Electrical System Problems of Lincoln Navigator - part 1

Unknown. When vehicle is running there is a strong smell of burnt wires coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. It gets worse after running for awhile. Smell is stronger when the air is on. Reading other recalls it sounds similar to recalls on similar vehicles blower motors.

See all problems of the 2015 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

I started the car and the electronic dashboard was blank, giving me no information on my speed, gas etc. Luckily, the heads up display was working. This blank dashboard on startup has occurred about 6 times since I bought the car on 12th January, 2026. I took it to west point Lincoln, sugar land on 2nd February, 2026 but they said they couldn't fix it because the dashboard was working whilst at their workshop because it didn't act up, and the system gave no error codes on the diagnostic machine.

See all problems of the 2019 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The vehicle has experienced repeated mechanical failures involving the engine, cooling system, drivetrain, and electronic systems. Documented failures include the navigation/apim module, transmission jerking and drivability issues, transmission valve body concerns, cam phaser failure, driveshaft repair, front wheel bearing/iwe failure, coolant leaks from heater core hoses, and engine vibration requiring extensive diagnostic work including a short block engine repair. The vehicle has also experienced multiple overheating incidents despite prior repairs. Overheating occurred in may 2025, December 2025, and February 2026. During these events the engine temperature rose abnormally and coolant had to be added to the reservoir. Drivetrain problems including transmission jerking, vibration, and driveshaft repair also created drivability concerns while operating the vehicle at highway speeds. These issues have been inspected and confirmed by an authorized Lincoln dealership service department. Numerous repairs and diagnostics have been performed including apim replacement, cam phaser repair, heater hose replacement, wheel bearing/iwe replacement, driveshaft repair, and engine diagnostic work approved through warranty processes. Symptoms prior to failures included overheating, vibration, excessive fan noise, whining while driving, and transmission jerking. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. The repeated overheating events combined with drivetrain and engine failures raise concern that this vehicle may have an underlying safety-related defect that could result in sudden loss of power or engine failure while operating in traffic.

See all problems of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work. In addition to these 4 issues, the main screen in the car stopped working and the rear vox screen has stopped working. Based on state law, Lincoln should have bought the car back, as I have had it for just over 2 months. As of February 2nd, 2026 the car has been returned to service 5 times and has been back to the dealership for service for 37 days and still counting since the original pick up date of 11/21/2025. The dealership has not honored their commitments with black label service. I was upsold on the vehicle for this service. On multiple occasions I have not been provided the delivery that is included. I was told by the assistant manager that this service would include a Lincoln Navigator brought to my location. The gm informed myself and my husband that they do not have to honor that. They offered a car that did not legally fit my 4 children in the backseat. Eventually, after many phone calls, they offered a much smaller aviator. The service manager stated they they attempted 3 different eyeballs. When questioned on dates that they provided to Lincoln, he became very defensive and hung up on me. My husband and I attempted to meet with him in person at the dealership. After being told that he would meet with us and then waiting 3 hours, we had to leave. The gm did not provide assistance with this, as he stated he was in a meeting. The gm and assistant manager have both stated that we have no legal recourse, as I signed an arbitration agreement.

See all problems of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

I am reporting a serious safety concern involving a 2021 Lincoln Navigator with factory equipment only. After snowfall, during factory remote start, the vehicle produced a hot/burning smell, and I observed visible melting and bubbling of multiple driver-side and passenger side exterior pillars. The vehicle has a factory sunroof and no aftermarket electronics or modifications. The melting appears on the exterior, indicating heat originating from inside the pillar cavities. Due to concern for electrical overheating and fire risk, I discontinued using my remote start. A Lincoln dealership dismissed the concern and incorrectly stated that there is no electrical wiring in the pillars. Lincoln customer care has verbally refused assistance solely due to lack of extended warranty and has declined escalation, despite the reported fire risk. I am concerned this involves water intrusion from the sunroof drainage system contacting powered body or airbag wiring, creating a risk of electrical fire. I am requesting NHTSA review this as a potential safety defect involving electrical overheating and fire risk.

See all problems of the 2021 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

At about 2:30am after hearing some popping noises I went to the vehicle and saw that the engine under the bonnet was on fire. The fire was seeping out from the sides of the bonnet. The vehicle had been parked since 9:20pm the previous night. I called emergency services including the fire department and the police. It spread very quickly in the garage where the car was parked and burnt out the garage and the Tesla plaid parked in the same garage. Firefighters put out the fire with total disintegrated remains. It was just luck that I was awake to catch this at this stage otherwise it would have spread to the house. My 3 children and wife were sleeping. The fire started in the engine of the parked Lincoln Navigator. Visual confirmation of the event is evident.

See all problems of the 2022 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The back up camera will randomly black out. The steering wheel motor is broke and the steering wheel does not adjust. Needed a new air conditioner motor, timing chain, had a transmission leak, wheel axel leak. This is a safety hazard and caused a huge financial strain.

The moonroof drain hoses are not secured and is known problem with other Navigator and expedition owners. I became aware while troubleshooting why the liftgate would not open. The procedure to access the rear gate trunk module (rgtm) requires the removal of the 3rd row seats, c & d pillars and several cabin panels. After the removal of these items I noticed the insulation under the carpet and behind the panels were drenched. The reserve trim on my Navigator has very dense carpet and a backing that does not let the moisture evaporate over time. Rather, it retains water almost indefinitely. Upon removing these items and the front row kick panels, I discovered the water was 3” deep. Because of this leak, the water submerges numerous wiring harnesses throughout the cabin that affects nearly all computer modules. It is also the root cause of my liftgate not opening issue. Per the 2018 Lincoln Navigator/Ford expedition electrical manual, there is a splice of the vbatt always hot wire under the front drivers kick panels. Despite the factory shrink wrap, water penetrated this splice and corroded the copper wire resulting in an open circuit. I repaired the wiring and solved the liftgate issue. I also went thru the painstaking process of remediating the water damage. Of bigger concern, is the amount of corrosion on other wiring connectors and splices that is unknown at this time. I believe this defect is a safety hazard of unknown proportion given the various modules dependent on the submerged wiring. There is also a health concern of mold growing due to the carpet backing not permitting moisture to evaporate. On the cosmetic side, there visual water stains on all four sides of the headliner. When I reconnected the right rear failed drain hose, I secured it with a tie wrap. I believe Ford should take ownership if this defect and use tie wraps to secure all 4 drain hoses at no charge to mitigate the damage and health impact.

The collision warning doesn't warn sometimes. Nothing goes off when im approaching and or have slammed on my breaks to avoid a collision. Sometimes it goes off at a great distance when it doesn't make sense to go off. I just bought the car used and have noticed this a lot. Also sometimes lane departure corrects and sometimes it doesn't. Something is off.

See all problems of the 2020 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The vehicle's antitheft system automatically triggers. There are two different events here: 1. Anti theft system triggers when the engine is off. When I attempt to start the car, the engine will not activate. By going through a series of locking and unlocking attempts (via key fob, via door locks, via keyless entry) I can eventually get the engine started. This event happens every other day. 2. Anti theft system triggers when the engine is on, while driving on the road. This results in the engine shutting off, and both the steering wheel and brake pedal locking up. I took the vehicle to a Lincoln dealer (dave sinclair Lincoln st. Louis) and after running diagnostics they suspect the root cause is due to an apple air tag that is attached to the key ring of the key I'm using, and the pats sensor module mounted to the bottom of the lock cylinder could be triggering/sensing a security event as a result. I do not think a reasonable resolution to prevent future issues is to not have an air tag (or similar device) in the vehicle. The anti theft system triggering when the engine off is an inconvenience. However, the anti theft system triggering while the car is in motion is a major safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2014 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving in the driveway at approximately 2 - 3 mph, several brake warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle failed to respond immediately while depressing the brake pedal, which required the contact to exert an excessive amount of pressure on the brake pedal. The messages "auto-hold disabled", "brake function failure" were displayed, and unknown warning lights were temporarily illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving between 20-70mph, no precaution assist warning message illuminated. The vehicle will slow independently. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mentions that the failure has occurred on several different occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed her that they do not know why this was happening to her vehicle or alerting the driver. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.

