Total Complaints
16 filings
LINCOLN MARK VII · model year
1989 LINCOLN MARK VII
16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989LINCOLNMARK VII carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 3 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 1989 MARK VII is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2) and power train:automatic transmission (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 1989 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.
16
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
3
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040107EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH
HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED. ALL LIGHTS SHUT OFF. CAR HAS FEATURE THAT TURNS ON LIGHTS @ DARK ETC. HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. 10 DEG. IN COLD TEMPS (<20DEG) ALL LIGHTS GO OFF UNEXPECTEDLY W/ NO PREDICTABLE PATTERN.*AK FIRST HAPPENED LAST YEAR ON FREEWAY @ 65 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, SUDDENLY NO LIGHTS. TOOK ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS TO FIND MANUAL SWITCH & TURN THEM ON. NOW I TRY TO REMEMBER TO TURN LIGHTS ON W/O USING THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM IN COLD WEATHER. COULD HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITING ON A DARK 2 LANE ROAD. SINCE ANY SYSTEM CAN FAIL, WHY DOESN'T IT DEFAULT TO ON ?
Mileage: 177,000
20011231SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
WHILE DRIVING COULD STEP ON THE BRAKES PEDAL, BUT BRAKES WILL NOT OPERATE AT THE TIME OF APPLYING, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WHEATER. DEALER SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS WITH THE HYDRAULIC VACUUM SWITCH WHICH WILL NOT WORK ON TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK
20000906ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRIC PUMP FOR THE ABS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE WIRING OF ACCESSORY SIDE OF THE IGINITON SWITCH. IF THE SWITCH FAILS VHEICLE WILL LOSE ALL BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BECOME HARD AND VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. *AK
20000906SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ELECTRIC PUMP FOR THE ABS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE WIRING OF ACCESSORY SIDE OF THE IGINITON SWITCH. IF THE SWITCH FAILS VHEICLE WILL LOSE ALL BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BECOME HARD AND VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. *AK
19991011POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OVERDRIVE SLIPS
19990830FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT RESULTED IN FIRE AFTER CAR WAS TURNED OFF. INSURANCE ADJUSTER BELIEVED IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. RESULTED IN THE COMPLETE LOSS OF THE CAR, IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT SINCE NEW. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OTHER SIMILIAR COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN FILED BY OTHERS. THANK YOU, KURT PFEFFER
19990729CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHILE AT A RED LIGHT CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED, DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED AND RECLINED BACKWARDS, CAUSING INJURY TO THE CONSUMER. *AK *ML
19990420STRUCTURE
EXTERIOR CLEAR COAT PAINT FAILED.
19990420POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19990420EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS
FOG LIGHTS FAILED.
19981029ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE WHEN THE BATTERY BLEW UP, CAUSING ACID TO GET ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *AK
19981020VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN CAR WAS STARED IT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHICH CAUSE IT TO HIT A WALL INJURING THE DRIVER.
19971210SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DRIVER HAD THE SEATBELT ON, WENT TO UNLATCH SEATBELT TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE ,WAS UNABLE TO, SEATBELT BUCKLE WAS STUCK INSIDE LATCH. LATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE. HAD TO PULL OUT BUCKLE FROM LATCH TO GET OF VEHICLE. WHEN DOING SO, A PIECE INSIDE OF LATCH BROKE. BECAUSE OF THIS BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH. *AK
19971110ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE ENGINE STARTS SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE STARTS AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
19970627FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
19960122SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED 90% BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO THE ABS SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Compare 1989LINCOLNMARK VII to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 LINCOLN MARK VII have?▼
The 1989 LINCOLN MARK VII has 16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 LINCOLN MARK VII?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 LINCOLN MARK VII is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1989 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.