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1996 Lincoln Mark Viii

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 86.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 26 of 106 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 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports

Power Train complaints

5 reports
Clear category filter
50,000 miles · Dec 8, 2003
Exterior LightingPower TrainUnknown Or Other

THE HEADLIGHTS THAT CAME STANDARD ON 1993-1996 MARK VIIIS ARE NOT SAFE FOR PUBLIC ROADS. THEY ARE PROBABLY THE WEAKEST HEADLIGHTS EVER PLACED INTO A VEHICLE DURING THE 1990S. IM SURPRISED THEY EVEN PASSED THE DOT REGULATIONS. THE HEADLIGHTS PROVIDE VERY LITTLE LIGHTING FOR THE ROAD AND THEY DO NOT EVEN GIVE ENOUGH LIGHT TO THE …

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THE HEADLIGHTS THAT CAME STANDARD ON 1993-1996 MARK VIIIS ARE NOT SAFE FOR PUBLIC ROADS. THEY ARE PROBABLY THE WEAKEST HEADLIGHTS EVER PLACED INTO A VEHICLE DURING THE 1990S. IM SURPRISED THEY EVEN PASSED THE DOT REGULATIONS. THE HEADLIGHTS PROVIDE VERY LITTLE LIGHTING FOR THE ROAD AND THEY DO NOT EVEN GIVE ENOUGH LIGHT TO THE STREET SIGNS SO THAT THEY CAN BE READ LEGIBLY AND EASILY. DRIVING ON A POOR LIT ROAD IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT TURNING ON THE HIGH BEAMS BECAUSE OTHER WISE YOU BECOME A HAZARD BECAUSE OF POOR VISIBILITY. IVE BEEN IN COUNTLESS NEAR ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE POOR LIGHTS AND BECAUSE THEY BARELY LIGHT UP THE MARKERS ON THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THEY EITHER NEED TO REPLACED WITH THE HID UNITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, OR AT LEAST IMPROVED DRASTICALLY; OTHERWISE THE RISK OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS CAR DURING THE NIGHT INCREASES AT LEAST 10 FOLD.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10049419

Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2000
Power Train

THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN MY CAR HAS STARTED TO SHUTTER AND LEAK FLUID. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND ANOTHER LOCAL GARAGE. THEY SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALLS MADE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE LOCAL GARAGE ALSO TOLD ME THERE WAS A NEW TYPE OF SELENOID AND VALVES TO GO INTO THE T…

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THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN MY CAR HAS STARTED TO SHUTTER AND LEAK FLUID. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND ANOTHER LOCAL GARAGE. THEY SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALLS MADE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE LOCAL GARAGE ALSO TOLD ME THERE WAS A NEW TYPE OF SELENOID AND VALVES TO GO INTO THE TRANSMISSION TO KEEP THE PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I CHECKED OUT THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND THERE WAS ONE FOR THIS PROBLEM (TSB# 98-8-7 APRIL 1998). WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO RECALL EFFORT IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WHEN A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT HIGH SPEEDS COULD BE DANGEROUS?*AK

NHTSA ODI #721274

Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 1997
Power TrainSuspension

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #605378

Mileage unknown · Aug 5, 1997
Power TrainInjury

AFTER DRIVER STEPPED OUT OF VEHICLE, THE GEAR SHIFT JUMPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. VEHICLE THEN HIT AN EMBANKMENT, WHILE TRAVELING BACKWARDS, JUMPED INTO DRIVE AND RAN OVER DRIVER, SEVERELY INJURING DRIVER. NEITHER LINCOLN DEALERSHIP NOR A FORD DESIGN ANALYSIS ENGINEER WERE ABLE TO FIND A CAUSE FOR THIS ERRATIC OCCURRANCE.

NHTSA ODI #522532

Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 1996
Power Train

WHILE STANDING STILL IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE SLOWLY DRIFTED BACKWARDS WHILE IN DRIVE GEAR. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING AND EXPLANATION. THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED DURING THIS OCCURRENCE. *AK.

NHTSA ODI #804468

Official recalls

1

07V336000 · 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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.