1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII Recalls, Complaints & Safety

UPDATE TO LAST COMPLAINT: THE PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT HAS FAILED, NO REPLACEMENT EXCEPT $1000 CONVERSION KIT. HAVE TO DRIVE WITH ONLY "BRIGHTS" ON FROM NOW ON. DANGER TO MYSELF AND THOSE I'M PASSING, PLUS IF THE "BRIGHTS" AREN'T ON, THEN I HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS AND COULD GET PULLED OVER. PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINT/CONTROL ARM BROKE WHILE DRIVING AND TIRE FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT AT WORK. AFTER REPAIR, HEARING A BAD CREAKING NOISE. AIR SUSPENSION HAS TO FILL UP ALL THE WAY WHEN I START THE VEHICLE EVEN AFTER 5 MINUTES OF IT BEING SHUT OFF. HAVE PAID $1,200 FOR REPAIRS OF SUSPENSION AND STEERING IN 6 MONTHS. (THAT'S WITH MY DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT). SERIOUSLY, I'VE HEARD TOO MUCH ABOUT DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS, HEADLIGHTS, NO HEAT, DOOR HANDLES SNAPPING OFF, AND THE AIR SUSPENSION GOING BAD. WHY IS FORD NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THESE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PARTS??? BECAUSE THE CAR IS RARE AND THEY DON'T MAKE THEM ANYMORE???

I'VE HAD THIS GEM SINCE 2010, BOUGHT WITH 30,000 MILES...NOW HAS 104,000 MILES. IT WAS GREAT UNTIL 2014. WHERE DO I START? (1) NO HEAT- BROKEN BLENDER DOOR ACTUATOR...MANUALLY SET IT TO THE WARM SETTING FOR THE WINTER BEHIND GLOVE BOX. (2) DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE SNAPPED LAST YEAR(REPLACED FOR $100)...AND NOW THIS YEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE SNAPPED. (3) DOORS ARE CONSTANTLY "AJAR", ALTERNATING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. (4) BALL JOINT IS STARTING TO WEAR BADLY, (5) DRIVER'S SEAT WON'T RECLINE, (6) STEERING WHEEL WON'T MOVE FORWARD/BACKWARD ANYMORE, (7) SUSPENSION IS STARTING TO GO...FRONT END LOWERS TO GROUND AFTER SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE. I'M SURE THERE'S MORE THAT I CAN'T THINK OF.

THE HEATER WILL NOT BLOW HOT AIR, NO DEFROSTER, CAN'T SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD. *KB

THE BRAKES CAN QUIT WORKING AFTER THE AUTOMATIC PARKING BRAKE RELEASE SOLENOID FAILS TO RELEASE THE REAR BRAKES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED OUT OF PARK. THE REAR BRAKES WILL THEN OVERHEAT AFTER SEVERAL MILES, WHICH CAUSES THE BRAKE FLUID TO EVENTUALLY BOIL AND BE EXPELLED FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE FIRST SYMPTOM IS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING BECOMES ERRATIC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM TOTALLY FAILED TO STOP THE CAR DUE TO LACK OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER. PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL RAPIDLY AND SHEER LUCK ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT HAVE PREVENTED A MAJOR CRASH (SO FAR...)! THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND FLUID HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO FIX AVAILABLE THAT WOULD PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM RE-OCCURRING. THIS SAFETY DEFECT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY THE PARKING BRAKE POSITION SENSOR SWITCH FAILING TO NOTIFY THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE IS SET,, SO THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE DOESN'T BOTHER TO RELEASE THE BRAKE AT DRIVE-OFF. THE WARNING LIGHT ALSO FAILS TO INDICATE A PROBLEM TO THE DRIVER, WHICH MAKES THIS A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FAILURE AFTER THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO MY WIFE TWICE, I BEGAN TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SURE ENOUGH, AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE ONLY WORKAROUND IS TO USE THE EMERGENCY MECHANICAL RELEASE BEFORE DRIVING OFF. IF ONE FORGETS TO DO THIS, THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE REAR BRAKES ARE DRAGGING AND IMPENDING BRAKE FAILURE IS A CERTAINTY..

