1997 Lincoln Mark Viii

HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1997 LINCOLN MARK VIII SUDDENLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH CAUSING A NEAR FATAL CRASH. I LUCKILY RAN OFF THE ROAD INTO A MUDDY GRASSY AREA AND BECAME STUCK AND NOT KILLED. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP ONLY TO FIND I COULD NOT AFFORD TO GET THE LIGHTS REPAIRED BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS CAR COST $1600.00. THE BRIGHT LIGHTS STILL WORK, IT WAS ONLY THE DIMM LIGHTS THAT WENT OUT FOR NO REASON. THE MANUFACTURE OF THESE LIGHTS SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR SELLING A PRODUCT THAT'S SUBSTANDARD TO MUCH CHEAPER AND SAFER HEADLIGHTS. IF A PAIR OF DIMM HEADLIGHTS COST $1600.00 THEY SHOULD LAST A LIFETIME. MY CAR HAS 60,000 MILES. I AM THINKING OF FILING A LAW SUIT.*AK

WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW-BEAM HID HEADLAMP BEGAN FAILING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, SINCE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE. THEN I FOUND OUT THAT PARTS WILL COST $780 ($200 FOR THE HEADLAMP + $580 FOR AN "UPGRADED" MOUNTING ASSEMBLY WHICH IS REQUIRED DUE TO PARTS OBSOLESCENCE AND A LINCOLN ENGINEERING MISTAKE). AFTER SOME COMPLAINING, I GOT FORD AND THE DEALER TO REDUCE COST TO $380 FOR PARTS PLUS $120 FOR LABOR. $500 TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT (REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURE IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE! *JB

REPLACE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY,COST $700.00 FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THIS. SINCE IT WAS THEIR FAULT FOR NOT STOCKING PARTS. USED PARTS WERE USED. I HAVE NOT WAY OF KNOWING HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST. IF MY OTHER SIDE GOES OUT I AM FACING ANOTHER EXPENSE OF REPLACING IT SINCE IT IS THE LAW TO DRIVE WITH HEAD LIGHTS ON WHEN RAINING OR THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION ZONE HERE IN PA. WHY SHOULD I AS A CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY SUCH A HIGH COST TO REPAIR THESE LIGHTS. IF I HAD KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM I WOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT I DID NOT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS,MADE IN JAN. THROUGH MARCH. I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN FLAW. *NLM

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

THE DRIVERS SIDE, LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BURNT OUT ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. UPON TRYING TO REPLACE THE BULB, I LEARNED THAT THE BULB WAS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALER. I CONTACTED 2 AUTHORIZED LINCOLN DEALERS & RECEIVED ESTIMATES VARYING IN THE RANGES OF $79-$835. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THE $835 ESTIMATE WAS CORRECT. IN MID PRODUCTION OF THE 97 LINCOLN MARK VIII THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CHANGED VENDORS ON THE HEADLIGHT & THE FIRST SYSTEM UTILIZED IS NOT COMPATIBLE W/THE SECOND SYSTEM. HENCE, I NEED TO PAY TO CONVERT MY CAR TO THE ALTERNATE SYSTEM AS THEY DO NOT STOCK AFTER MARKET PARTS FOR THE CARS PRODUCED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM W/PAYING $79 TO REPLACE THE BULB THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL IT IS LUDICROUS TO PAY $835 TO REPLACE AN ENTIRE SYSTEM DUE TO INCOMPETENC ON BEHALF OF THE MANUFACTURER. IF YOU PRODUCE A CAR, YOU SHOULD STOCK PARTS FOR SOME AMOUNT OF TIME. THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY DISAGREES. AT SOME POINT, I WILL NEED TO REPLACE MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT, THEN, I WILL HAVE NEARLY $2000 INVESTED IN HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT. I HAVE MADE THE OBESERVATION ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT OTHER 97 MARK VIII OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT A CONSUMER CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE FORD TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW? ADDITIONALLY, MY DOOR HANDLE BOKE IN HALF- A SOLID PIECE OF METAL JUST BROKE RIGHT IN HALF. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR!*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT BURNT OUT. DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE NO "AFTER-MARKET" HEADLIGHT BULBS AVAILABLE. LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS MUST BE DEALER-SERVICED. FORTUNATELY DEALER WILL REPAIR UNDER 50,000 BUMBER TO BUMBER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FOR THIS MODEL REQUIRE REPLACING AN ENTIRE ASSEMBLY, NOT JUST THE BULB. INFORMED BY DEALER THAT THIS COMPONENT IS NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED BY OEM SUPPLIER AND IS NOW ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. AUTO BEING OPERATED WITHOUT HEADLIGHT FOR 2-MONTHS NOW AND STILL NO REPLACEMENT PARTS. MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT I OPERATING AN AUTO WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS IS A MOVING VIOLATION IN GEORGIA AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AFTER DARK. *AK

THE HEAD LIGHT BULB WENT OUT, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE ORGINAL EST TO FIX WITH PART AND LABOR WAS $100. THE DEALER THEN CONTACTED ME AN STATED THAT FORD NO LONGER MADE THE PART (LIGHT BULB) AND THE REPLACEMENT ASSY WOULD COST $435 PER SIDE. THIS IS OUTRAGUS TO FIX A BAIC SAFETY FEATURE. I CALLED LINCOLN AND WAS TOLD THAT 'THAT THE WAY IT IS" AND THEY OFFERD TO PAY 1/2 OF THE REPAIR COST. STILL MY COST WOULD BE$200. *AK