Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||||
| 99139 | 06/28/1999 | 606508 | Conditions with the brake lamps inadvertently disabling the brake shift interlock. *tt | 08/26/1999 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| EA96019 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 07/31/1996 | 01/26/1998 | HEADLIGHT FAILURE | 98V009000 | |
| Headlights go off whild driving | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 07/13/2008 | 65067 | 1 | |
| Traveling from dallas, tx to athens, al 7:30pm lights so dim i could barely see the road ahead. i have used cleaning kits several times to clean the headlight lens with no results. i also purchased and installed replacement headlight assemblies from ebay with no improvement in the lighting. i have tried several different bulbs with no improvement. this is really a safety problem. i have been lucky so far. ..updated 01/17/2013 *bf | |||
| 07/13/2008 | 65067 | 1 | |
| Traveling from dallas, tx to athens, al 7:30pm lights so dim i could barely see the road ahead. i have used cleaning kits several times to clean the headlight lens with no results. i also purchased and installed replacement headlight assemblies from ebay with no improvement in the lighting. i have tried several different bulbs with no improvement. this is really a safety problem. i have been lucky so far. | |||
| 05/27/2011 | |||
| Headlights do not illuminate view of the road while driving at night. most of the time i cannot even tell if my headlights are actually on when i turn the headlight switch. i am forced to use my brights just to see the road in order to drive safely, but this impairs the view for on coming traffic. in addition, conversion kits and labor are expensive, and i should not be subject to pay for an aftermarket modification to upgrade my vehicle when this is a design flaw that violates the driver's safety. in addition, the headlights themselves have been discontinued so when they do malfunction from normal wear and tear you are not able to purchase the headlight or an upgraded version. furthermore, newer mark viii's (>1996) have a totally different headlight design and do not have this problem, but parts are not interchangable and applying an aftermarket headlight requires precisioned and expensive body work. | |||
| 12/26/2007 | 1 | 06/15/2004 | |
| Headlights on my 1995 lincoln mark viii are horribly dim. driving at night is almost impossible. when it's raining or foggy it's even worse. new bulbs do nothing since the plastic lenses are all yellowed and the chrome reflective material is gone. *tr | |||
| 01/31/1997 | 28000 | 09/22/1995 | |
| Poor night visibility due to sever degradation of oem headlamp system and 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. *tr | |||
| 03/19/2006 | 75000 | 2 | 09/25/2005 |
| Headlights deteriorated on inside,chrome reflector burns away. purchased new headlamp units and in little over 2 years same thing happened,1995 lincoln mark viii,very hard to use car at night with this problem, over $500 to replace. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 07/13/2008 | 65067 | 1 | |
| Traveling from dallas, tx to athens, al 7:30pm lights so dim i could barely see the road ahead. i have used cleaning kits several times to clean the headlight lens with no results. i also purchased and installed replacement headlight assemblies from ebay with no improvement in the lighting. i have tried several different bulbs with no improvement. this is really a safety problem. i have been lucky so far. ..updated 01/17/2013 *bf | |||
| 07/13/2008 | 65067 | 1 | |
| Traveling from dallas, tx to athens, al 7:30pm lights so dim i could barely see the road ahead. i have used cleaning kits several times to clean the headlight lens with no results. i also purchased and installed replacement headlight assemblies from ebay with no improvement in the lighting. i have tried several different bulbs with no improvement. this is really a safety problem. i have been lucky so far. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1995 mark viii with a recall concerning the headlamps. customer states that the vehicle can not be driven during the night time due to headlight illumination. consumer would like to know more about these recalls. *kb | |||
| 07/22/2006 | 100 | 11/06/2005 | |
| Very hard to see at night in 2 way traffic. *jb | |||
| 12/29/2005 | 1 | 12/28/2005 | |
| Oem headlight system fails to provide adequate night time visibility which causes concerns in driving at night time due to poor visibility. at this time i am researching prices to replace the lamps or entire assembly and they aren't cheap! *nm | |||
| 06/24/2006 | 1 | 02/04/2005 | |
| My headlights on my 95 lincoln mark viii are the worst engineered headlights that i have ever seen on a luxury vehicle. they are not bright enough to illuminate the road ahead. i have to use the high beam lights to see down the road and that is not right for on coming traffic because it could cause an accident. *jb | |||
| 04/03/2002 | 89700 | 1500 | 01/26/2002 |
| Stock and standard aftermarket headlights on generation one lincoln mark viii are extremely dangerous, especially in places like washington state. i have run off the road many occasions. headlights do not give enough light to safely drive at night or in rain/bad weather. personally i have had many close calls do to the lack of light and or had to use brights. if it ever does happen i will defiantly go after ford motor company. you plain and simply can't see the road, anything on the road, street signs, lane markers, fog lines, nothing. you are especially blind when oncoming traffic is there when its dark or raining. i literally have to memorize where i am going so i can try to get there safely as such i can't see a darn thing. i have tried new headlamp housings, new light bulbs, even $25 a piece and not any improvement adjusting from ford dealerships and on my own. there is no safe place to mount fog lights either. ford has hid lights for lcs mark viii's that would work but avg. joe can't afford the $$$ to do the conversion. i come from a family of cops and know the law well, ford is liable for anything that happens as a result of this design flaw. *nm | |||
