IllustrationTHE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII ARE TERRIBLE, I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR 8 YEARS AND HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS WITH VARIOUS AFTERMARKET BULBS AND NOTHING INCREASES THE HEADLIGHT POWER. *JB
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.
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: 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
Exterior Lighting complaints
77 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SILVER REFLECTORS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT. THIS MADE DRIVING AT NIGHT DIFFICULT DUE TO THE LACK OF LIGHT PRODUCED FROM THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHO DETERMINED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/03/06
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY LINCOLN MARK VIII HEADLIGHTS FROM 1993-1996. THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER A COUPLE YEARS BEGIN TO DEGRADE. THE REFLECTIVE COATING INSIDE THE PARABOLA TURNS CHALKY AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REFLECT LIGHT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. THIS MAKES FOR VERY POOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS IN…
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I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY LINCOLN MARK VIII HEADLIGHTS FROM 1993-1996. THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER A COUPLE YEARS BEGIN TO DEGRADE. THE REFLECTIVE COATING INSIDE THE PARABOLA TURNS CHALKY AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REFLECT LIGHT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. THIS MAKES FOR VERY POOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. LINCOLN NEW ABOUT THIS AND SWITCHED TO HID (HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE) UNITS IN 1996, BUT ONLY ON THE LSC MODELS. FORD/LINCOLN SELLS THESE UNITS BUT AT A VERY VERY HIGH PRICE. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND HID'S INSTALLED IN THE CARS WITH THE DEFECTIVE HEADLAMPS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *NM
THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII PROVIDES POOR NIGHT VISIBILITY DUE TO SEVER DEGRADATION OF OEM HEADLAMP SYSTEM. THE REFLECTIVE LENS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING HAS MELTED AWAY TO THE POINT THAT THIS MAKES NIGHT DRIVING DANGEROUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUT SOME SORT OF AFTERMARKET LIGHTING SYST…
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THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII PROVIDES POOR NIGHT VISIBILITY DUE TO SEVER DEGRADATION OF OEM HEADLAMP SYSTEM. THE REFLECTIVE LENS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING HAS MELTED AWAY TO THE POINT 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. *JB
THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2005 AND THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN DETERIORATING CONSTANTLY SINCE PURCHASE. I NOW HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAM AT ALL TIMES AFTER DARK. OTHER CARS DO NOT EVEN FLASH THERE LIGHTS AT ME BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO WEAK. ALL OF THE CHROME HAS FALLEN OFF OF THE SURFACES IN THE HEADL…
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THE 1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2005 AND THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN DETERIORATING CONSTANTLY SINCE PURCHASE. I NOW HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAM AT ALL TIMES AFTER DARK. OTHER CARS DO NOT EVEN FLASH THERE LIGHTS AT ME BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO WEAK. ALL OF THE CHROME HAS FALLEN OFF OF THE SURFACES IN THE HEADLIGHTS SO NO LIGHT IS REFLECTED OUT OF THE LIGHTS! *NM
THE HEADLIGHT COVERS (HOUSINGS?) FOR LINCOLN MARK VIII'S 93-98, CLOUD OVER (TURN GRAY INSIDE AND OUT) QUICKLY. THIS DEFECTIVE CLOUDING IN THE LIGHT COVERS RESULTS IN NIGHT DRIVING TO BE VERY HAZARDOUS, ALONG WITH RAIN AND FOG. THE KITS TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS AVERAGE AROUND 1,000. LINCOLN KNOWS OF THE VISIBILITY PROBLEM WHEN TH…
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THE HEADLIGHT COVERS (HOUSINGS?) FOR LINCOLN MARK VIII'S 93-98, CLOUD OVER (TURN GRAY INSIDE AND OUT) QUICKLY. THIS DEFECTIVE CLOUDING IN THE LIGHT COVERS RESULTS IN NIGHT DRIVING TO BE VERY HAZARDOUS, ALONG WITH RAIN AND FOG. THE KITS TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS AVERAGE AROUND 1,000. LINCOLN KNOWS OF THE VISIBILITY PROBLEM WHEN THE COVERS CLOUD OVER AND HAS NOT TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION. *NM
I OWN A 1993 LINCOLN MARK VIII AND AT NIGHT YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD EVEN WITH THE BRIGHTS ON. THE HOUSING LOOKS LIKE THE CLEAR PART HAS SEPARATED INTO ABOUT 3 LAYERS. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!! *NM
1996 LINCOLN MARK VIII HEADLIGHTS. CANNOT SEE AT NIGHT, SEVERE LACK OF ILLUMINATION, VERY DANGEROUS. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DISCOLORED. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW THE HEADLIGHT TO PROJECT ENOUGH LIGHT FOR NIGHT DRIVING. THE CONTACT HAS REPLACED THE LIGHT BULBS, BUT THIS HAS NOT IMPROVED VISIBILITY. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 4/6/2006 …
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DISCOLORED. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW THE HEADLIGHT TO PROJECT ENOUGH LIGHT FOR NIGHT DRIVING. THE CONTACT HAS REPLACED THE LIGHT BULBS, BUT THIS HAS NOT IMPROVED VISIBILITY. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 4/6/2006 - *NM
POOR HEADLIGHTS ON CAR. LIGHTS ARE AS EFFECTIVE AS A TWO CELL FLASH LIGHT.*AK
Official recalls
107V336000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.