1997 Lincoln Mark Viii

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

1997 LINCOLN MARK VIII DEFROSTER/HEATER/AC BLEND DOOR: THE BLEND DOOR ON MY 1997 LINCOLN HAS MALFUNCTIONED. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL MARK VIII LINCOLNS CAUSING A MALFUNCTION IN THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER. THERE IS NO HEAT APPLIED TO THE WINDSHIELD WHILE ATTEMTING TO DEFROST. LINCOLN/FORD HAS IGNORED THIS VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS OFFERED NO HELP. I AM SUGGESTING A RECALL BE MADE ON ALL 1997 AND 1998 LINCOLNS.

THERE IS A PART IN THE HEATER/DEFROSTER ON THE LINCOLN MARK VIII THAT IS PRONE TO FAILURE CAUSING LOSS OF HEAT OR A/C FOR USE IN DEFROSTING THE WINDSHIELD. THIS PART HAS FAILED REPEATEDLY, AND AS QUICKLY AS 1 YEAR AFTER REPLACEMENT BY THE DEALER. I PURCHASED A 1997 LINCOLN MARK VIII WITHIN IN THE PAST MONTH FROM WEISLEDER LINCOLN MERCURY, AMONG THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE WAS THERE WAS NO HEAT. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE THE BLEND DOOR, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS REPAIR WILL BE NECESSARY AGAIN IN SHORT TIME BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION/ DESIGN OF THE PART IS POOR.

THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR WHICH ALLOWS WARM AIR TO BE DIRECTED TO THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFROST IT BROKE AT A VERY BAD TIME. MY WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED UP ON THE INTERSTATE AND WHEN I PUT THE CLIMATE CONTROL ON DEFROST, ALL I GOT WAS COLD AIR. NOT A VERY SAFE SET OF CONDITIONS. I HAVE SINCE READ THAT OVER 40 OF MY LINCOLN CAR CLUB MEMBERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PART BREAK. SOME REPORT AS MANY AS 3 FAILURES. THE LINCOLN DEALERSHIP QUOTES THE REPAIR AT APPROX. $700.00. TS

THE BLEND DOOR LEVER IS A COMMON SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH THESE CARS. IT IS MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC AND MANY OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THIS PART AT CONSIDERABLE COST. MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON COLD DAYS WITH HIGH HUMIDITY. THE WINDOWS FOG AND WHEN YOU TURN ON THE DEFROSTER, COLD AIR COMES OUT AND THE FOG REMAINS OR GETS WORSE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS HOW AM I TO SEE WHERE I AM DRIVING WITH WINDOWS THAT ARE FOGGY? SINCE THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AM I TO CONSTANTLY CLEAN THE WINDOWS WHILE DRIVING. THEREBY CREATING ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DT