1997 Lincoln Mark Viii problems & reliability
90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Lincoln Mark Viii, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 33 | 37% |
| Visibility | 22 | 24% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 9% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6% |
| Steering | 5 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 64,000 miles (middle 50% between 51,250 and 88,875 miles), based on 34 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle was traveling down a busy urban street and while approaching an intersection, the driver begin turning slightly to change lanes and the steering wheel separated from the steering column, leaving the vehicle with no steering. *tr”
Steering · filed Mar 24, 2015
“Fiesta lincoln mercury 1720 s mesa dr, mesa, az 85210 (480) 719-3090 is refusing to correct action under recall 05s28 nhtsa campaign number: 07v336000. Associated document rcrit-07v336-8625 listed the correct part numbers and procedure for the specific vehicle that is in question. - service adviser [xxx] at the…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Aug 5, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 lincoln mark viii lsc. The contact stated that the refrigeration discharge line failed due to rust and corrosion. The vehicle was taken to the dealer because the air conditioner failed after they installed r134a refrigeration. The manufacturer was notified who stated he should call the…”
Equipment · filed Jun 13, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
119 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Lincoln Mark Viii. The 10 most recent:
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Engine 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.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Malfunction 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. *tt
03203 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2003
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Engine 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…
03144 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt
0398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2003
New service part - number 5 needle bearing and race kit - 4r70w transmission - service tip. *tt
03261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Lincoln Mark Viii has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Lincoln Mark Viii?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 64,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.