| 06/14/2006 | 1 | ||
| 1995 lincoln mark viii headlights very dim, hard to see road at night. *nm | |||
| 05/13/2006 | 1 | 11/11/2005 | |
| On my 95 lincoln mark viii the head lights are real poor seeing at night time i thought this was just a simple fix but being on the internet i see i am not the only one i had called up ford they had told me the only way to fix it is to buy new lights at a cost of over 600 $ per side i am not the original owner of this car i just wanted to bring it to your attention and let you know about it if you have any questions feel free to contact me. *nm | |||
| 05/05/2006 | 1 | 1 | 09/01/2004 |
| I have a 1995 lincoln mark viii lsc. the head lights are so dim, at night i am unable to have a full visual of what most car-owners are able to see. this problem is due to the headlights on my car, with brand new bulbs)i know some people that have around the same year as me with the same model (2 1994's and 1 1995) they have the same problem. i have also looked into it through vast amounts of mark viii forums and the result is the same. this is a hazard to everyone's safety in and around these vehicles, and this is a problem that must be rectified by the lincoln manufacture. this is a definite recall matter. thank you j. schotthoefer *jb | |||
| 04/11/2006 | 68000 | 1 | 09/10/2000 |
| Poorly designed headlights that were upgraded by lincoln in 1996 the upgrade should have been retrofit into the 1993-1995 cars. this is a safety issue along the same lines as making antilock brakes optional. safety features are not options! *nm | |||
| 03/30/2006 | 1 | 1 | 12/06/2004 |
| I have a 1995 lincoln mark viii. the head lights are so dim, at night i am unable to have a full visual of what most car-owners are able to see. this problem is due to the headlights on my car, (with brand new bulbs). i know a few people that have around the same year as me with the same model (2 1994's and 1 1995) and they have the same problem. i have also looked into it through vast amounts of mark viii forums and the result is the same. this is a hazard to everyone's safety in and around these vehicles, and this is a problem that must be rectified by the lincoln manufacturer. this is a defferent recall matter. than you nicolas l. *jb | |||
| 09/27/2000 | 1 | 09/08/2000 | |
| Headlights are dangerous. night driving is totally unsafe. cannot see well even with high beams on. *nm | |||
| 03/20/2006 | 1 | ||
| I own a 1995 lincoln mark viii. the headlights provide inadequate visibility at night. the headlights deteriorate prematurely. i believe that they are of poor design. *jb | |||
| 03/19/2006 | 1 | 10/23/2003 | |
| My 1995 lincoln mark viii has the worst headlights and i'm afraid that i'll get into an accident or hit a pedestrian at night. it is impossible to see 10 ft in front of me, even with my high beams on. i don't know how ford can get away with making such horrible headlights. i love the car and don't want to sell it because of the headlights. would ford be able to compensate me the money if i were to buy new headlights so can see at night? i'm a full-time student and can't afford to buy new ones. please help me before something happens. thank you! | |||
| 03/18/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 12/10/2005 |
| Headlight design is defective and you cannot see the road at night making night driving very dangerous. this same problem has been expressed by nearly all 1993-1996 lincoln mark viii owners. *nm | |||
| 10/13/2005 | 700 | 10/23/2003 | |
| Ever since i've owned my 1995 lincoln mark viii, i have trouble driving at night because the headlights are so dim. i am really going to get into a bad accident one day and hurt me and others. my high beams aren't even enough to be considered low beams. there's been to many occurrences where i didn't see a pedestrian on the side of the road and practically hit them. i am currently go to college and can't afford to buy the safe lighting that should've came on the car. i know there are many others with this same problem. would ford reimburse me if i were to buy the hid lights? please help me. *nm | |||
| 07/28/2005 | 100 | 01/05/1997 | |
| I own a 1995 lincoln mark viii. due to poor design, the headlights make night time driving extremely dangerous. i have replaced bulb after bulb, cleaned the lenses and taken it to the dealer. the dealers solution is to replace the whole assembly which will cost $2000.00. unacceptable. *jb | |||
| 07/25/2003 | 92000 | 1 | 09/05/1996 |
| Dt: caller stated headlights had a milky film on them, and it made it hard to see at night. it seemed to be getting worse. dealer said they would have to replace the whole system. manufacturer has not been contacted yet.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 98000 | ||
| Very bad headlights. for the last 6 years and getting worse. | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 50000 | 2 | |
| I am currently an owner of a 1995 lincoln mark 8 and want to report an issue i and many other owners have with the car. headlight housing failure: the design of the early and mid 90's lincoln mark 8 headlights are very poor. the housings tend to turn yellow or turn cloudy under normal driving conditions, making the car unusable for night driving. there are many (i should say all) others that have this same problem. there is a website devoted to lincoln mark 8 owners, and this is one of the main complaints. http://www.mark8.org/lod/. unfortunately, replacing the stock headlight housings only bandaids the problem, as the new housings yellow and turn cloudy very shortly after being installed. however, there is an easy fix for these model years. starting in 97', the ford company switched to the hid lighting system and changed the design of the housing, eliminating the problem. i believe ford knows of this problem and have since changed the lenses starting with the 1997 lincolns. i just wanted to put in a complaint to you to see if there was anything else that could be done about this. thank you for your time, jim ayres | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 0 | 1 | |
