Tl* the contact owns a 1996 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated that there was poor visibility when driving the vehicle at night. The headlight lenses had a constant film, which affected the low beams. The contact cleaned the lenses several times and changed the bulbs, but the visibility remained poor. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was to be taken to the dealer for further inspection and repair. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
1996 Lincoln Mark Viii: headlights failing or too dim
66 of the 106 complaints about the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii describe headlights failing or too dim.
- owner complaints
- 66
- of this car's complaints
- 62%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 60,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Headlights failing or too dim by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim and caused poor visibility. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000. Updated 07/07/14*lj the consumer stated the driver was unable to beyond 50 feet. The reflective part inside the headlights were completely black. The light bulbs were replaced the failure persisted. Updated 05/28/2015
Very poor headlights, causing an unsafe driving condition while only being able to see a short distance in front of your car at night.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 lincoln mark viii. The vehicle has high intensity headlights, but one headlight is bright while the other is dim. In 2007, the passenger side headlight was replaced and now the driver side lamp needs replacing. Ford no longer makes the part and could not provide information on how it could be obtained. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 40,000 and failure mileage was 39,000. Update 04-02-08
The headlights on these cars (generation 1 lincoln mark viii, 1993 to 1996) are awful and it is virtually impossible to find replacements-the reflective coating on the inside deteriorates, the outer lens gets yellow and dull-difficult, almost impossible to see at night, especially low beams-ford should make good on repairs for these models, there are thousands on the road, all are a hazard to the owner and to other drivers.
I am the original owner of a 1996 lincoln mark viii equipped with luminarc high intensity headlights. The vehicle has 56,089 miles. The driver's side headlight has failed and apparently is no longer serviceable. The manufacturer's design did not allow for the simple replacement of a light bulb but instead requires the replacement of the entire headlight assembly at a cost of approximately $900.00 plus labor per side. 97 and 98 models are designed for simple bulb replacement at a cost of approximately $260.00 per bulb. While investigating the facilitating of head light repairs for my automobile I have discovered that head light assemblies for 1996 model cars are obsolete and replacement bulbs for 1997-1998 model cars have been on back order for approximately six months and are not due to be available for another 3-4 months. My internet research has LED me to an unknown number of owners in similar peril. We are all scrambling for solutions to keep our autos on the road both safely and legally. Internet searches for used parts (lincoln customer service actually refers you to private used parts dealers rather than supply parts themselves), possible new parts and even fabricated new light systems (questionable legality) are being pursued. It has become apparent that there are no good solutions and we owners have few options available to us. The manufacturer has designed a vehicle lighting system that has failed to last or be successfully serviced within the vehicle's useful lifespan. In closing, ford motor company has created a class of car owner that can not keep his car street legal or safe. Ford has abandoned these owners to fend for themselves in pursuit of safety. These are not ancient cars, they are well within their useful lifespan and ford should be responsible for facilitating their safe operation during that time. Currently, ford has no reasonable answers and the situation they have created is wholly absurd. Cory a. David.
Very poor headlights, causing an unsafe driving condition while only being able to see a short distance in front of your car at night.
Head light on the mark viii are not strong enough (low beam).
The 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.
Drivers side hid unit on my 1996 lincoln mark viii is not working and I can not seem to find another one used or new to replace it with, seems to be a dealer only part and the parts 'depts. I"ve spoken with want to charge me $750.00 to $850.00 for the whole headlight assembly with the hid unit, I can only drive during the day and cannnot drive at night in fear of getting pulled over or getting into an accident!!!!!!!!!!!
Dt*: 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 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.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii headlights
Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii?
66 of 106 owner complaints about the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii (62%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 1993.
How much does it cost to fix headlights failing or too dim on the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Lincoln Mark Viii?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
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