Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Lincoln Navigator submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. HAD NOT BEEN RUNNING OR STARTED IN OVER A WEEK. SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED UP. VEHICLE IS TOTALED AND OUR GARAGE AND FRONT FASCIA RECEIVED FIRE AND WATER DAMAGE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ADDING FUEL TO THE VEHICLE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A THERMAL EVENT. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. ..UPDATED 07-17-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER PUMPING GAS A STRANGE CLICKING NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DRIVERE TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF WITH THE SAME RESULT. SMOKE THEN EMERGED FROM THE HOOD. A FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. A THUMP WAS HEARD AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK FLUIDS.. THE FIRE WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPDATED 07/24/2013 *JS
SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT AT 45 MPH W/O WARNING. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND GOT BACK NEXT DAY. 2 DAYS LATER, ENGINE LIGHT ON, WAS TOLD BY SAME DEALERSHIP THAT I HAD FAULTY VACUUM HOSES. MORE MONEY SPENT. NOW ABS LIGHT IS ON AFTER CHANGING ALL FRONT END BRAKE COMPONENTS. ALSO DASH LIGHTS STAY ON EVEN WITH ALL OTHER LIGHTS ARE OFF. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THAT THE FIRE HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE AND RULED THE FIRE AS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AND AVAILABLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE COMMON BLOWN SPARK PLUG PROBLEM FOR FORD ENGINES. *TR
NUMBER 8 CYLINDER EJECTED SPARK PLUG. *TR
SPARK PLUG EXPLOSION ON CYLINDER #3 IN MY 1998 FORD 5.4L V8. *TR
ON 14 JUNE 08, MY MOTHER'S 98 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE, IT BURNED MY GARAGE AND THERE WAS ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT I WAS MOVED OUT OF MY HOUSE. I FILED A CLAIM WITH FORD AND THEY DENIED MY CLAIM BECAUSE THEY STATED THAT NC LAW STATES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COVER A VEHICLE IF IT IS OVER 6 YEARS OLD. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AND SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE 1998 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR WHILE PULLING OVER FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD AND FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. I COULD SEE FIRE ON THE GROUND BEHIND ME. I PULLED OVER AND JUMP OUT JUST IN TIME TO SEE FLAMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE WHOLE THING BURNED. *TR
I DROVE FROM MAINE TO MASS. APPROX 170 MILES, WE STOPPED AT MY BOYFRIENDS MOTHERS HOUSE FOR 20 MIN. I GOT BACK IN MY CAR STARTED IT UP AND IT HAD A HORRENDOUS NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. IT SOUNDED LIKE A MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MY ENGINE. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME AND OUR MECHANIC TOLD US THE BAD ...AWFUL NEWS AND THE EXPENSE. I HAVE A BLOWN SPARK PLUG AND NEED A HELICOIL RESULTING IN A NEW MOTOR OR MINE BEING TAKEN APART (WHICH ONE IS CHEAPER) I AM A SINGLE MOM AND CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE PART AS I HAVE A $350 A MONTH PAYMENT ON THIS VEHICLE!!! FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE PARKED AND STARTING IT UP AND NOT SOMEWHERE ON THE MASS OR MAINE INTERSTATE. CONTACTING FORD HASN'T WORKED, I JUST GOT A GENERIC EMAIL ACTING LIKE THIS IS NEWS TO THEM YET I CAN FIND DOCUMENTATION ALL OVER THE INTERNET FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE!!!! *NM
WHILE PARKED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JB *NM
1) DRIVING UP MOUNTAIN PASS, 65 MPH WITH CHILDREN IN CAR, TRUCK STARTED AGGRESSIVELY SHAKING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKING ,HAD TO PULL OFF TO FAR RIGHT LANE WITH DIESEL TRUCK ON MY REAR END. SMELL OF GAS IN CAB, HAD TO GET CHILDREN OUT OF CAR, HAD TO STAND BY BUSY HIGHWAY IN THE DARK FOR HELP. 2) BLOWN SPARK PLUG - STRIPPED THE SPARK PLUG HOLE, BURNED COIL 3) CAR IN REPAIR SHOP FOR 2 WEEKS, REPLACED CYLINDER HEAD, COIL, SPARK PLUG. CAR STILL "BUCKS", TAKING BACK TO SHOP AS I DO NOT TRUST CAR. I SEE MANY, MANY POSTS ON INTERNET WITH SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP AS MY CHILDREN WERE PUT AT RISK DUE TO FORDS CHRONIC "SPARK PLUG BLOW-OUT. *JB
FORD ENGINES. CYLINDER HEAD DEFECT ON FORD AND LINCOLN TRUCKS CAUSING SPARK PLUGS TO BLOW OUT, STRIPPING THE THREADS.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED.*JB
THE RADIATOR IN MY NAVIGATOR FAILED DUE TO BUSTED CORE TUBES AND SEAKING SEAMS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REQUESTED AN INVOICE WITH REASON FOR REPLACEMENT. I SENT THIS INFORMATION TO THEM AND THEY NEVER CONTACTED ME AS TO WHETHER I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. I THEN CALLED THEMN AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RETURN MY CALL OF WHICH THEY NEVER DID. I THEN FILED COMPLAINTS WITH CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY, FLA. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES, AND CALLED OTHER AGENCIES. SINCE THESE AGENCIES SAID I DID NOT HAVE ANY RECOURSE, BECAUSE THE SUV WAS LOCALLY REPAIRED AND THE LINCOLN/MERCURY DEALER DID NOT DO THE WORK I DIDN'T HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT THE RADIATOR HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM A LITTLE OLD LADY 59 YEARS OLD WHO DOES NOT MISS USE MY VEHICLE, THEREFORE I SUSPECT I HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY REQUESTING REPAYMENT OF THE REPAIRS MADE LAST OCTOBER.*AK
DEALER DENIES ANY MALFUNCTION, SAYS CAFE IS OK. *AK
CONSISTENT INTENSE KNOCKING FOLLOWING "COLD" START. CONSIDERABLE INCREASE IN OIL CONSUMPTION. *AK
ENGINE STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS HOWEVER CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE, UNABLE TO BE RECTIFIED. MJS
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .