Total Complaints
12 filings
LINCOLN MARK · model year
1998 LINCOLN MARK
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998LINCOLNMARK carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1998 MARK is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (2) and steering (2). 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 1998 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.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20151123STEERING
THE TELESCOPE PORTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT OPERATIONAL. IT IS ADJUSTED ALL THE WAY OUT AND WILL NOT RETRACT.
Mileage: 99,675
20151123UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE TELESCOPE PORTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT OPERATIONAL. IT IS ADJUSTED ALL THE WAY OUT AND WILL NOT RETRACT.
Mileage: 99,675
20060815EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS ONE OF THE HEAD LIGHTS BURNED OUT. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED MANY SOURCES FOR PARTS, HOWEVER THE BULB WAS AN OUT OF THE MARKET PRODUCT. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED SALVAGE YARDS FOR THE PART. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD GUARANTEE THE VEHICLE 1998 AND PARTS.
Mileage: 69,900
20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 55K MILES. PRIMARY SYMPTOM WAS SHUDDERING DURING OVERDRIVE GEAR SHIFTS. (79K) HEATER WILL NOT WORK. UNIT ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR. VEHICLE EATS ROTORS. ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED OR REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. ELECTRIC STEERING ADJUSTMENT WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. TEMPORARILY FIXED BY BEATING ON STEERING WHEEL.
20040422STEERING
TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 55K MILES. PRIMARY SYMPTOM WAS SHUDDERING DURING OVERDRIVE GEAR SHIFTS. (79K) HEATER WILL NOT WORK. UNIT ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR. VEHICLE EATS ROTORS. ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED OR REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. ELECTRIC STEERING ADJUSTMENT WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. TEMPORARILY FIXED BY BEATING ON STEERING WHEEL.
20040422SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 55K MILES. PRIMARY SYMPTOM WAS SHUDDERING DURING OVERDRIVE GEAR SHIFTS. (79K) HEATER WILL NOT WORK. UNIT ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR. VEHICLE EATS ROTORS. ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED OR REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. ELECTRIC STEERING ADJUSTMENT WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. TEMPORARILY FIXED BY BEATING ON STEERING WHEEL.
20040422POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 55K MILES. PRIMARY SYMPTOM WAS SHUDDERING DURING OVERDRIVE GEAR SHIFTS. (79K) HEATER WILL NOT WORK. UNIT ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR. VEHICLE EATS ROTORS. ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED OR REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. ELECTRIC STEERING ADJUSTMENT WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. TEMPORARILY FIXED BY BEATING ON STEERING WHEEL.
20040121ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. SMOKE WAS COMING IN THROUGH THE VENTS. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE COVER TO ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
20030717SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE PROCEEDS FORWARD CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
Mileage: 90,000
20020322STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
WHILE DRIVING STEERING COLUMN WAS VERY LOOSE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE STEERING WHEEL CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. *TT
20010405EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING MOISTURE IN THE HEADLAMP HOUSING. PROBLEM IS ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE, WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEFT HEADLAMP MAY BE AFFECTED. ALSO, THE REAR BRAKE STOPLIGHT HAS SIGNS OF MOISTURE IN IT AS WELL. A TSB WAS ISSUED BY FORD (98-13-10) IN JULY OF 1998 REGARDING THE MOISTURE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THOUGH I HAVE A 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST OF 1999. MOISTURE IS CAUSING LOSS OF REFLECTIVNESS AND DISCOLORATION OF SILVER REFLECTIVE HOUSING WITHIN THE HEADLAMP. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WOULD LIKE IT ADDRESSED.
19981118FireSTRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
A SMALL BULB PUT IN TRUNK DOME LIGHT MELTED THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC SHIELD COVER WHICH THEN BURNT A PILLOW, CAUSING A FIRE. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM,AND NO ELECTRICAL CHECK WAS GIVEN. *AK
Compare 1998LINCOLNMARK to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 LINCOLN MARK have?▼
The 1998 LINCOLN MARK has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 LINCOLN MARK?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 LINCOLN MARK is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and STEERING.
Is the 1998 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.