| Very poor low beam lighting making it nearly impossible to drive at night. *ak | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 1 | ||
| I own a 1995 lincoln mark viii and the driving lights are hazard. i say at best these lights are like driving at dusk without having your lights on that is about what you can expect to see. lincoln should be forced to replace the light assembly especially because they knew of the defect and changed them in the 1996 models to hiv lights. a look at the mark viii website shows this is a big problem... i would like to know what was done about this safety hazard.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| I own a 1995 lincoln mark viii. the headlights are very dim, with very little light on the road. i have researched this and have found that this is a common problem with this car. your site has 70 complaints on this issue. apparently the headlight assemblies are defective, allowing the reflective material inside the headlight to deteriorate. i feel that ford/ lincoln should replace the headlight assemblies. if there is a recall for this problem, please let me know. thank you. *la | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Headlights to dim(non hid model) making driving at night hazardes even more around citys where slight glow is around sky makeing the allready dim lights impossible to see caused by plastic lens and plastic deflectors age and heat makes lights yellow (yellowing ,plastic defuserr ,and reflector and dull cause by heat produced) very common problem on mark viii from first to the 96 only on the non hid version of the lsn and standard versions hid have no driving problems . *ak | |||
| 05/08/2002 | 1 | ||
| Headlights suck. *la | |||
| 01/09/2003 | 38000 | 1 | 01/04/2003 |
| Faulty low beam headlights - reflectors in low beam headlights begin to errode due to high tempatures in headlight housings and cause light output to drop to very low levels and therefore create a safety hazard. low beam headlights have less utput than the parking lamps. most headlights in this condition will not pass state safety inspection requiring owner to replace headlight unit every 3 years as this is lso a problem on oem replacement parts.*ak | |||
| 07/20/2003 | 1 | 04/08/2001 | |
| The headlamps on 1995 lincoln mark viii show early signs of aging causing the intensity of the light to be substandard. this condition could cause a dangerous situation.*ak | |||
| 05/06/2003 | 1 | 05/02/2001 | |
| I just recently purchased a 1995 lincoln mark viii and i just found out that there is a known problem with the brightness and the design of the headlights. i think this is a safety issue and should be addressed making the car manufacturer justify and fix the problem. *jb | |||
| 12/14/2001 | 94147 | 1 | 12/01/2001 |
| The dealer promised to fix unacceptable intensity of headlights. they polished lenses and added new bulbs. this did not correct the problem. i have checked with other owners on message boards, who have the exact same complaint. this was a high ticket automobile and i believe the inner reflectors have burned out over a short time. it is a safety hazard as the light does not disperse. i am asking along with many other owners to try and put pressure on ford to recall all these substandard headlights for mark v111 lincolns around 1994 to 1996. thanking you and will await your reply. *ts ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***761512 | |||
| 100000 | 1 | ||
| The headlights failed to illuminate properly after they were turned on. *jb | |||
| 02/02/2003 | 1 | 11/21/2002 | |
| Inadequate head lighting on 1995 lincoln markvii. *jb | |||
| 10/10/1995 | 80257 | 10/10/2002 | |
| The low beam headlights provide almost no light when driving at night. ts | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer believes the headlamp assembly unit contains a defect, consumer inspected the unit because it was not displaying the proper light intensity even after changing the halogen bulb, the interior reflective surface is showing burn marks on the top portion of the unit and the reflective coating is gone, also the burning and blistering of the plastic causes moistures to enter the unit and this causes the light to become dimmer and dimmer over time.*jb | |||
| 12/02/2000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states headlamps are very dim causing poor visibility during the night hours. *tt the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer checked the vehicle but found nothing wrong. they did install a new set of lens'. *nm | |||
| 04/01/2000 | 9999 | 04/01/2000 | |
| I am writing again, in hopes that maybe someone is listening. the cost is quite prohibitive to replace a simple, and safety required, thing as headlamps, but this is the case with these cars the 1993 through 1996 mark viii is the only car ever offered in the usa that uses the high wattage 9005 bulb for low beam. this bulb is normally used in four lamp systems as high beam only, with a 9004 or 9007 or other bulb for low beam. however, ford and/or sylvania's choice for this bulb, required because of the small area of lens and reflector, causes the reflector to be burnt away, and a possibility of fire is actually quite good, in my opinion, given the severe blackened spots above the bulb. further, i find is quite interesting that given the sheer number of reports on this problem alone, there is not a shred of information on your website that any investigation is happening regarding this problem. someone likely has to get killed before this becomes a major enough problem, is that it? seriously, these cars are dangerous at night, and ford and sylvania should be made to repair all of them that are still roadworthy. see more information at http://web.wt.net/~houtex/marklights.htm. please be sure to also visit the page with the picture of the damaged being done to all marks at http://web.wt.net/~houtex/damaged.htm. i urge you to prod jeff taylor, the original contact we have regarding this matter, and/or whomever else is involved to push this serious concern of safety through so these machines of potential death can be made safer. i cannot stress that death may be a possibility if these lights aren't fixed. we are only human, and as such, do not have extraordinary vision at night. the destruction of these lights, caused by the manufacturer's flawed design and specifications, must be fixed. thank you for your time. michael a. binckley. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| My complaint on these headlights is the lack of good lighting. unlike other owners, my lights have not yellowed nor has any of the reflective material peeled inside the housing. these lights plain suck. ford/lincoln saw fit to equip the lsc models of the mark viii (1995-1996) with hid lighting systems, while the base model mark viii from 1993-1996 used standard halogen lighting. the halogen lights are about as effective as a candel in a hurricane, and in my opinion and the opinions of other owners creates a very real hazzard for night time driving. 1997-98 mark viii had hid lights on all models, and the housings are a bit larger, which leads me to believe that they knew the standard halogen lights were a bad design from the beginning, and waited 4 years to correct the problem. sylvania, the manufacturer of the headlight housings is just as much to blame as ford/lincoln for the flaws in these units. knowing the halogen units are as inneffective as they are, the hid lights should have been standar equipment on all models, and should have been a warranty upgrade for all cars not so equipped from the factory including the 1993-94 models as well as the 1995-96 models. this is not ford bashing, i am a ford guy all the way, but this type of bad design is just wrong, and could lead to serious injury. *ak | |||
| 09/21/2001 | 3 | 04/01/2001 | |
| The headlights on this car are dangerously dim for night driving. on numerous occasions i have close calls with curbs and one time with a pedestrian. i have looked inside the headlights with a flashlight and have noticed what looks like overheating from the lightbulb. the reflective material around the bulb has effectively been burnt away. i have looked at some of my friend's1993-1996 mark viiis and its all the same. i hope that someone at ford listens about this. someone is bound to get hurt or killed because of this the only question is when. thanks for your help in advance.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer is concerned with the light output of the headlamps, the reflective coating on the rear of the lamp is discolored and flaking off the light output, causing poor visibility especially at night. *tt | |||
| 1 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| Consumer states that the headlamps are very dim, manufacturer will not replace, consumer states he can not see at night. *slc | |||
| 04/19/2002 | 100 | 04/01/2002 | |
| I am appalled by the unsafe headlights on this vehicle! this is obviously a design defect - the chrome plated plastic inside the headlight assembly is worn away, resulting in severely dim lighting at night. ford has an alternative feasible design, which they chose to use on the 1996 lincoln mark viii lsc model (hid lighting). the cost to upgrade to these safer hid lights is over $1500 at a lincoln dealer. i am a student and cannot afford, and should not be expected to pay for, ford's defective design. please investigate this extremely important safety issue, before an otherwise avoidable tragedy occurs! | |||
| 10/01/2001 | |||
| Lincoln mark vii's are notorious for their poor, dim headlights (93-96), which only seem to get dimmer over time. i've found them inadequate ever since i bought the car. now owners are finally spreading the word to get ford's attention to address this dangerous issue.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1999 | 9999 | 04/01/1999 | |
| I have sent this in before, but i felt the need to do so again, especially since the search for head lights brings no reports from this site. in regards to the 1993-1996 lincoln mark viii headlamps, they are destined to fail every time. the reflector coating inside the assembly is heated by the 65 watt 9005 bulb to the point that the coating is removed from the back of the reflector, as well as the top of the reflector. this reduces the amount of light at night, due to the flat white plastic that is revealed. the top of the reflector is browned and blackened from heat, further reducing the light due to absorbtion. also, the assembly itself is deteriorating due to the heat, bubbling from the inside, and it is believed by some that there is the possibility of an electrical fire. this is a safety issue on *all* 1993-1996 halogen equipped mark viiis. ford did make a solution, but it was only an option for 1996 my lincoln mark viii lsc models. they were direct replacement, hid assemblies, elements, and ballasts. it must be questioned as to why, as at the time, the hid solutions would have been very costly, in comparison. my website, http://web.wt.net/~houtex/marklights.htm, has a very detailed explaination and diagram concering this potential deadly safety defect. please, i urge you to respond quickly. a mr. jeff taylor from your organization was supposed to be involved in an investigation, but i've not had a response from him regarding my emails at jeff.taylor@nhtsa.dot.org. if he is not the correct contact, or i have incorrect information, please, would you inform me at michael@classiccn.com? there are a potential 98000+ defective 1993-1996 mark viiis out there. that's a lot of possible accidents. i surely would not want to accidentally run someone over because i was driving my mark at night and didn't see them due to the bad lights. please hurry. thank you. sincerely, michael a. binckley. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| Headlights are poor quality and were upgraded in 1996-1997 models. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 9999 | 03/01/1999 | |