The rearview camera does not always come on when the vehicle is put in reverse. It appears to be the same issue as the newer Lincoln Navigators and other fords for which a recall was just issued. The recall number for Ford is 25s49. The recall needs to include the 2017 Navigator as well. You can not see behind the vehicle when the camera malfunctions the vehicle has not been to the dealer for the issue yet when the camera does not work there is a error message.

See all problems of the 2017 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The power running boards do not go up and down, and are locked in the down position. During the winter snow and ice collects on the running board while driving and makes it incredibly slippery to step on for the driver and passengers. There is a setting to change the position of the running board but it does not move the running board. It has been inoperable for the past 6-8 months now.

See all problems of the 2016 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The headlights will suddenly shut off. I have to turn the dial to make them come back on. We have replaced every bulb in the headlight assembly with oem recommended bulbs which are $75 a piece for the main headlight and this still happens. There is no cause we can find and I have read about other cases in my area. With the same year as my Navigator. I almost recieved a ticket until I showed the officer my lights work that they just keep doing this. The electrical issues on this year is ridiculous and I guess someone needs to die for Ford to fix it.

See all problems of the 2010 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

About 5 weeks ago, our Navigator's transmission had a mild slip, like it was accidentally put in neutral. Since there was no visible warning sign, check engine light, or clear indicator of transmission issues, we thought it may just be a fluke. Within weeks, the transmission slipping escalated from mild to extreme, causing major safety concerns. When in drive, it would struggle to accelerate, get stuck in the wrong gear, then overcompensate, violently jerking into the correct gear 20+ seconds after it should have. A few times, we narrowly avoided getting rear-ended or rear-ending others. Lincoln service confirmed the 10-speed automatic transmission in the 2019 Navigator is problematic and will likely need a full rebuild, yet there is no transmission recall. They also stated their service department was backed up 4-5 weeks due to transmission repairs. Over the last 2 weeks, we've had a full vehicle diagnostic and repair. The mechanic replaced both leaky transmission coolant lines and completely rebuilt the transmission. He confirmed the check engine light never activated and diagnostic trouble codes never generated. That is an extreme safety problem. According to Lincoln, with leaks and transmission slipping, dtcs should be generated, and check engine lights should come on, but it didn't happen in either case. Please investigate both the transmission failures and the trouble code generation!.

Unknown, got towed, stolen.

See all problems of the 2008 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v648000 (visibility, electrical system); and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the recall repair was performed; however, shortly after the repair the climate control blower motor remained activated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the speed controller was responsible for the failure because the blower motor was melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Today while driving with heated seats I felt a burn on my seat and had to pull over. The seat has some burn marks. As a former fire investigator this is a major safety issue and fire is imminent. Wont let me upload photo. Seat started to get to the point uf burning but stopped when I turned it and car off.

After the recall on the backup camera the image processing unit (ipmb) has gone bad and the car does not display any camera information views (back up, front, 360 degree). I believe this is also related to the back up camera recall and should be addressed.

The camera with the water cleaner spray device, leaked water inside the led taillight, this is a hazard that can make a shortcut and damaged the tail light leds.

