1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII Complaints

HEADLIGHT OUTPUT IS INADEQUATE. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA WEBSITE INDICATE POOR DESIGN. MR

CONSUMERS WIFE LEFT FOR WORK AND COULD NOT GET THE SHIFT LEVER OUT OF PARK. THE MANUAL EXPLAINED HOW TO OVER RIDE THE LOCK OUT ALSO INDICATING THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD BE OUT. NOT WANTING TO BE WITH OUT BRAKE LIGHTS, CONSUEMRS WIFE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST SERVICE SHOP TO HAVE THE FUSE REPLACED. WHEN THEY PROCEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN, THE STARTER CONTINUED TO STAY ENGAGED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING EVEN WITH THE KEYS REMOVED. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE BRAKCET HAD COME LOOSE AND SHORTED THE BRAKE WIRES ALSO SHORTING THE WIRES TO THE STARTER. *JG

CONSUMER STATES DUE TO A DESIGN DEFICIENCY, THE REFLECTIVE LINING INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC HEADLAMP HOUSING IS BEING BURNED OFF, SEVERELY DIMINISHING THE OUTPUT OF THE HEADLAMPS. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE EXTREME HEAT BUILD-UP FROM THE 9005 HALOGEN BULB USED IN THE LOW BEAM SECTION OF THE HEALAMP HOUSING. *TT

HEAD LIGHT LENSES HAVE TURNED YELLOW. CONSUMER HAS TO USE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BULBS HAVE BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES, CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE DEALER BROKE THE SEALS WHICH CAUSES WATER TO SEEP IN. *SLC

I HAVE THE HID HEADLIGHTS IN MY CAR. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM FROM DAY ONE. LAST NIGHT, MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, CAUSING MY HEADLIGHTS TO COMPLETELY FAIL. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SUDDENLY THEY WENT OUT COMPLETELY - BOTH LOW AND HIGH BEAMS. NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. I DROVE WITH MY HEADLIGHTS BLINKING ON AND OFF THE ENTIRE WAY. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING INSTALLED IN THESE CARS TO RUN THE LOW AND HIGH BEAMS SEPARATELY SO THAT IF YOU LOSE ONE, AT LEAST YOU HAVE SOME LIGHT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HOPE THAT THE HID HEADLIGHTS ARE INVESTIGATED AND FORD IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THEM RIGHT. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE IN MANY WAYS MAKING THEM QUITE A HAZARD.*AK

THE ECM BRACKET CAME LOOSE AND SHORTED OUT THE BRAKE WIRES AND OTHER WIRES WHICH CAUSED THE STARTER AND ENGINE TO CONTINUE TO RUN, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THIS REPAIR. NLM

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER HAS TO USE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE THE ROAD. *TT

HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT AT ALL BRIGHT, IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT DUE TO THIS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM LISTED ON THE LINCOLN OF DISTINCTION WEBSITE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS MARK VIII OWNERS COMPLAINING DIRECTLY TO FORD LINCOLN MERCURY, ALL TO NO AVAIL. AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I BELIEVE THAT ACTION ON THE NHTSA 'S PART IS REQUIRED TO PROTECT THE MARK VIII DRIVERS AND ALL OTHER MOTORISTS WHICH THEY MIGHT RUN INTO ACCIDENTALLY DUE TO THIS IDENTIFIED SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE REPLY TO MY E-MAIL ADDRESS TO LET ME KNOW THIS WAS RECEIVED AND WHAT ACTIONS HAVE, ARE , AND WILL BE TAKEN CONCERNING THIS. THANK YOU. JOE. NLM

THIS IS TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE INADEQUATE LIGHTING SYSTEM OF THE GENERATION 1 MARK VIII. I HAVE A 1996. THIS HEAD LIGHT SYSTEM IS TOTALLY INADEQUATE AT NIGHTTIME, AND FREQUENTLY REQUIRES I USE MY "HIGH BEAMS" TO SEE APPROPRIATELY, EVEN WITH LAMP POSTS ON AND SHINING. I'VE OFTEN FOUND MYSELF SWERVING TO AVOID BADLY MARKED CURBS ON THE LEFT SIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE BY THE TIME I SEE THESE CURBS, I'M ALMOST ON TOP OF THEM. THIS IS NOT AN INDICATION OF BAD DRIVING, IT'S JUST PLAIN BAD LIGHTS. FORD FIXES THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR HID LAMPS IN THE 1996 LSC, WHICH ACCORDING TO MANY, IS A "DIRECT FIT" REPLACEMENT FOR THESE GEN 1 MARK VIIIS. I AM UNSURE HOW MANY OF THESE BAD LIGHT SYSTEMS ARE OUT ON THE ROAD, BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THESE ARE A DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN, THESE SHOULD BE FIXED. IT IS IMPERATIVE THIS BE ADDRESSED. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND AN EXTRA $1000 OR MORE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AT NIGHT. IF FORD HAD PROPERLY TESTED THEIR SYSTEM, IT WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE TODAY. REPLACEMENT LENSES ALONE WILL NOT WORK, AS THEY WILL FAIL TO PROVIDE LIGHT AS QUICKLY AS THE CURRENT ONES DID, NEGATING THE BENEFITS. BRIGHTER BULBS ALSO DO NOT WORK, EITHER DUE TO THE BAD LENSES, OR FAILURE OF THE SOCKETS AND HOUSINGS DUE TO THE HIGHER HEAT. AND IF *THAT* ISN'T A SAFTEY ISSUE (ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO HIGHER WATTAGE BY AN ATTEMPT TO FIX A KNOWN PROBLEM) I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS ISSUE, BOTTOM LINE, FOR THE SAFTEY OF NOT ONLY THE OWNERS OF THE GEN1 MARK VIIIS, BUT FOR THE OTHERS ON THE ROAD AS WELL. THANK YOU .*AK

LIGHTING ON THIS VEHICLE IS HORRIBLE ! CAN NOT SEE WITH LOW BEAMS! HAVE TO USE HIGH AND THEN EVERYBODY FLICKS THEIR LIGHTS AT YOU (JUST A BIG DISTRACTION AND SAFETY ISSUE) I VISIT A LINCOLN MARK 8 CLUB AND THIS HAS BEEN I KNOW BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION BY OTHERS AND I AM JUST PUTTING MY 2 CENTS IN. THANKS! PLEASE DO SOMETHING. *AK