| This is to register a complaint about the inadequate lighting system of the generation 1 mark viii, mine is year 1995. this headlight system is totally inadequate at night time, 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 with enough of a safetly concern, these should be fixed. it is imperative this be addressed. i do not feel that i paid for a luxury car to have to spend an extra 1000 or more to be able to be safe 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 for your inquiry into this matter. sincerely, michael a. binckley. *ak | |||
| 2 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Headlamps are dim and seem to be getting dimmer as they age. after changing the bulbs in the lens assemblies and noting that the lights did not improve, inspection of the lens unit revealed burn marks and peeling off of the reflective coating inside the unit. it is so bad on the right side that a crack has appeared and moisture is entering the unit. many owners will not think it is their headlamps that are at fault when they have difficulty seeing at night. i thought it was my eyesight that was going bad. i feel this is a safety hazard that sould be corrected by the manufacturer as soon as possible. i've seen some other mark 8's with this same moisture on the lens so i think this is a very common problem. we need your help. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1995 | |||
| Main beams are extremely dim, and high beams are adequate for normal driving, which is completely wrong, of course. ford apparently has a fix that we can purchase for about $900 in parts, they are called hid head lamp assemblies. this problem is vehicle design wide for generation 1 mark viii years 1993-1996. some late gen 1 mark viiis were lsc models and they came with the hids. there is a proceedure, and many documents, regarding this issue at www.markviii.org, their forums are littered with the issue. thank you for your time. fix this problem before people crash because they cant see at night and die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*ak | |||
| 10/01/1997 | |||
| I hate the poor lighting these headlights provide. mant mark viii owners run the high beams all the time with the adjustments set so they don't aim into uncoming drivers eyes. i believe the manufacturer needs to rectify this, and they already have the hid'' lights available as these units were installed on mid-year 1995s and 1996s that were called lscs. hid lighting on these cars is great!'*ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | |||
| The headlights on this vehicles are very dim. years '1993-1995 the lights are so bad and it is a safety issue. you cannot see anything and ford knows about the problem and wants $1600 to fix it.*ak | |||
| 01/19/2002 | 100 | 01/01/2002 | |
| All 1995 markviii cars that are not equipped with the hid headlights that were included in some of the lsc models of these cars are a danger to the public and the drivers of these cars. the lighting is inadequate for safe night time driving. the lights are very dim and i have had close calls because of this. i am always having to drive the car with the high beams on just so i can safely see the road. the high beams being on can cause dangerous conditions for oncoming vehicles so i am constantly having to switch from low to high beams. this problem affects every non hid equipped markviii vehicles and i am hoping that something can be done to correct this. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| My complaint on these headlights is the lack of good lighting. unlike other owners, my lights have not yellowed nor has any of the reflective material peeled inside the housing. these lights plain suck. ford/lincoln saw fit to equip the lsc models of the mark viii (1995-1996) with hid lighting systems, while the base model mark viii from 1993-1996 used standard halogen lighting. the halogen lights are about as effective as a candel in a hurricane, and in my opinion and the opinions of other owners creates a very real hazzard for night time driving. 1997-98 mark viii had hid lights on all models, and the housings are a bit larger, which leads me to believe that they knew the standard halogen lights were a bad design from the beginning, and waited 4 years to correct the problem. sylvania, the manufacturer of the headlight housings is just as much to blame as ford/lincoln for the flaws in these units. knowing the halogen units are as inneffective as they are, the hid lights should have been standar equipment on all models, and should have been a warranty upgrade for all cars not so equipped from the factory including the 1993-94 models as well as the 1995-96 models. this is not ford bashing, i am a ford guy all the way, but this type of bad design is just wrong, and could lead to serious injury.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1999 | |||