My truck on a few occasions suddenly down shift hard and on its own without warning, it could very much have cause an accident and could have been deadly at highway speeds, at the same time the speedometer would go to 0 and quit working, as well as multiple warning messages would pop up on message display. Ie out of fuel, air system failure, orange wrench, etc. Then after some time everything would go back to normal operation until it randomly did it again. This is a major safety issue for drivers and passengers as well as other vehicles around. At the dealer they gave me a print out from 2019 that states it was a safty recall 19s07 but the dealership said it was only a technical bullet not a safty recall and dealers not responsible for the cost but will reprogram the powertrain control module (pcm) with updated calibration -requires using ids software release 113. 06a or newer (internet connection needed) -no replacement parts needed—this is a software fix but in truth, this dose not fix the problem. Online research show that in most cases the dealership has to remove main control and replace lead frame. (located internally in the transmission) like they did on my SUV as well. The cost is over $1,500 and Ford and Lincoln are down playing the danger and by making customers pay out of pocket since it is not an official safety recall from the NHTSA. This out of pocket cost may lead to people not repairing the faulty system. This could have and could be causing accidents or maybe even deaths. . This is crazy not to be a full safty recall. . . Sudden downshift at highway speeds could be extremely dangerous for everyone. Ford/Lincoln should be held responsible for the faulty part and repair for safty purposes.

See all problems of the 2013 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

On may 26, 2024, I entered into a lease agreement for a Lincoln Navigator vehicle manufactured and warranted by Lincoln motor company. This vehicle subsequently developed multiple serious and dangerous safety defects, including uncontrolled and spontaneous seat inflation, failure of seat pump systems, infotainment system failure including loss of backup camera and safety display systems, unexpected closure of side mirrors while driving, and continued seat movement and mechanical activation after the vehicle was powered off. These defects presented a direct and substantial risk to occupant safety. On multiple occasions, uncontrolled seat inflation physically restrained and trapped an occupant, including a minor child, by causing the seat structure to expand while the seatbelt locking mechanism engaged, restricting the occupant’s ability to exit the seat. These events occurred while the vehicle was in operation, including while traveling on a public freeway, creating an immediate and dangerous safety hazard. Lincoln motor company and galpin Ford were repeatedly notified of these safety defects. On January 6, 2025, the vehicle was delivered to galpin Lincoln, an authorized Lincoln motor company repair facility, for emergency repair due to these ongoing and escalating safety failures. Lincoln motor company retained possession of the vehicle for approximately eighty-three (83) days. During this time, Lincoln motor company admitted in writing that critical seat systems and associated pump mechanisms were not functioning as designed. Lincoln motor company further admitted that no repair remedy existed for certain infotainment and software-related system failures due to lack of available corrective software or engineering solution. Despite these admissions & despite exceeding statutory repair period thresholds, Lincoln motor company failed to repair myriad safety hazards on our Navigator leaving us with an inoperable vehicle.

See all problems of the 2024 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The side mirrors, which are power adjusted, either will not properly adjust to the same setting when they first fold out when you start the car, or they will start moving when you start driving. This happens nearly every time the car is started. I have talked to fellow Ford f-150 owners who have the same problem. This causes a serious safety concern, especially when they start adjusting as you start driving because then you cannot safely see any obstacles beside the car and the warning light if someone is beside you does not work effectively. If I start my car and go to back out of a parking spot or driveway and the mirror start adjusting so suddenly I'm looking at the pavement instead of what is beside me, you can see why that would pose a safety concern to myself and anybody who may be passing by.

We buy used 2023 Lincoln Navigator with only 2937 miles and the running boards opens and close by it self and the most dangerous that the car doesn’t start whenever it wants I have 3 times already it just doesn’t start so I don’t know what to do.

