ABS control module. My service advisor stated that he had never seen an entire brake system failure like this. I asked them why an ABS control module failure would result in loss of hydraulic braking. They had no answer and were quite indifferent to the loss in braking since they stated that the car is equipped with an emergency brake. Can you believe it"??" since the car was 4 months out of warranty they wanted to charge me $2,000 for the repair. I negotiated with a Ford warranty associate and she agreed to pay half of the repair costs. Any vehicle that can lose all braking without a redundant backup is unacceptable. After getting the car fixed I traded it in. The total cost to me was about $20,000. I am particularly concerned for all of the unsuspecting families driving the Mkz. Just imagine! no brakes at 50 mph coming to a stop light, hitting the car stopped in front of you, and having your family and the other vehicles' family carted off to the morgue. I tried to explain the potentially serious outcome of a total brake failure to both the autonation Ford service advisor and to the Ford warranty associate. They were more interested in not covering the car under the warranty than the seriousness of the failure. In conclusion, I sincerely hope that the NHTSA investigate this failure mode and have Ford make the necessary design changes and recall the vehicles with an appropriate fix.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA