IllustrationHEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH DANGER AT NIGHT. *AK
1993 Lincoln Mark Viii
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Mark Viii years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Lincoln Mark Viii are substantially higher than the model-year median of 86.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Mark Viii years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 41 of 239 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 172 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports7 fire reports5 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
172 reportsTHE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM,VERY POOR VISABILITY AT NIGHT ,DEFFINETLY A SAFETY ISSUE.
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE POORLY DESIGNED. HIGH BEAMS MUST BE USED AT NIGHT TO HELP WITH SEEING. IT STILL FAILS TO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE MORE THAN 10-15 FEET IN FRONT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WHILE IT IS RAINING. IF THE NHTSA CHECKS THE "LINCOLNS OF DISTINCTION" WEB PAGE, MANY OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS MA…
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THE HEADLIGHTS ARE POORLY DESIGNED. HIGH BEAMS MUST BE USED AT NIGHT TO HELP WITH SEEING. IT STILL FAILS TO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE MORE THAN 10-15 FEET IN FRONT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WHILE IT IS RAINING. IF THE NHTSA CHECKS THE "LINCOLNS OF DISTINCTION" WEB PAGE, MANY OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. OWNERS SHOULD HAVE THE EQUIPMENT REPLACED DUE TO THE DANGER INVOLVED OR THE MANUAFACTURER SHOULD DESIGN A NEW REPLACEMENT. IF THIS MATTER IS NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, IT MAY LEAD TO ANOTHER CASE MUCH LIKE THE ONE SURROUNDING THE TIRES INSTALLED ON PREVIOUS FORD SUV'S.*AK
LOW BEAMS DID NOT PROJECT ENOUGH LIGHT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILTY AT NIGHT AND DURING CERTAIN CONDITIONS. CONSUME CHANGED LIGHT 4 TIMES , BUT DID NOT HELP TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN AT NIGHT. DEALER NOT CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY MARK VLLL HAVE NEVER BEEN VERY BRIGHT AS THE CAR AGES THE HEAD LIGHT ARE GOING DIMMER AND DIMMER ,THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING THE BULBS PRODUCE SO MUCH HEAT AND WITH NO PLACE FOR THE HEAT TO ESCAPE THE SEALED UNIT THE HEAT FROM THE BULB IS BURNING THE REFLECTIVE COATING OF…
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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY MARK VLLL HAVE NEVER BEEN VERY BRIGHT AS THE CAR AGES THE HEAD LIGHT ARE GOING DIMMER AND DIMMER ,THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING THE BULBS PRODUCE SO MUCH HEAT AND WITH NO PLACE FOR THE HEAT TO ESCAPE THE SEALED UNIT THE HEAT FROM THE BULB IS BURNING THE REFLECTIVE COATING OF THE BULB REFLECTOR AND WITH A BLACK SPOT IN SIDE THE HOUSING THE HEADLIGHTS ARE PRODUCING LESS AND LESS LIGHT THE MORE THEY ARE IN USE ,IT IS GETTING TO THE POINT WERE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NITE .THANK YOU FOR LOOKING IN TO THIS MATTER. *AK
HEADLIGHTS ON MY CAR ARE SO DIM, THAT YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD. *AKI
VERY POOR HEADLIGHTS, EVEN WITH NEW BULBS THEY ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE. *AK
DIM LIGHTS ARE NOT ADEQUATE TO USE AT NIGHT. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT FINALLY DISCOLORED AND PEELED ENOUGH INSIDE THAT I HAD TO REPLACE IT. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT DID NOT HELP THE ILLUMINATION PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH THE DIM L…
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DIM LIGHTS ARE NOT ADEQUATE TO USE AT NIGHT. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT FINALLY DISCOLORED AND PEELED ENOUGH INSIDE THAT I HAD TO REPLACE IT. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT DID NOT HELP THE ILLUMINATION PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH THE DIM LIGHTS!! I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT FOR THE PAST YEAR WITH MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON AND NOBODY HAS FLASHED ME TO DIM THEM YET. THIS SHOWS HOW BRIGHT THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE MARK SERIES.*AK
NEEDS NEW HEADLIGHTS, POOR VISIBILITY. 700 FOR NEW ONES, CHECK WWW.MARKVIII.COM THEN FORUMS AND THERES ABOUT 3999 MARK OWNERS WITH COMPLAINTS! *AK
LOW BEAMS ARE SO DIM THAT DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT NIGHT IS DANGEREOUS. *AK
Official recalls
307V336000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Aug 3, 2007
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
98V009000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Jan 21, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN FLASH INTERMITTENTLY AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING. THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS CAN GO OUT FOR BRIEF INTERVALS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION CAN AFFECT A DRIVER'S ABILITY TO NAVIGATE THE ROADWAY AND REDUCE THE VISIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT INCORPORATES A CRICUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND WIRING, IF NEEDED.
92V166000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor
Nov 18, 1992
THE LINK LEVER TRUNION ON THE SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE DAMAGED COMPONENT MAY BECOME DISLODGED DURING VEHICLEOPERATION, MAKING THE RETRACTOR VEHICLE-SENSITIVE LOCKING SYSTEM INOPERATIVE.THIS INCREASES THE POSSIBILTY OF A SERIOUS INJURY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.
Remedy: THE RETRACTORS WILL BE REPLACED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA96019 · Headlight Failure
Opened Jul 31, 1996 · Closed Jan 26, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
EXCESSIVE HEAT IN AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED CIRCUIT BREAKER WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH CAUSED THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER TO OPEN FOR TIME PERIODS OF VARYING LENGTH TO COOL OFF.OPENING OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THIS MANNER INTERRUPTS ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOW TO THE HEADLIGHTS, SHUTTING THEM OFF.HEADLIGHT OUTAGES HAVE RANGER FROM BRIEF FLICKERS (LESS THAN ONE SECOND) TO GREATER THAN 20 SECONDS.OVER TIME, THE OUTAGES GROW IN LENGTH AND DURATION BECAUSE OF HEAT-INDUCED DETERIORATION OF THE SWITCH AND ASSOCIATED WIRING.RECALL 98V-009 WILL APPLY TO APPROXIMATELY 506,000 TAURUS, SABLE, MARK VIII, AND CONTINENTAL VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM 1-DEC.-92 THROUGH 30-SEP-93 AT THE ATLANTA, CHICAGO,AND WIXOM ASSEMBLY PLANTS.87% OF MY 1992-1995 TAURUS/SABLE AND 97% OF MY 1993-1995 MARK VIII WARRANTY REPAIRS (HEADLIGHT SWITCH REPLACEMENT) INVOLVED VEHICLES BUILT DURING THE DEC. 92 - OCT. 93 BUILD RANGE.