MODELYEARINDEX

Which Lincoln Navigator years to avoid

Across 4 scored model years, the 2019 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Lincoln Navigator Full report
D
Grade 2018–2021
2019 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Airbags & Restraints 6
Engine 5
Drivetrain 4
Avoid

2019

Best

2018 · 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
2018
0.86× 17 C
2019
1.63× 28 D
2020
1.03× 17 C
2021
0.97× 23 C
2022 P
2.52× 33 F
2024 P
2.06× 28 F
2025 P
0.90× 21 C

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 D 28 reports · median 12,500 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 6

    Restraints indicator lamp warning light on every time passenger gets in and buckled up. While in motion it will turn on! Dealer couldn't figure it out. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 5

    The contact owns a 2019 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the front and the rear of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 4

    The 10 speed transmission in our car shudders and vibrates badly and gets stuck in very high gears. The problem happens most often between 17-23 miles per hour, and is most noticeable on inclines. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 7 injuries

2020 C 17 reports

  1. Drivetrain 7

    Vehicle set on adaptive cruise control, car accelerated to get back up to set speed and had a hard "clunk" sound. Driver turned off cruise control and attempted to accelerate vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 3

    We've had this vehicle for a little less than two months. The app started sending notifications about the car going into deep sleep and needing to conserve battery within a week after purchase. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 1

    The contact owns a 2020 lincoln navigator. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the passenger’s side seat would move forward and backward without warning. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash · 1 fire

The best year for the Navigator

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

2018 is the best-scoring Navigator model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 63.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2018 0.86× 17 C
2021 0.97× 23 C
2020 1.03× 17 C

Recalls

40 campaigns on record, 2 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
26V104000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL 2022–2025 4,381,878
25V315000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2022, 2024 1,076,138
25V455000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2021, 2022 850,318
26V402000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2018–2021 741,195
23V420000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL 2018–2022 691,133
22V250000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES 2020, 2021 652,996
26V204000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES 2021, 2022 422,613
26V344000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER 2018–2022 419,967
22V193000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL 2022 391,836
25V488000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:ELECTRIC:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2025 312,120
25V314000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2022, 2024 273,789
26V165000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2022–2025 254,640

+ 28 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 12,500 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Lincoln Navigator years should you avoid?
2019 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Lincoln Navigator model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Lincoln Navigator?
2018 is the best-scoring Lincoln Navigator model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 63.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Lincoln Navigator have?
40 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Lincoln Navigator 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 Navigator
Complaints in window
28
Severity-weighted
43.5
Model median (weighted)
27
vs model median
1.63×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
10
Open investigations
0
Score 44.4 D