| Main beams are extremely dim, and high beams are adequate for normal driving, which is completely wrong, of course. ford apparently has a fix that we can purchase for about $900 in parts, they are called hid head lamp assemblies. this problem is vehicle design wide for generation 1 mark viii years 1993-1996. some late gen 1 mark viiis were lsc models and they came with the hids. there is a proceedure, and many documents, regarding this issue at www.markviii.org, their forums are littered with the issue. thank you for your time. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| The headlights on this car do not provide enough lighting to safely drive on unlighted roads. even the high beams are inadequate. my 4 battery flashlight puts out more light than these headlights. when compaired to my second car the high beams on the mark viii weren't even close to the lights in normal on my 97 tbird. when i get in to dark areas i have to hold the high beam switch past it's detent to force both high and low beams to come on just to see the road. i currently drive with the high beams on all the time because it gives almost the same lighting as most cars with low beams on. no one has ever blinked their lights to inform me they are on, mostly because they aren't bright enough to bother anyone. i have driven the new mark viiis (96 lsc - 98) with the updated lighting and it's like night and day. the factory should have done something about the older cars when they updated to the newer lights. they had to know something was wrong with the older or they wouldn't have improved them in the first place. this is defenetly a saftey problem since i have almost hit and gone off the road several times now. i won't drive the car at night unless i have to because of this and i really like this car.*ak | |||
| 12/21/1997 | 12/01/1997 | ||
| The headlights on this vehicle are extremely poor. they are very dangerous as they do not light up the road thoroughly enough, causing me to constantly drive around with the high beams on creating a dangerous condition for oncoming traffic. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| Factory headlights are extremly dim at night in their ability to project light in front of vehicle at highway speeds. *ak | |||
| 10/15/1999 | 2 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Headlights on the 1993-1995 lincoln mark viii's are inadequate and are dangerous to use at night, the lights are so bad that the headlights from the car behind me make a big black shadow that i have to drive through. i've almost hit debris in the road many times that i should have been able to see if these headlights even marginally worked. lincoln addressed this issue in the 1996 model year and upgraded all the marks to hid lights... these systems are readily available and should be retrofitted into all 93-95 cars....safety should not be a option!!!!*ak | |||
| 09/01/2000 | |||
| Headlights on these cars, 1993 to 1995 mark viii's are very poor. night driving is a hazard as it is not possible to see objects in front of and to the side of the road that are more than 50 feet away.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | |||
| The original headlights on the first generation lincoln mark viii are not acceptable for night visability. they do not illuminate the road ahead and are not sufficaint to see road obstacles. this is a known issue with first generation mark viii's and the headlights were updated in 1996 with an hid xenon assembly and all together again in 1997 with a total redesign. i consider this a very large saftey hazard and should be looked into as soon as possible.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer is concerned with the light output of the headlamps, the reflective coating on the rear of the lamp is discolored and flaking off the light output, causing poor visibility especially at night. *tt jg | |||
| 1 | 09/01/2001 | ||
| The headlights work like they are ment to. but the problem is that the factory lights are so dim that is extremely unsafe to drive in dark areas. i have almost ran off the road many times, hit animals, and other objects. this could cause serious injoury. the headlights are extremely unsafe, they are not bright enough. this is a common problem with all lincoln mark viii's from 1993-1996. they all need to have a headlight recall. please take this seriously, sombody could be seriously hurt or killed becuase of not being able to see what is in front of them. a recall is needed!! *ak | |||
| 08/01/1998 | 100 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Headlights do not provide adequate light for driving at night. the lack of appropriate light makes night driving very hazardous.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| The headlights on this car are dangerously horrible. the reverse lights are brighter, seriously! the problem was corrected in 1996 when ford put the hid setup on the lsc mark viii's. the rest of the gen 1 owners are left with birthday candles as headlights. i have had more than many close calls as a result of poor night vision with these so called lights. ford should address this issue before it becomes another firestone disaster for them. thank you for your time. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 50 | 03/01/1999 | |
| The headlights on these vehicles are horribly underpowered. at any rate of speed over 40 mph it poses a risk at night not only to myself, but all the other things i do not see properly. trees, animals, pedestrians, parked cars. these lights desperately need to be strengthened to aid in night vision. | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| The lights turn yellow and glaze over and you can hardly see any light from them at night. i temporarily sanded them to get the yellow off, but soon i will have to replace the whole assembly. the car is marginally safe to drive at night and it scares me to do so. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| Headlights are extremely weak, to the point of being unsafe in many driving conditions. driving in the rain at night is a scary experience to say the least. the brochures for my car promised hid lighting but it didn't materialize for the 1995 model year.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | |||
| Ford has known from day one that these headlights were never efficient. they are very dull & i hate to think what might happen as a result to this.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 2 | 12/01/2001 | |
| The headlights have very poor output, making it nearly impossible to drive at night. ford refuses to budge on this issue and will accept nothing short of $700 per side for replacement. this is a very dangerous and unfair situation.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | |||
