Headlights Turn Off While Driving problems of the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria

Was driving along and the headlights flickered and went out. Over the pass year it has intermittently done the same. It happened again about a month ago and fortunately I had just stopped at a red light. Each time it took about 3 to 5 minutes to come back on. It is very disconcerting since this is a very serious safety issue. So please do not take this lightly, I use the expressway a lot and am driving in very congested traffic most of the time. I do not know what Ford has done about this problem since there are so many occurrences with these type of vehicles online. It needs to be addressed before a major accident occurs. Also most people like me cannot afford these expensive repairs that are not due to ordinary wear and tear, but a manufacturer's problem. If no action is taken it will be quite a disappointment because these cars are very popular and younger people are buying them which becomes more scary in light of the kind of drivers they are.