1998 Lincoln Mark Viii
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Lincoln › Mark Viii › 1998
These records cover every 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii. Newest first.
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads…
Risk and remedy
Risk
A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Owner complaints
83 complaints2 involved a crash3 involved a fire3 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Exterior lighting · Steering · Suspension
Update to last complaint: the passenger side hid headlight has failed, no replacement except $1000 conversion kit. Have to drive with only "brights" on from now on. Danger to myself and those I'm passing, plus if the "brights" aren't on, then I have no headlights and could get pulled over.…
Update to last complaint: the passenger side hid headlight has failed, no replacement except $1000 conversion kit. Have to drive with only "brights" on from now on. Danger to myself and those I'm passing, plus if the "brights" aren't on, then I have no headlights and could get pulled over. Passenger side ball joint/control arm broke while driving and tire fell off while driving in parking lot at work. After repair, hearing a bad creaking noise. Air suspension has to fill up all the way when I start the vehicle even after 5 minutes of it being shut off. Have paid $1,200 for repairs of suspension and steering in 6 months. (That's with my dealership employee discount). Seriously, I've heard too much about defective ball joints, headlights, no heat, door handles snapping off, and the air suspension going bad. Why IS ford not doing anything about these obviously defective parts??? Because the car IS rare and they don't make them anymore???
- Suspension · Visibility/wiper · Wheels
I've had this gem since 2010, bought with 30,000 miles...now has 104,000 miles. It was great until 2014. Where do I start? (1) no heat- broken blender door actuator...manually set it to the warm setting for the winter behind glove box. (2) driver's door handle snapped last year(replaced for…
I've had this gem since 2010, bought with 30,000 miles...now has 104,000 miles. It was great until 2014. Where do I start? (1) no heat- broken blender door actuator...manually set it to the warm setting for the winter behind glove box. (2) driver's door handle snapped last year(replaced for $100)...and now this year the passenger side snapped. (3) doors are constantly "ajar", alternating from one side to the other. (4) ball joint IS starting to wear badly, (5) driver's seat won't recline, (6) steering wheel won't move forward/backward anymore, (7) suspension IS starting to go...front end lowers to ground after shutting down engine. I'm sure there's more that I can't think of.
- Visibility · Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Fan/motor · Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Heater core
The heater will not blow hot air, no defroster, can't see out of windshield. *kb
- Electrical system · Service brakes, hydraulic · Unknown or other
The brakes can quit working after the automatic parking brake release solenoid fails to release the rear brakes when the transmission lever IS moved out of park. the rear brakes will then overheat after several miles, which causes the brake fluid to eventually boil and be expelled from the…
The brakes can quit working after the automatic parking brake release solenoid fails to release the rear brakes when the transmission lever IS moved out of park. the rear brakes will then overheat after several miles, which causes the brake fluid to eventually boil and be expelled from the master cylinder. the first symptom IS that the brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor and braking becomes erratic. shortly thereafter, the braking system totally failed to stop the car due to lack of brake fluid in the master cylinder. pumping the brake pedal rapidly and sheer luck are the only things that have prevented a major crash (so far...)! the rear brake pads and fluid have been replaced, but there seems to be no fix available that would prevent the problem from re-occurring. this safety defect appears to be caused by the parking brake position sensor switch failing to notify the computer software that the parking brake IS set,, so the controlling software doesn't bother to release the brake at drive-off. the warning light also fails to indicate a problem to the driver, which makes this a very dangerous combination of hardware and software failure after this problem happened to my wife twice, I began to drive the car to see what was happening. sure enough, after a couple of days, the problem occurred exactly as described above. the only workaround IS to use the emergency mechanical release before driving off. if one forgets to do this, there IS no way of knowing that the rear brakes are dragging and impending brake failure IS a certainty..
