1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII Complaints

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII EQUIPPED WITH LUMINARC HIGH INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS 56,089 MILES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS FAILED AND APPARENTLY IS NO LONGER SERVICEABLE. THE MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DID NOT ALLOW FOR THE SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF A LIGHT BULB BUT INSTEAD REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $900.00 PLUS LABOR PER SIDE. 97 AND 98 MODELS ARE DESIGNED FOR SIMPLE BULB REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $260.00 PER BULB. WHILE INVESTIGATING THE FACILITATING OF HEAD LIGHT REPAIRS FOR MY AUTOMOBILE I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOR 1996 MODEL CARS ARE OBSOLETE AND REPLACEMENT BULBS FOR 1997-1998 MODEL CARS HAVE BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AND ARE NOT DUE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ANOTHER 3-4 MONTHS. MY INTERNET RESEARCH HAS LED ME TO AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF OWNERS IN SIMILAR PERIL. WE ARE ALL SCRAMBLING FOR SOLUTIONS TO KEEP OUR AUTOS ON THE ROAD BOTH SAFELY AND LEGALLY. INTERNET SEARCHES FOR USED PARTS (LINCOLN CUSTOMER SERVICE ACTUALLY REFERS YOU TO PRIVATE USED PARTS DEALERS RATHER THAN SUPPLY PARTS THEMSELVES), POSSIBLE NEW PARTS AND EVEN FABRICATED NEW LIGHT SYSTEMS (QUESTIONABLE LEGALITY) ARE BEING PURSUED. IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT THERE ARE NO GOOD SOLUTIONS AND WE OWNERS HAVE FEW OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US. THE MANUFACTURER HAS DESIGNED A VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT HAS FAILED TO LAST OR BE SUCCESSFULLY SERVICED WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S USEFUL LIFESPAN. IN CLOSING, FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS CREATED A CLASS OF CAR OWNER THAT CAN NOT KEEP HIS CAR STREET LEGAL OR SAFE. FORD HAS ABANDONED THESE OWNERS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES IN PURSUIT OF SAFETY. THESE ARE NOT ANCIENT CARS, THEY ARE WELL WITHIN THEIR USEFUL LIFESPAN AND FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FACILITATING THEIR SAFE OPERATION DURING THAT TIME. CURRENTLY, FORD HAS NO REASONABLE ANSWERS AND THE SITUATION THEY HAVE CREATED IS WHOLLY ABSURD. CORY A. DAVID. *NM

VERY POOR HEADLIGHTS, CAUSING AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION WHILE ONLY BEING ABLE TO SEE A SHORT DISTANCE IN FRONT OF YOUR CAR AT NIGHT. *JB

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII ARE TERRIBLE, I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR 8 YEARS AND HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS WITH VARIOUS AFTERMARKET BULBS AND NOTHING INCREASES THE HEADLIGHT POWER. *JB

DRIVERS SIDE HID UNIT ON MY 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII IS NOT WORKING AND I CAN NOT SEEM TO FIND ANOTHER ONE USED OR NEW TO REPLACE IT WITH, SEEMS TO BE A DEALER ONLY PART AND THE PARTS 'DEPTS. I"VE SPOKEN WITH WANT TO CHARGE ME $750.00 TO $850.00 FOR THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WITH THE HID UNIT, I CAN ONLY DRIVE DURING THE DAY AND CANNNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT IN FEAR OF GETTING PULLED OVER OR GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SILVER REFLECTORS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT. THIS MADE DRIVING AT NIGHT DIFFICULT DUE TO THE LACK OF LIGHT PRODUCED FROM THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHO DETERMINED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/03/06

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY LINCOLN MARK VIII HEADLIGHTS FROM 1993-1996. THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER A COUPLE YEARS BEGIN TO DEGRADE. THE REFLECTIVE COATING INSIDE THE PARABOLA TURNS CHALKY AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REFLECT LIGHT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. THIS MAKES FOR VERY POOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. LINCOLN NEW ABOUT THIS AND SWITCHED TO HID (HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE) UNITS IN 1996, BUT ONLY ON THE LSC MODELS. FORD/LINCOLN SELLS THESE UNITS BUT AT A VERY VERY HIGH PRICE. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND HID'S INSTALLED IN THE CARS WITH THE DEFECTIVE HEADLAMPS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *NM

THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII PROVIDES POOR NIGHT VISIBILITY DUE TO SEVER DEGRADATION OF OEM HEADLAMP SYSTEM. THE REFLECTIVE LENS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING HAS MELTED AWAY TO THE POINT THAT THIS MAKES NIGHT DRIVING DANGEROUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUT SOME SORT OF AFTERMARKET LIGHTING SYSTEM OR OEM REPLACEMENTS WHICH WILL SOON FAIL AND CAUSE THE ISSUE ALL OVER AGAIN. *JB

THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2005 AND THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN DETERIORATING CONSTANTLY SINCE PURCHASE. I NOW HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAM AT ALL TIMES AFTER DARK. OTHER CARS DO NOT EVEN FLASH THERE LIGHTS AT ME BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO WEAK. ALL OF THE CHROME HAS FALLEN OFF OF THE SURFACES IN THE HEADLIGHTS SO NO LIGHT IS REFLECTED OUT OF THE LIGHTS! *NM

THE HEADLIGHT COVERS (HOUSINGS?) FOR LINCOLN MARK VIII'S 93-98, CLOUD OVER (TURN GRAY INSIDE AND OUT) QUICKLY. THIS DEFECTIVE CLOUDING IN THE LIGHT COVERS RESULTS IN NIGHT DRIVING TO BE VERY HAZARDOUS, ALONG WITH RAIN AND FOG. THE KITS TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS AVERAGE AROUND 1,000. LINCOLN KNOWS OF THE VISIBILITY PROBLEM WHEN THE COVERS CLOUD OVER AND HAS NOT TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION. *NM

I OWN A 1993 LINCOLN MARK VIII AND AT NIGHT YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD EVEN WITH THE BRIGHTS ON. THE HOUSING LOOKS LIKE THE CLEAR PART HAS SEPARATED INTO ABOUT 3 LAYERS. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!! *NM