See all problems of the 2023 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

I had been driving for about 15 minutes and then I noticed a burning plastic smell. It was dark so my headlights were on. I felt heat coming from under the dash by the pedals. I started to watch my dash to see if the truck was over heating or the check engine light would come on but neither of those happened. The next light I stopped at I could see smoke coming from the driver side air vents. I pulled over and opened the hood and nothing. Well after some extensive searching I located the issue. The headlight switch to control my headlights was completely melted. Had I not pulled over and popped the hood, im sure the truck would have continued to catch fire. I replaced the fuses and switch and have not had any problems there but I do now have problems with my odometer lights. I cannot seem to keep that fuse from popping. Everyone I replace just pops again. So I have an electrical issue somewhere I guess I'll just have to start chasing wires!.

See all problems of the 2001 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

Fire inside of the motor, behind the engine computer. Upon researching recalls for Lincoln Navigators I found these other recalls online for possibly the same fire issue: "Ford has issued a recall for some of its 2021 Ford expedition and Lincoln Navigator suvs due to a potential engine fire risk. Over 65,000 2021-year model vehicles manufactured between December 2020 and April 2021 have been affected. " "we've discovered a vehicle safety issue in some 2021 model-year Lincoln Navigator® vehicles built from July 30, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Some of these vehicles have experienced an under-hood fire, even while parked and off. ".

See all problems of the 2005 Lincoln Navigator 🔎.

The contact rented a 2023 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the electronic systems became inoperable. The back up camera was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called for roadside assistance. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,200. The VIN was not available.

Upon starting, my 2023 Lincoln Navigator reserve l has a significant delay when booting the back up camera and infotainment system and renders the vehicle safety systems unusable. Sometimes the back up camera freezes and locks the screen, sometimes it doesn't turn on at all. Often, the infotainment screen doesn't launch at all. I have multiple videos of evidence but this website won't allow me to submit them, only pictures.

I purchased this vehicle 6 months ago and have had nothing but electrical issues since. The front Lincoln emblem and the rear driverside brake lights do not work. Also, the heated driver seat stopped working. I have read the lighting issue is common.

The entire electrical panel went out and therefore I was unable to see the speed I was going, how much gas I had, etc. This happened after I turned my truck back on at the gas station. It was working fine prior to turning vehicle off. The panel was out for a day then came back on.

The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while driving at 10 mph, there was smoke coming from the a/c vents and from the defroster. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the smoke persisted; however, there was no flame. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 22v648000 (visibility, electrical system). Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had caused collateral damages to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

While going approximately 55 mph, the speedometer dropped out to zero. After a moment, the transmission dropped into first gear (it felt like) and the rear tires made loud screeching noises as if they locked up for about one second. The speedometer remained at zero and the whole thing happened again in a few seconds. I was barely able to maintain directional control and if this condition would have persisted for longer, directional control would probably have been impossible to maintain. This happened on an interstate in a middle lane with a lot of traffic and within a construction zone with no good option for maneuvering. Upon further research, I found that this has been a common problem with the Ford 6r80 transmission (which is in this vehicle) and that at least one recall has been sent out, but for a different model vehicle (the Ford f-150, I believe). I cannot believe that the same known defect in a transmission which just happens to be in a different model vehicle is a acceptable situation for safety in any case. I called the Lincoln factory hotline and they could not help me in any way. I was told to go to a dealer. I went to a dealer and they couldn't help me, either. All for a known issue with that transmission. The dealer told me to have it fixed at my own cost, even though they knew of this problem. I have since had it fixed, but I have two questions: 1. How can a manufacturer be allowed to leave a known safety hazard to persist and 2. How can the NHTSA ignore this problem?.

My car has an unknown electrical issue that causes the car battery to completely drain and the car unable to turn on. It first started in August 2023 and after months of time at the dealership, Lincoln has never determined the cause or been able to fix it and it continues to happen. This is unsafe because it leaves me and my family stranded with no operable car.

I was driving and didn't notice this truck ahead of me as I switched lanes. Although fault is questionable since the truck we traveling extremely slow on the highway, my vehicle had plenty of time to stop with the pre-collision system. That system is intended to avoid front end collisions and apply emergency breaks if required. It didn't. I have video of the system failure from my dash cam.