LINCOLN MARK · model year

1997 LINCOLN MARK

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997LINCOLNMARK carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 MARK is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 1 filings, followed by wheels (1) and steering (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1997 MARK, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
WHEELS1
STEERING1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER

HORNS- ONE CORRODED SO MUCH THAT IT WONT BLOW AT ALL. THE OTHER IS ALSO CORRODED BUT DOES MAKE A SLIGHT SQUEAL. PROBLEM IS THEY ARE LOCATED BELOW AND BEHIND THE RADIATOR AND SUBJECT TO DIRT AND WATER FROM THE ROAD. SAFETY INVOLVED IN SOME SITUATIONS.

20030211STEERING

THE STEERING WAS LOOSE, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

20010828WHEELS

THE WHEELS ARE CRACKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CHROME. A BLISTER APPEARS BEFORE THE CRACKING. THESE WHEELS ARE ALUMINUN UNDER THE CHROME AND WERE USED ON 96 TO 98 LSC MODELS ONLY. A FORD REPRESENTATIVE LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM, CONSULTED WITH ENGINEERING, AND OFFERED TO REPLACE THE WHEELS AT 40% OFF LISTED PRICE. IF MY VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY (LESS THAN 50K MILES) LINCOLN WOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM WITHOUT COST TO ME.

19970729STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

DRIVING ABOUT 15MPH, GETTING READY TO GET ON PKWY AND STEERING WHEEL JUST POPPED OUT INTO LAP. HAD TAKEN IN 2 MONTHS AGO BECAUSE FELT VIBRATION IN STEERING. DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. *AK

Compare 1997LINCOLNMARK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 LINCOLN MARK have?
The 1997 LINCOLN MARK has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LINCOLN MARK?
The most-complained component for the 1997 LINCOLN MARK is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS and STEERING.
Is the 1997 LINCOLN MARK safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.