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OVER TRAIN TRACKS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE CAME OFF AND THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES BEFORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 131,000. UPDATED 3/25/11 *CN UPDATED 03/30/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY DROP TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THE BALL JOINT WAS BROKEN. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BALL JOINT WITH A MASTER PRO CP426. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE A SECOND TIME, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE BALL JOINT WAS BROKEN AND REPLACED IT A SECOND TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 03/30/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR ABS FAILED. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE REAR WHEEL ABS SENSOR WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. REPORT 238373 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE PART, BUT THE PART WAS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION; THEREFORE; THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE REAR ABS SENSOR TO ENSURE THAT THE REAR BRAKES WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY; YET, IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND THE ABS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE CONSTANTLY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000. UPDATED 8/25/10 *CN UPDATED 08/27/10

I OWN A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 1999. RECENTLY, ONE OF THE HEADLIGHT LAMPS BURNED OUT. I ATTEMPTED TO BUY A REPLACEMENT BULB AT SEVERAL AUTO PARTS STORES WITHOUT SUCCESS. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL LINCOLN DEALERS AND FOUND THAT THE BULB (SYLVANIA 9500) IS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. I ALSO FOUND THAT THERE IS NO STOCK OF AVAILABLE BULBS IN THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT FOR USED BULBS ON E-BAY. (FOR $199). I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND DETERMINED THAT LINCOLN'S REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS TO SELL A CONVERSION KIT (FROM HID LIGHTS TO HALOGEN) FOR OVER $1,000.00. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE CHARGING $1,000.00 FOR A PAIR OF LIGHTS OR FOR ONLY ONE SIDE. AT THIS POINT I CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE MY VEHICLE AFTER DARK. I CANNOT FIND A REASONABLY PRICED REPLACEMENT PART. I AM LEFT WITH LINCOLN'S "REMEDY" OF SPENDING AT LEAST $1,000 TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT BULB. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT IF I DO DRIVE THE CAR WITH ONE HEADLIGHT OUT THE OTHER ONE MAY GO OUT LEAVING ME WITH NO HEADLAMPS. *TR

WEATHER CHANGE. HEATER BLEND DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. NO DEFROSTER OR HEATER IN WINTER WEATHER CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH SEEING OUT WINDSHIELD AND HYPOTHERMIA. I'VE HAD FIXED TWICE AT A COST OF $900 EACH TIME. ON ANY FORUM DEALING WITH THE MARK VIII IT IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PART. IT SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WHICH CAUSE TRAFFIC HAZARDS, I.E., FAILURE TO DEFROST DUE TO BLEND DOOR NOT OPENING. PART IS LESS THAN $10, REPAIR IS LABOR INTENSIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT COULD NOT SEE THROUGH A SMALL PORTION OF THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR MIRROR. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CONTACT COULD NOT SEE OUT OF THE ENTIRE MIRROR. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,875 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,775.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE LIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR, BUT HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CONVERSION KIT BECAUSE THE LIGHT BULB WAS NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 207,199.

1998 LINCOLN MARK VLLL LSC (HID HEADLIGHT BULB;PASSENGER SIDE). POOR NIGHT VISIBILITY DUE TO SEVER DEGRADATION OF OEM HEADLAMP SYSTEM. THIS MAKES NIGHT DRIVING ILLEGAL,DANGEROUS, AND JUST IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUT SOME SORT OF AFTERMARKET LIGHTING SYSTEM OR OEM REPLACEMENTS WHICH WILL SOON FAIL AND CAUSE THE ISSUE ALL OVER AGAIN. THERE IS NO AFTER MARKET REPLACEMENT BULB. FORD DID NOT CONTRACT WITH SYLVANIA TO MAKE ONE. I WAS TOLD THAT MY HID HEADLIGHT BULB WOULD NEVER BURN OUT. NOW I CAN'T EVEN SELL MY CAR. IF I DID FIND A BUYER, IT WOULD NOT BE LEGAL TO DRIVE WITH ONLY ONE WORKING HEADLIGHT. I COULD BE LIABLE FOR SELLING A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR RECALL NUMBER 05S28 REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST OF 2007. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE RECALL HAS SURPASSED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. UPDATED 02-14-08 *BF

THE BLEND DOOR THAT CONTROLS THE HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING HAS STOPPED WORKING AND HAS RENDERED MY HEATING / COOLING SYSTEM DYSFUNCTIONAL. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE FOR THIS CAR (1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII LSC) - IT POSES A DANGEROUS AND TANGIBLE THREAT TO SAFETY CONSIDERING HEAT WILL NOT WORK TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS AND FRONT WINDSHIELD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE IN AUGUST OF 2007 FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM IN DECEMBER OF 2007 THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH HAS NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE LOWERED WHEN HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. AS OF OCTOBER 30, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS DEFECTIVE. HE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFECT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A FAILURE OF THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM WHEREIN ONE AIRBAG HAD DETERIORATED FAILED WITH A LEAK OR HOLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFECT INVOLVING AIR SUSPENSION HAS BEEN REPAIRED WITH ALL 4 AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM AIRBAGS. UPDATED 11/26/07 *TR