- Suspension › Front
TL* the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph, the front driver's side tire separated from the vehicle, causing the vehicle to suddenly drop to the ground. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated the ball joint was broken.…
TL* the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph, the front driver's side tire separated from the vehicle, causing the vehicle to suddenly drop to the ground. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated the ball joint was broken. The mechanic replaced the ball joint with a master pro cp426. The contact experienced the failure a second time, but was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road. The mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated the ball joint was broken and replaced it a second time. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000. updated 03/24/11*lj updated 03/30/11
- Suspension › Front
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph over train tracks, the front passenger side tire came off and the vehicle fell to the ground. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred three times before. The vehicle was towed to a local shop who…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph over train tracks, the front passenger side tire came off and the vehicle fell to the ground. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred three times before. The vehicle was towed to a local shop who diagnosed that the ball joint and control arm needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileages were 131,000. updated 3/25/11 *cn updated 03/30/11
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · Traction control system
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. While driving at a low speed the contact stated that the rear ABS failed. The dealer could not repair the vehicle because the rear wheel ABS sensor was no longer available. Report 238373 was filed with the manufacturer. The manufacturer attempted to…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. While driving at a low speed the contact stated that the rear ABS failed. The dealer could not repair the vehicle because the rear wheel ABS sensor was no longer available. Report 238373 was filed with the manufacturer. The manufacturer attempted to locate the part, but the part was no longer in production; therefore; they could not offer any assistance. The dealer disconnected the rear ABS sensor to ensure that the rear brakes would function properly; yet, it caused the vehicle to vibrate and the ABS light to illuminate constantly. the failure and the current mileages were 88,000. updated 8/25/10 *cn updated 08/27/10
- Exterior lighting
I own a 1998 lincoln mark viii. I have owned this car since 1999. Recently, one of the headlight lamps burned out. I attempted to buy a replacement bulb at several auto parts stores without success. I contacted the local lincoln dealers and found that the bulb (sylvania 9500) IS no longer…
I own a 1998 lincoln mark viii. I have owned this car since 1999. Recently, one of the headlight lamps burned out. I attempted to buy a replacement bulb at several auto parts stores without success. I contacted the local lincoln dealers and found that the bulb (sylvania 9500) IS no longer manufactured. I also found that there IS no stock of available bulbs in the united states except for used bulbs on e-bay. (For $199). I researched this issue on the internet and determined that lincoln's remedy for this problem was to sell a conversion kit (from hid lights to halogen) for over $1,000.00. I do not know if they are charging $1,000.00 for a pair of lights or for only one side. at this point I cannot safely drive my vehicle after dark. I cannot find a reasonably priced replacement part. I am left with lincoln's "remedy" of spending at least $1,000 to replace a headlight bulb. I am also concerned that if I do drive the car with one headlight out the other one may go out leaving me with no headlamps. *Tr
- Visibility
Weather change. Heater blend door will not open. No defroster or heater in winter weather causing problems with seeing out windshield and hypothermia. I've had fixed twice at a cost of $900 each time. On any forum dealing with the mark viii it IS a continuing problem caused by a defective part. It…
Weather change. Heater blend door will not open. No defroster or heater in winter weather causing problems with seeing out windshield and hypothermia. I've had fixed twice at a cost of $900 each time. On any forum dealing with the mark viii it IS a continuing problem caused by a defective part. It should be a manufacturer's responsibility to replace defective parts which cause traffic hazards, i.e., failure to defrost due to blend door not opening. Part IS less than $10, repair IS labor intensive. *Tr
- Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. while backing out of the garage, the contact could not see through a small portion of the driver side door mirror. approximately two weeks later, the contact could not see out of the entire mirror. there were no recalls for this failure. the speed was unknown. the current mileage was 24,875 and failure mileage was 24,775.
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the passenger side headlight failed. the light bulb was replaced last year, but has failed again. the dealer stated that the vehicle needed a conversion kit because the light bulb was no longer being manufactured. the failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 207,199.