| The reflevtive coating has worn off of the headlamp assembly making driving at night very dangerous, i was told i would have to replace the right and left headlight assembly at well over $200 each. this is a serious problem and should be addressed. the headlamps hardly light up the street signs when on dim setting - when using high beam the lighting is what would be expected on a low beam setting. *ak | |||
| 07/15/2000 | 06/01/2000 | ||
| The headlights on this vehicle present a dangerously severe handicap when driving at night, especially in inclement weather. the lenses have severely discolored creating a translucent lens through which the light has to pass. discussions with other mark viii owners has revealed their disatisfaction with the headlamp assemblies. ford dealers answer to the apparently widespread problem is an offer to sell new sets at upwards of $800. i believe ford has an obligation in this matter to replace or offset the replacement of the affected headlamp assemblies.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1995 | |
| The problem has to do with moisture buildup on the inside of the headlights. this has become an extreme hazard and a saftey issue. car cannot be driven at night due this hazard. the moisture buildup has been an issue with these cars and ford has refused to address this issue. new parts are very expensive and should be recalled. this is a saftey hazard and the car can not be driven at night. this needs to be addressed asap. thank you. *ak, dominique lama | |||
| 10/01/2001 | |||
| Dim headlights (poor lighting). *ak | |||
| 10/12/2001 | 1 | 09/01/2001 | |
| Headlight output on 93-95 mark viii's is extremely weak to the point that driver cannot tell if low beams are actually lit. light output is less than that of turn signal lamps.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2000 | |||
| Headlights are so dim on all these vehicles except for those with the optional headlight system. the poor reflector design and the short lifetime of the reflective coating make it as if the vechicle has no headlights. i drive withe the highbeams on all the time and they are still so dim that oncoming traffic doesn't notice. even with high beam illumination on the lumen level is lower than the aveage low beam of other vechicles. apparently the manufacturer knew that there was a problem and made optional effective lighting available at the time of manufacture of my vechicle. i have talked to others with the same vehicles and they also have the same problem. the replacement headlights are very expensive and still do not correct the problem.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Low beam headlamps are inadequate for safe night highway driving. *ak | |||
| 11/23/1999 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| The stock headlights are inadequate and unsafe. we hit a deer. lincoln should replace stock lights with the hid version. my daughter and i were almost killed hitting a deer. the standard lights are so bad we didn't stand a chance. | |||
| 03/14/2001 | 2 | 02/01/2001 | |
| The headlights on this vehicle perform extremely poor and due to bad design, the light output becomes extremely low with time due to melting of the reflective housing and bad wiring. this makes the vehicle dangerous to drive on the freeway at night or in poor weather(rain). i have nearly gotten into several accidents on the freeways since purchasing this car due to the lights not giving good visibility. also, ford is price gauging customers for replacing the headlights on these vehicles(charging upwards of $600 to repair these lights), only to have the lights break in a short time period again. there are numerous accounts of this problem from other lincoln mark viii owners. the struts on this vehicle are air inflated and they become extremely bouncy on the freeway making the vehicle hard to control. this is very dangerous for average drivers. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1997 | |||
| Factory headlights (non hid) insufficient for night use. does not disperse enough light on the road surface to be safe. headlights need to be augmented with either foglights/driving lights to be sufficient for driving at night, especially in the rain. headlights create a safety hazard and should be recalled.*ak | |||
| 9999 | 04/01/2001 | ||
| The current headlights of the car do not light the road adequately at night, especially in the rain! ford has upgraded the lights on the 96 version and up to solve the problem. but driving my 95 lincoln markviii at night proves difficult and dangerous. you can hardly even tell the lights are on at night and in the rain they are useless. i have the vin number if you need me to supply it, please contact me and i will gladly give it to you. i have also heard rumors of ford fixing this problem once in a while for customers so they must know it is a serious issue! thank you. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1994 | |||
| Headlights too weak to allow safe night driving. need high beams continually.*ak | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| Low beam headlamps are inadequate for safe night highway driving; insufficient light.*ak | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| Extremely difficult to see with low beams - have to use high beams to see fairly well.*ak | |||
| 10/20/2000 | 2 | 09/01/2000 | |
| The factory headlights are substandard at best and dangerous in low light conditions, such as poorly lit streets.the brake rotors front and rear are failing on my car and many others cars at an alarming rate. i've changed brake pads before in as little as 5000 miles, never have i had to replace a rotor at 3000 miles. 3000 miles is an interval for engine service...not brakes, brakes should last 10,000 miles easy. my rotors were warped in 3000 miles from the purchase. this is causeing brake and control problems with my car.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| Horrible vision while driving at night. request a factory upgrade to the '1996 light system.*ak | |||
| 2 | 05/01/1995 | ||