THE FRONT ABS SPEED SENSOR HAS FAILED ON MY 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 50K MILES ON IT. THESE SENSORS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED BY FORD STARTING 2005. THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE AND NO AUTOMOTIVE PARTS STORE CARRIES THEM. FORD MADE CLOSE TO 18,000 LINCOLN MARK VIII IN 1998, THE ABS SENSOR IS CRUCIAL IN THE PROPER OPERATION OF THE ABS AS WELL AS THE TRACTION CONTROL, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENTS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. THE MARK VIIIS THAT HAVE AND WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION AND COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCES AND EVEN ACCIDENTS. *JB

1998 MARK VIII CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED WHEN HE NOTICED FLAMES FROM HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR. *JB

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LOW BEAM HEADLAMP FOR 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. REPLACEMENT LAMP NOT AVAILABLE FROM FORD OR THE MFG. SYLVANIA. UNSAFE TO DRIVE CAR AT NIGHT. *JB

AFTER HAVING REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES DUE TO FAILURE WITH CONDENSATION DEVELOPING WITHIN THE UNIT, I AM NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. IT WILL REQUIRE ANOTHER NEW SET OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES TO REPAIR THE COMMONLY KNOWN MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *NM

HEADLIGHTS PLASTICC COVERING HAVE BECOME CLOUDY REDUCING HEADLIGHTS OUT PUT! *NM

CONTINUOUS PROBLEM WITH HEATER-A/C BLEND DOOR FAILURE RESULTING IN LACK OF DEFOGGING OF WINDSHIELD AND POOR VISIBILITY. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT IN CHANGING OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO YOUR OFFICES MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 5 YEARS WITH LINCOLN AND FORD VEHICLES . THE COST OF REPAIR IS BETWEEN $500-$2000 DOLLARS. FORD HAS APPARENTLY MADE CHANGES TO STRENGTHEN THE BLEND DOOR LEVER BUT REFUSES TO ADMIT DESIGN FAILURE NOR WILL WARRANT THE ITEM. NHTSA HAS YET TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON THE CONSUMER'S PART. WE ARE THE PUBLIC AND YOUR CHARTER IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO US, NOT THE AUTO MAKER. *JB

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WENT ON AND LINCOLN/MERCURY DEALERSHIP SAYS THE AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING OR MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. REPLACEMENT/REPAIR OF THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD/LINCOLN SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY DEVICE ONLY AND NOT A MECHANICAL DEVICE. *JB

THE FRONT SUSPENSION SINKS DOWN ON THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE FRONT TO SCRAPE ON THE GROUND. THIS IS MAKING THE ABILITY TO DRIVE DIFFICULT. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE MAIN COMPUTER IS FAILING. *TC

HEATER/AC BLENDER DOOR-DOORS,FAIL TO OPERATE AND OR HAVE "NO" TEMPETURE CONTROL,RESULTING IN POOR VISIBLITY.FOGGING ETC,LACK OF DEFROSTING AND OR A COLD DRIVER..SEE PREVIOUS 768368,768427,768529,768796,768173.7689173,769183,769959,10003517,10005626,10023956,10075009,AND NOW MINE ! THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED IS THE COST OF REPAIRS BY THE DEALER HAS GONE UP. I HAVE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR( THE DASH HAS TO BE REMOVED) $680.00 LABOR.. PARTS AS FOUND/ TO BE $38.00,,$68.00,,$5.00,,$35.00 AND THAN MAYBE $350.00 MORE FOR A PLEMUM.. ($1,176.00) I UNDERSTAND THAT FORD HAS REPLACED THE PARTS WITH BETTER VERSIONS AS TO MATERIALS THAT WITH STAND THE DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES IT IS SUBJECT TOO.THIS APPARENT LACK OF ACTION BY NHTSA IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN AS TO YOUR UNINTEREST IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY NOT KNOWING HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES ARE OUT THEIR WITH THIS HAZARDOUS DEFECT. HELP US,PROTECT US ,,THANK YOU. *AK

MY 1998 LINCOLN MARKVIII OUTSIDE DRIVER DOOR HANDLE BROKE I HAVE 59,000 MILES ON IT ,IT COST $70.00 FOR THE PART,$40.00 TO PAINT THE THING,OVER @200.00 LABOR,(IGOT TO KEEP THE BROKEN ONE !),I FEEL THAT FORD KNOWS OF THIS DEFECT IN MATERIALS<CHANGED THE METAL MIX AND CURE, BUT FAIL TO BE RESPONSIBLE OF THIS SAFETY-DEFECT>>SEE ALSO #10052604 PLUS COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM>

VEHICLE WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH, AND MISSING. ALSO, STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

