Total Complaints
8 filings
LINCOLN MARK VII · model year
1985 LINCOLN MARK VII
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985LINCOLNMARK VII carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1985 MARK VII is suspension:rear:springs:air suspension system with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2) and equipment:appliance:air conditioner (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 1985 MARK VII, 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.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060501SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC
HI MY CAR EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO THE COMPRESSOR MOTOR FOR MY 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK VII. I CALLED FORD MOTOR DEALERS AND THEN FORD MOTOR CO. ALL OF THEM SAID THERE WAS NO RECALLS FOR MY 1985. I AM BEING LIED TO BY THEM AS I HAVE FOUND INFORMATION CONTRARY TO THEIR STATEMENTS TO ME. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 85V040000 I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 86V109000. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WERE RECALLS FOR MY MODEL. I DON'T APPRECIATE BEING LIED TO AND THEIR NEGLIGENCE COULD LEAD TO A DISASTER AND POSSIBLY A DEATH. I CONTACTED THEM ON MONDAY APRIL 24TH, 2006. *NM
20060501SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
HI MY CAR EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO THE COMPRESSOR MOTOR FOR MY 1985 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK VII. I CALLED FORD MOTOR DEALERS AND THEN FORD MOTOR CO. ALL OF THEM SAID THERE WAS NO RECALLS FOR MY 1985. I AM BEING LIED TO BY THEM AS I HAVE FOUND INFORMATION CONTRARY TO THEIR STATEMENTS TO ME. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 85V040000 I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 86V109000. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WERE RECALLS FOR MY MODEL. I DON'T APPRECIATE BEING LIED TO AND THEIR NEGLIGENCE COULD LEAD TO A DISASTER AND POSSIBLY A DEATH. I CONTACTED THEM ON MONDAY APRIL 24TH, 2006. *NM
20011010CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH. HIT THE RIGHT REAR OF CAR & DAMAGED RIGHT SIDE. FAILURE OF IGNITION MODULE, REPLACED MODULE FOR ENGINE TO FUNCTION.
20010910ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION, VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND DIED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *YH
19971017ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
19970725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD AS A ROCK, AND THE CAR KEPT GOING THROUGH THE LIGHT. *AK
19970325SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
AIR SUSPENSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DROP DOWN IN REAR.
19970325EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR SUSPENSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DROP DOWN IN REAR.
Compare 1985LINCOLNMARK VII to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 LINCOLN MARK VII have?▼
The 1985 LINCOLN MARK VII has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 LINCOLN MARK VII?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 LINCOLN MARK VII is SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER.
Is the 1985 LINCOLN MARK VII 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.