NHTSA Complaint #11395566 — 2013 LINCOLN MKS

WHILE SERVICING MY LINCOLN MKS WITH AN OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED A BROWNISH FLUID LEAKING FROM MY INNER FRONT WHEEL AREA. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT FLUID WAS FOR, SO I GOOGLED IT AND IT SAID IT COULD BE FROM A DEFECTIVE PTU ON MY AWD LINCOLN MKS. AT 34,983 MILES, I TOOK IT TO MY LINCOLN DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, AND IT WAS IN FACT A DEFECTIVE PTU. THE MKS WAS A CERTIFIED VEHICLE SO THE COSTLY REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER THE REPLACEMENT UNIT WILL ALSO FAIL AS FORD STATES THAT IT IS LIFETIME GEAR FLUID AND IT DOES NOT NEED FLUSHED OR CHANGED. THE PTU IS LOCATED DIRECTLY NEAR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSES THE FLUID TO OVERHEAT AND TO BREAK DOWN CAUSING THE GEARS TO FAIL IN THE UNIT. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ACTUALLY AN ADAPTED VERSION OF THAT PTU WITH A DRAIN PLUG FOR REGULAR FLUSH AND FILL MAINTENANCE BUT NOT VEHICLES IN THE US. CONSUMERS HAVE MADE VIDEOS OF HOW THEY HAVE INSTALLED THEIR OWN DRAIN SYSTEM ON THE PTU TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DRAIN AND REPLACE THE DEGRADED AND USELESS FLUID IN THE UNIT. THIS IS A SEVERE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS HANDLED.