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
1998 lincoln mark vlll lsc (hid headlight bulb;passenger side). Poor night visibility due to sever degradation of oem headlamp system. this makes night driving illegal,dangerous, and just impossible with out some sort of aftermarket lighting system or oem replacements which will soon fail and…
1998 lincoln mark vlll lsc (hid headlight bulb;passenger side). Poor night visibility due to sever degradation of oem headlamp system. this makes night driving illegal,dangerous, and just impossible with out some sort of aftermarket lighting system or oem replacements which will soon fail and cause the issue all over again. there IS no after market replacement bulb. ford did not contract with sylvania to make one. I was told that my hid headlight bulb would never burn out. now I can't even sell my car. if I did find a buyer, it would not be legal to drive with only one working headlight. I could be liable for selling a dangerous vehicle. *tr
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the contact received a notice for recall number 05s28 regarding the vehicle speed control in august of 2007. the dealer stated that they did not know when the part would be available. the contact feels that the recall has surpassed a reasonable amount of time for the repair. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 55,000. updated 02-14-08 *bf
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system
The blend door that controls the heat and air conditioning has stopped working and has rendered my heating / cooling system dysfunctional. This seems to be a widely known issue for this car (1998 lincoln mark viii lsc) - it poses a dangerous and tangible threat to safety considering heat will not work to defrost the windows and front windshield. *tr
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the contact received a safety recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. the dealer informed him in december of 2007 that they did not know when the parts would be available. the vehicle speed control switch has not been…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the contact received a safety recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. the dealer informed him in december of 2007 that they did not know when the parts would be available. the vehicle speed control switch has not been disconnected. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date and recall number were unavailable. the current mileage was 13,000.
- Suspension › Front · Suspension › Front › Springs › Air suspension › Springs/bags · Suspension › Front › Springs › Air suspension system
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the contact stated that the front end of the vehicle lowered when he shut off the engine. as of october 30, 2007, the dealer had not diagnosed the failure. the contact felt that the front suspension was defective. he stated that the failure would…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln mark viii. the contact stated that the front end of the vehicle lowered when he shut off the engine. as of october 30, 2007, the dealer had not diagnosed the failure. the contact felt that the front suspension was defective. he stated that the failure would make it impossible to steer the vehicle. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 70,000. the consumer stated the defect has been diagnosed as a failure of the air suspension system wherein one airbag had deteriorated failed with a leak or hole. The consumer stated the defect involving air suspension has been repaired with all 4 air suspension system airbags. Updated 11/26/07 *tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The front ABS speed sensor has failed on my 1998 lincoln mark viii. The car currently has only 50K miles on it. These sensors have been discontinued by ford starting 2005. They are not interchangeable with any other vehicle and no automotive parts store carries them. ford made close to 18,000…
The front ABS speed sensor has failed on my 1998 lincoln mark viii. The car currently has only 50K miles on it. These sensors have been discontinued by ford starting 2005. They are not interchangeable with any other vehicle and no automotive parts store carries them. ford made close to 18,000 lincoln mark viii in 1998, the ABS sensor IS crucial in the proper operation of the ABS as well as the traction control, as it IS right now there are no replacements available anywhere. The mark viiis that have and will be affected by this problem will not pass a safety inspection and could possibly cause other problems like increased braking distances and even accidents. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling
1998 mark viii caught on fire. *ts the vehicle was being towed when he noticed flames from his rear view mirror. *Jb
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
Low beam headlamp for 1998 lincoln mark viii. Replacement lamp not available from ford or the mfg. Sylvania. Unsafe to drive car at night. *jb
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
After having replaced both headlight assemblies due to failure with condensation developing within the unit, I am now having the same problem again. It will require another new set of headlight assemblies to repair the commonly known manufacturer's defect. *nm
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
Headlights plasticc covering have become cloudy reducing headlights out put! *nm
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Heater core
Continuous problem with heater-a/c blend door failure resulting in lack of defogging of windshield and poor visibility. especially dangerous at night in changing outside temperature conditions. this failure has been reported to your offices many times in the past 5 years with lincoln and ford…
Continuous problem with heater-a/c blend door failure resulting in lack of defogging of windshield and poor visibility. especially dangerous at night in changing outside temperature conditions. this failure has been reported to your offices many times in the past 5 years with lincoln and ford vehicles . the cost of repair IS between $500-$2000 dollars. ford has apparently made changes to strengthen the blend door lever but refuses to admit design failure nor will warrant the item. Nhtsa has yet to take any action on the consumer's part. we are the public and your charter IS to provide support to us, not the auto maker. *Jb
- Air bags › Frontal
Airbag warning light went on and lincoln/mercury dealership says the airbag may deploy without warning or may not deploy in the event of an accident. Replacement/repair of the clock spring assembly should be covered by ford/lincoln since this IS a safety device only and not a mechanical device. *Jb
- Suspension › Front · Unknown or other
The front suspension sinks down on the vehicle, causing the front to scrape on the ground. This IS making the ability to drive difficult. Manufacturer was contacted by owner.*ak the consumer stated that the main computer IS failing. *tc
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system
Heater/ac blender door-doors,fail to operate and or have "no" tempeture control,resulting in poor visiblity.fogging etc,lack of defrosting and or a cold driver..see previous 768368,768427,768529,768796,768173.7689173,769183,769959,10003517,10005626,10023956,10075009,and now mine ! the only thing…
Heater/ac blender door-doors,fail to operate and or have "no" tempeture control,resulting in poor visiblity.fogging etc,lack of defrosting and or a cold driver..see previous 768368,768427,768529,768796,768173.7689173,769183,769959,10003517,10005626,10023956,10075009,and now mine ! the only thing that changed IS the cost of repairs by the dealer has gone up. I have a written estimate for( the dash has to be removed) $680.00 labor.. Parts as found/ to be $38.00,,$68.00,,$5.00,,$35.00 and than maybe $350.00 more for a plemum.. ($1,176.00) I understand that ford has replaced the parts with better versions as to materials that with stand the different temperatures it IS subject too.this apparent lack of action by nhtsa IS cause for concern as to your uninterest in the public safety not knowing how many other vehicles are out their with this hazardous defect. Help us,protect us ,,thank you. *ak
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10018745Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running.
