1998 Lincoln Mark Viii: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 83 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is visibility (29% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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”Owner report · Suspension · Dec 2010
“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”Owner report · Suspension · Sep 2010
“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”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jul 2010
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“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.”Owner report · Wheels · Feb 2010
“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.”Owner report · Visibility · Jun 2008
“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”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Feb 2008
“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”Owner report · Visibility · Dec 2007
“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”Owner report · Visibility · Oct 2007
“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”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Aug 2007
“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.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Aug 2007
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
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.
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.
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, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact Mark Viii by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii reliable?
NHTSA has 83 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii. The most complained-about area is visibility (29% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 64,844 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Lincoln Mark Viii have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning vehicle speed control. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.