| Both front headlamp assemblies have deteriorated to the point where the car will not pass state inspection, and also the lights are so dull you can not see the road at night. i have been using my high beams at night for several weeks and they are so dull no one knows that they are the high beams. the dealership replaced the bulbs with new ones and performance did not improve. there was no increase in brightness in the headlamps. it looks like the opacity of the plastic lens has clouded or changed and will not let light through. the entire assembly has to be replaced at a cost of $550. the dealer has told me that these headlamps have failed in other lincolns and been replaced at the dealership. this is only a small town, i wonder how many of these have failed across the country. i believe this is a safety design flaw. this car has never been in a collision to cause the deterioration. lincoln has been contacted and has no details that they would tell me on the failure of the headlamps. i have previously reported this to you several days ago and had not received any notice that you had received the information. thank-you for looking into this matter. | |||
| 02/01/2000 | |||
| No summary | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 09/01/2000 | ||
| Need lamps replaced due to manufacture problem | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| The low beam headlights on this car have been inadequate from day one. visibility is extremely limited, and large sums of money have been spent to try and remedy the situation to no avail. the squat design of the lamps reduces the available size of the reflector. then, the close proximity of the bulb to the reflector causes the reflective coating to cook and burn off. i have had several close calls when driving this car at night, and avoid doing so anymore. lincoln is aware of this problem, but has done nothing to resolve it. | |||
| 07/01/2000 | |||
| No summary | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| The low beam headlamps on these vehicles are inadequate. in my 35 years of driving, i have never experienced a vehicle with such poor headlights. every mk viii owner i know has the same complaint. i don't believe these headlamps provide the minimum amount of lumens required by the dot. | |||
| 4 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| Headlamps are of inferior design and unsafe for night time driving. extemely low light output at night making it an unsafe vehicle to be driven at night ! brake rotors have extemely poor design and are not manufactured thick enough to withstand normal usage and heat. warpage within 5,000k miles on every new factory rotor. definitely unsafe rotors. | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| The low beam headlights on this car have been inadequate from day one. visibility is extremely limited, and large sums of money have been spent to try and remedy the situation to no avail. the squat design of the lamps reduces the available size of the reflector. then, the close proximity of the bulb to the reflector causes the reflective coating to cook and burn off. i have had several close calls when driving this car at night, and avoid doing so anymore. lincoln is aware of this problem, but has done nothing to resolve it. | |||
| 07/01/2000 | |||
| No summary | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 09/01/2000 | ||
| Need lamps replaced due to manufacture problem | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| The low beam headlamps on these vehicles are inadequate. in my 35 years of driving, i have never experienced a vehicle with such poor headlights. every mk viii owner i know has the same complaint. i don't believe these headlamps provide the minimum amount of lumens required by the dot. | |||
| 4 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| Headlamps are of inferior design and unsafe for night time driving. extemely low light output at night making it an unsafe vehicle to be driven at night ! brake rotors have extemely poor design and are not manufactured thick enough to withstand normal usage and heat. warpage within 5,000k miles on every new factory rotor. definitely unsafe rotors. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES | |||
| 03/30/2006 | 1 | 1 | 12/06/2004 |
| I have a 1995 lincoln mark viii. the head lights are so dim, at night i am unable to have a full visual of what most car-owners are able to see. this problem is due to the headlights on my car, (with brand new bulbs). i know a few people that have around the same year as me with the same model (2 1994's and 1 1995) and they have the same problem. i have also looked into it through vast amounts of mark viii forums and the result is the same. this is a hazard to everyone's safety in and around these vehicles, and this is a problem that must be rectified by the lincoln manufacturer. this is a defferent recall matter. than you nicolas l. *jb | |||
| 12/04/2003 | 24000 | 1 | 04/20/1998 |
| Unsafe night driving due to poor headlight design. headlights getting progressively worse due to heat build-up inside of headlight housing. the best fix is unfairly expensive especially considering the initial cost of the vehicle.*jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | |||
| 09/18/2000 | 1 | 09/01/2000 | |
| You can not see at night with the low beams. ****dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis******776798.*ak *jb | |||
| 1 | 09/12/1995 | ||
| The low beam headlights failed. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 03/26/1997 | 1 | 01/01/1996 | |
| Short in headlight/multifunction switch caused exterior lights to go out/dash lights to flicker, short caused wiring and switches to overheat. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH | |||
| 03/26/1997 | 1 | 01/01/1996 | |
| Short in headlight/multifunction switch caused exterior lights to go out/dash lights to flicker, short caused wiring and switches to overheat. | |||
| 10/12/1996 | 1 | 08/03/1995 | |
| Turn signals will not engage if steering wheel is slightly turned. | |||