NHTSA Complaint #11432928 — 2013 LINCOLN MKT

The power steering assist failure began showing up as warning light when started and power steering failed. Restarting the car removed the warning light and the power steering worked again. The restart failed to clear the problem last week and I brought the vehicle into the dealership. I had found on several sites that vehicle in question is included in a Ford recall along with several other vehicle years, makes and models. Specifically, my car is sited stating 2011 to 2015 Lincoln MKT with any engine. The recall calls for replace the steering box and the assist control modular depending on the code the service person found. If the code showed differently, than a reset is to be preformed. Both of these at no charge to the owner. I advised the dealer of these sites that showed the recall. Ford has denied my VIN Number as being included in the recall. This comes despite the part that has failed is the exact same part described in the recall. The dealer states the repair will cost $3,200. Lincoln has expressed no concern that should the repair be unaffordable to owners the vehicles with this failure the vehicle is drivable, however without power steering a major safety issue is born. Lincoln claims only the part that was made in a certain plant will be covered. I understand them wanting to limit their damages by saying parts made by whoever their agent was for that group of parts have a defect and therefore the recall is limited to those with parts made by that agent. It would seem prudent if not just obvious if failures occur beyond cars with parts from the plant they have restricted the recall, that it be opened to all the parts made by any agent. Its easy to think that its not the way the part was made but the fail lies in the design or use of the part. And therefore the car manufacture is responsible for any vehicle that had the identical sister to the recall part installed. This is a matter of geographic part plant locations and not limited isolated failures.