- 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013369General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
- 10013060Climate control a/c service tech tips.
- 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
- 10008580Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock.
- 10008279New service part - number 5 needle bearing and race kit - 4r70w transmission - service tip.
- 10004886Malfunction indicator lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457 or p1442 or a check fuel cap lamp illuminated with dtc p0457 for the evaporative emission system.
- 10004027Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips.
- 10003748New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included.
- 10003744Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included.
- 10002780Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457.
- 6091852Concerns with cellular phones not ringing when receiving calls.
- 6090873Locks failed. Yd
- 6090549Information regarding steering- poor returnability-high effort. *Mjs
- 6090366Steering- poor returnability- high effort. *Mjs
- 6090184Information on replacing and / or repairing malfunctioning (door, ignition and decklid) locks.
- 6090131Information on diagnosing a vehicle with malfunction indicator lamp illuminated and diagnostic trouble codes p0442 and p0455 stored in continuous memory.
- 6090087Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems.
- 6090085Service information for musty and mildew type odors coming from the air conditioning / heating system.
- 6090082Information for servicing and diagnosing brake vibration, brake inspection, and brake friction material replacement.
- 6090055Vehicles built between 3/15/1997 and 12/31/1998 and with 4r70w transmissions may experience delayed or no 2-3 upshift, transmission control indicator lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0782 stored in memory.
- 6089681Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses.
- 636080Transfer service tips for the front wiper motor mount bracket and depressed park output arm.
- 630515Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure.
- 630349Some vehicles with 4r700 transmissions built from 4/16/98 through the end of the 1998 model year may exhibit a leak from the vent area of the transmission.
- 625715Brake shift interlock.*jb
- 623988Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *Slc
- 623944Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *Slc
- 619424Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5W-20 motor oil.
- 619266Vehicles equipped with passive anti-theft system (pats) may not start or crank.
- 615543Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmissions may exhibit delayed or no 2-3 upshift, primarily when the transmission IS cold. Transmission control indicator light (tcil) may also flash with diagnostic trouble code p0782.
- 615483For all vehicles with driver / passenger seat module concerns that require a module replacement, the technician must call for approval before removing and / or replacing the module.
- 615482For all vehicles with drivers door module concerns that require a module replacement, the technician must call for approval before removing and / or replacing the module.
- 615481For all vehicles with lighting control module concerns that require a module replacement, the technician must call for approval before removing and / or replacing the module.
- 615478This bulletin mentions that for all vehicles with antilock brake module concerns that require a module replacement, the technican must call for approval before removing and / or replacing the module.
- 615335Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start / long crank, cold start stall, cold rough idle concern.
- 615280Some vehicles may exhibit a concern where the reverse-down feature of the exterior mirrors may appear to be inoperative at times.
- 615199Some vehicles may exhibit a concern where the reverse-down feature of the exterior mirrors may appear to be inoperative at times.
- 613794When diagnosing crank / no start on certain vehicles equipped with passive anti-theft (pats) check the customers key ring for any magnetic objects like the mobile speedpass key which may affect the signal transmission between the pats key and the vehicle transceiver.
Every Lincoln Mark Viii model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.