MODELYEARINDEX

Which Lincoln Nautilus years to avoid

Across 3 scored model years, the 2019 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Lincoln Nautilus Full report
F
Grade 2019–2021
2019 vs model median 3.0×
Model median3× median
Electrical 18
Drivetrain 9
Driver Assist 6
Avoid

2019

Best

2020 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2019
3.02× 56 F
2020
1.00× 19 C
2021
0.74× 13 B
2022 P
0.57× 12 B
2023 P
0.98× 14 C
2024 P
3.17× 52 F
2025 P
2.47× 49 F

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2019 F 56 reports · median 4,748 mi

  1. Electrical 18

    I was driving on 3/22/19 at a speed of 55. I had been driving for aprox 30 min when my entire instrument panel went dark. It stayed dark for 2 min and then came back on and kind of re-booted itself. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 9

    Transmission jerks during automatic shifting and at slow speeds accelerates forward. Dealer says ford is aware and they can't repair. Occurs when vehicle is in motion. Happens every time I drive. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Driver Assist 6

    On multiple occasions the hill start assist and forward collision warning both failed at the same time. Following that, when restarting the vehicle, the instrument control panel fails to illuminate. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
2020 C 19 reports

  1. Drivetrain 3

    I’ve only had the car 2 weeks brought brand new from crest lincoln on may 28,2020. Every time I try to accelerate the car doesn’t want to move , it sounds like it’s trying to get power. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Driver Assist 3

    The contact owns a 2020 lincoln nautilus. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v575000 (visibility). owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Lights & Visibility 3

    High mount brake light (or third brake light) failure occurred september 2022 at 8,000 miles. Vehicle was repaired under warranty. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the Nautilus

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Nautilus model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 76.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.74× 13 B
2020 1.00× 19 C
2019 3.02× 56 F

Recalls

23 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
25V315000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2021–2023 1,076,138
20V575000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2020 620,246
26V165000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2024, 2025 254,640
25V442000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2019, 2020 200,237
24V635000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL 2021, 2022 90,736
24V597000 VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS 2024 70,483
24V953000 VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS 2024, 2025 47,818
26V122000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) 2025 47,804
25V337000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2024 30,679
20V414000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST 2019, 2020 19,299
25V343000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2024, 2025 6,781
19V076000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2019 4,212

+ 11 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2019 were reported at a median of 4,748 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Lincoln Nautilus years should you avoid?
2019 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Lincoln Nautilus model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Lincoln Nautilus?
2021 is the best-scoring Lincoln Nautilus model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 76.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Lincoln Nautilus have?
23 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Lincoln Nautilus model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2019 Nautilus
Complaints in window
56
Severity-weighted
71
Model median (weighted)
24
vs model median
3.02×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
8
Open investigations
0
Score 10 F