I ROLAND MATOS PURCHASED A LINCOLN MARK VIII ON 06\27\01. BEAUTIFUL CAR . BUT 2 WEEKS AFTER I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWERTILT\TELESCOPE STEERING. IT WASN'T MOVING BACK AND FORTH ANY-MORE, AND DROPPING ITS BALL BEARINGS ON DRIVERSIDE MAT. SO I CALLED COUNTY LINE LEXUS WHERE I PURCHASED CAR, THEY TOLD ME THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR "AS IS" THEY DIRECTED ME TO FORD. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE MANUFACTURE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I HAD VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN A MONTH ,THAT I HAD TO PAY TO FIX IT. SO I CONTACTED NHTSA AND TOLD THEM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOSE IT MOVES UP AND DOWN FREELY EVEN WITHOUT PRESSURE. I'VE MADE 3 COMPLAINTS. UP TO THIS DAY ITS STILL NOT FIXED.THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO READ THIS LETTER. PLEASE HELP ROLAND. *LA

ELECTRONIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL FAILURES PREVENTS WINDSHIELD CLEARING WHEN INTERNAL TO EXTERNAL TEMPERTAURE DIFFERENTIAL FOGS THE GLASS. BLEND DOOR FAILS ON A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LINCOLN MARK VIII MODELS. MINE HAPPENS TO BE A 1998. *AK IT'S BOUND TO LEAD TO ACCIDENTS

WE HAVE OWNED A MARK VII AND A MARK VIII LINCOLN. BOTH CARS HAD SERIOUS PAINT DETERIORATION. WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR AUTOMOBILES HAND WASHED. WE WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ONE OF THE AUTOS WITH ANOTHER LINCOLN, HOWEVER, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE BOTH OF THE CARS PAINTED. HIS MUST BE A FAULT OF YOUR PAINT. IS THERE ANY COMPENSATION? I HESITATE TO BUY ANOTHER LINCOLN. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES. *AK *MR

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I BOUGHT A 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII 2 YEARS AGO. NOT TO LONG AFTER OWNING IT THE DRIVERS SIDE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE WHILE TRYING TO OPEN IT. (50,000 MILES). $122.00 TO FIX. I TRADED THE 96 FOR A 98 MARK VIII . I WENT TO GET INTO MY CAR AND THE DRIVERS OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE AGAIN.(52,000 MILES)$257.00 TO FIX (DEFECTED PART). *AK

AT DIFFERENT TIMES THE DOOR AJAR INDICATOR WILL COME ON. THIS CAUSES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS IN THE VEHICHLE TO LIGHT UP AND IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AT NIGHT. OFTEN TIMES IT WILL SWITCH FROM THE DRIVERS DOOR TO THE RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR AND ON OCCASION WILL INDICATE BOTH.(ONE GOES OUT AND THE OTHER STARTS) THIS ALSO CAUSES THE ALARM SYSTEM TO ENGAGE. WHEN I EXIT THE VEHICLE, IF SENSORS INDICATE THAT ONE OF THE DOORS IS STILL AJAR, THE ALARM ACTIVATES INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

STEERING HAS MALFUNCTIONED.*AK

HEATER/AC BLENDER DOOR FAILURE RESULTING IN NO HEAT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR SINCE DASH HAS TO BE PULLED---QUOTED BY DEALER TO BE $738. BECAUSE OF SO MANY OCCURRENCES WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR? *NLM

I HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THE FILE ON LINCOLN MARK 8'S '97 & 98 AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 10 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VENTILATION/HEATING/A/C BLEND DOOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE UNTIL YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT???? THIS IS NOT ONLY A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO MAKE, BUT FAILURE, WHICH CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTS IN WINDSHIELD FOGGING AND INABILITY OF THE SYSTEM TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD . THE LINCOLNS OF DISTINCTION CLUB, WHICH SUPPORTS MARK 8'S HAVE HAD OVER 30-40 FAILURES TO DATE, SOME REPEATEDLY. WE NOW FOUND THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENS IN LINCOLN TOWN CAR/ TARAUS, ETC, AND THAT FORD HAS RECENTLY CHANGED THE REPLACEMENT PART DESIGNATION. THIS STRIKES US AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DON'T WANT TO BELLY UP TO THE BAR AND ADMIT IT . CAN'T YOUR OFFICES DO ANYTHING OR IS THIS JUST A WASTE OF OUR TIME TRYING TO GET A GOVERNMENT AGENCY TO MOVE ON SOMETHING THAT THEY CLAIM THEY WANT TO ASSIST BUT ENDS IN FRUSTATION OF THE CITIZENS WHO TAKE YOUR CHARTER SERIOUSLY?.