1997 Lincoln Mark Viii

THIS PART FAILS ON ALMOST ALL 97 & 98 MODEL YEARS FOR THESE CARS. THE REPLACEMENT PART FAILS AS WELL. IT CAN BE A BAD ISSUE IN TEMPERATURE WHERE THE WINDOW DEFOGGER IS NECESSARY. OFTEN I HAVE TO STOP ALONG THE ROAD AND WIPE MY WINDOWS DOWN AS THE DEFOGGER DOESN'T OPERATE PROPERLY DUE TO THIS FAILED PART. THE PART IS ABOUT $30.00 BUT THE LABOR CAN RUN OVER $700.00. DT *TS

THE KEYS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT ANY DEALERSHIP OR AFTERNARKET. IMAGINE LOSING YOUR KEYS IN A STRANGE TOWN. IT TOOK THE DEALER 5 DAYS TO REPLACE THE KEY THEY LOST. AS FOR THE BLEND DOOR, GO TO THE SITE MARKVIII.ORG AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS COMPONANT THAT IS ONLY $30.00 BUT COSTS $800.00 TO REPLACE DUE TO THE LABOR TO GET AT THE PART. WITH AS MANY FAILURES THE DOT NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ASAP ABOUT THIS. DT

I HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN FOR THIS SAME REPAIR FOR ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT OR MORE TIMES. EACH AND EVERY TIME THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THEY STATE THAT BECAUSE THE SEATS ARE WORKING PROPERLY AT THE TIME THAT THEY CANNOT PINPOINT THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH THE CAR HAS BEEN IN TO BE FIXED WHEN THE SEATS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THEY STILL FAILED TO FIX THEM. I HAVE SPENT ALOT OF TIME AND GAS TO TRY ON MY END TO GET THIS RESOLVED, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED TO WHATEVER EXTENT THAT THE LINCOLN COMPANY HAD TO GO TO, TO DO SO. EVEN IF IT MEANS STARTING FROM WHEN THE SEATS WERE ORIGINALLY INSTALLED TO TRACK DOWN THE PROBLEM. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. YOUR PROMPT DIRECT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER IS SO GREATLY APPRECIATED. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME EITHER BY PHONE OR E-MAIL. MY E-MAIL ADDRESS IS [XXX]. THANKYOU, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

MARK VIIII'S MANUFACTURED DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF 1997 WERE FITTED WITH A HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY THAT INCORPORATED AN INTEGRAL HID "LOW BEAM". THIS APPLIANCE WAS OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. ACCESS IS PROVIDED ONLY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE HALOGEN "HIGH BEAM" BULBS. IN MID-YEAR, FORD REDESIGNED THE HEADLAMP TO ALSO PERMIT REPLACEMENT OF THE HID LIGHT SOURCE. IT NO LONGER SUPPORTS THE EARLIER MODEL. THE ONLY WAY TO RESTORE MINIMALLY LEGAL HEADLIGHT FUNCTION TO MY EARLY-1997 LINCOLN IS REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY WITH A LATE 1997-1998 FIXTURE. MY DEALER ESTIMATES THE COST, INCLUDING LABOR, AT $1,150 TO $1,350 PER HEADLAMP. AT THAT PRICE, THE HEADLAMPS REPRESENT 1/3RD THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT THE COST OF THE FAILED PART. THIS IS THE COST OF FORDS FAILURE TO SUPPORT A SEGMENT OF ITS FLEET AND ITS DECISION TO PASS THE COST OF CORRECTING AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW THROUGH TO CONSUMERS. THE SOCIAL COST IS THAT SUCH CORPORATE IRRESPONSIBILITY ENDANGERS THE PUBLIC. FEW WILL PAY 1/3RD THE VALUE OF A CAR TO MAINTAIN A LIGHT BULB. IF FORD DOES NOT HONOR ITS RESPONSIBILITIES, THE PUBLIC WILL OPERATE THE CARS ILLEGALLY. IN MARKETING THIS CAR, FORD TOUTED THE RELIABILITY TO BE HAD FOR $40,000. THE REALITY IS THAT THIS CARS TRUE USEFUL ECONOMIC LIFE IS NOT DEFINED BY THE EXTENDED-LIFE SPARK PLUGS, ANTI-RUST PROTECTION OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT FORD SO EAGERLY SOLD, BUT BY THE LONGEVITY OF A LIGHT BULB.*AK