The Lincoln With the Lowest Annual Maintenance Costs Is From the Last Millennium
It is vital to consider a car, truck, or SUV’s maintenance costs before signing on the dotted line at a dealership. That’s especially true when purchasing a luxury model, as they typically are less reliable overall than mainstream models and have higher repair costs from the outset. So, how does Lincoln fair? According to RepairPal, one Lincoln model stands out with the lowest annual maintenance costs among the brand’s models, and it’s one that hasn’t been produced since issues surrounding Y2K were a prevalent concern.
Lincoln models have high annual maintenance costs
Unsurprisingly, given their luxury status, Lincoln models come with above-average annual maintenance costs. According to RepairPal, Lincoln models require $879 per year in repair costs, over $200 more than the average across all automakers and models. The website notes Lincoln models require a trip to a repair shop 0.4 times per year, and there is a 15% probability such repairs will be considered “severe.”
These figures are used to calculate Lincoln’s overall reliability ranking from RepairPal, where the automaker ranks No. 24 out of 32 for the cost, frequency, and severity of repairs. Though Lincoln models require quite a lot of dough to maintain, their average annual costs are actually lower than some of its fellow luxury automakers. For instance, Land Rover, Jaguar, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all have higher average repair costs among their models. However, Lincoln isn’t the top choice among luxury buyers wanting to save on annual costs. Lexus models require an average of just $551 per year in repairs, $328 less annually than Lincoln’s offerings.
Lincoln’s forgotten large coupe has the lowest maintenance costs among the brand
Buyers who have their heart set on a Lincoln model but want to spend the least amount of money on repair costs will have to look to the last millennium. The Lincoln Mark VIII has the lowest annual maintenance costs among the brand’s offerings at $510 per year, a savings of more than $300 per year than the average Lincoln model. However, as noted, that’s almost exactly what the average Lexus buyer would spend.
The most common repair/maintenance issues listed for the Mark VIII — that’s Mark “eight” for those of you who have forgotten your Roman numerals instruction — are compressor failures to do air suspension leaks, problems with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in “high dust areas,” PCV grommet vacuum leaks, coolant smell without visual leaks, and a damaged impeller causing overheating.
The Lincoln Mark VIII was a rather unusual luxury coupe
The Mark VIII — which debuted for the 1993 model year and was produced through 1998 — comes from a time when a massive American luxury coupe was still an option in the automotive market. The Mark VIII was motivated by a 4.6-liter V8 delivering 280 horsepower at its outset but was upgraded to feature a dual-exhaust system in 1995 for an additional 10 hp. The big V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
Its sizeable engine was in keeping with the Mark VIII’s large footprint — its overall length was 207.3 inches, according to Cars Directory. For perspective, the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, in its long-wheelbase guise, has an overall length of 207 inches, underscoring the vast dimensions of the two-door Mark VIII.
Aside from its size, the Mark VIII’s styling was certainly of note. It was rounded from every angle, featuring a driver-focused center stack and a completely curved dash. The Mark VIII also stood out for its air suspension, electronic message center, power-adjustable seats, leather upholstery, keyless entry, 10-disc CD changer, and JBL sound system.
While the Mark VIII may have made a splash among those looking for an upscale, large coupe in the 1990s, the Lincoln somewhat marked the end of such cars being available when it went off the market following the 1998 model year. Additionally, we don’t expect these two-door American barges to make a comeback anytime soon.
