2001 Lincoln Navigator Electrical Problems

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!

NHTSA ID

11662918

Incident

May 14, 2024

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RAINY WEATHER, THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR AND AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AS IF IT WAS ATTEMPTING TO START INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

NHTSA ID

10824750

Incident

Jan 3, 2015

Mileage

135,000 mi

IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND NO 1 KNOW WHAT IT IS

NHTSA ID

10806582

Incident

Oct 23, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DECELERATING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE SOUND OF BURNING MATERIAL WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AREA NEAR THE FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ID

10566303

Incident

May 1, 2007

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS SUMMONED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS ALSO FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. *TT

NHTSA ID

10537795

Incident

Aug 4, 2013

Mileage

129,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES AFTER PUTTING DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOWN THE RADIO WILL CUT OFF. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED.THIS IS A RESULT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM,CONSUMER AFRAID THIS SHORTAGE WILL CAUSE A FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10500710

Incident

Feb 27, 2009

Mileage

76,000 mi

I OWN A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR WITH A 5.4L ENGINE. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WAS GOING APPROX. 15 MPH WHEN I HEARD A BANG COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD HIT SOMETHING OR SOMETHING WAS FALLING OFF THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. I SHUT IT OFF AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. I THOUGHT, AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THAT IT MIGHT BE A BAD SPARK PLUG. AS I STARTED OFF THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING BAD SO I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME.THE NEXT DAY, 10/09/2010, I DECIDED TO CHECK FURTHER AND REMOVED THE THREE OF THE SPARK PLUGS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, BUT THE LAST ONE WHICH IS AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE I NOTICED THE COIL WAS ALL TORN APART AND THE END OF THE COILED WIRE WAS STICKING OUT FROM THE PLUG HOLE. I PULLED SAID WIRE OUT AND SAW THE SPARK PLUG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE. IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT OF ITS THREADS. ALSO TO BE NOTED IS THE SMELL OF GAS WAS VERY APPARENT AND BECAUSE THE SPARK PLUG WAS DAMAGED, THE GROUND WAS FORCED AGAINST THE ELECTRODE AND WAS UNABLE TO SPARK. IF IT DID, I'M SURE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. I ALSO FOUND TWO PIECES OF SOME UNKNOWN MATERIAL THAT FELL INTO THE CYLINDER. THE PART APPEARS TO BE A CARBON MATERIAL AND MIGHT BE PART OF THE COP, COIL OVER PLUG. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF FORD ENGINES. I CALLED THE LINCOLN DEALER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. BUT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME IF THEY CAN HELP. FURTHER INQUIRY FOUND THAT FORD RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE CYLINDER HEAD WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS WOULD COST APPROX. $3500.00. AS I HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR FIFTEEN MONTHS, AND FINALLY FOUND A PART TIME JOB,(14 HOURS A WEEK) THIS WOULD BE AN EXPENSE I CAN NOT AFFORD. THE WEB SITES DID STATE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ADMIT TO THEIR POORLY DESIGNED HEAD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359981

Incident

Sep 8, 2010

Mileage

68,094 mi

2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED RESULTING IN DESTRUCTION OF VEHICLE, ADJACENT VEHICLE AND HOME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10339855

Incident

May 11, 2010

I WAS THE OWNER OF A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. I WAS LIVING IN THE STATES FROM 2004 TO 2006 AND I HEARD IN THE NEWS THAT LINCOLN CAR MODELS BETWEEN 1998 TO 2002 WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BURN BECAUSE OF A ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE FORD DEALER LOCATED IN VENTURA BOULEVARD, CA AND THEY TOLD ME MY CAR MODEL WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE WHO HAD THE SWITCH THAT MADE THE CAR BURN. I TOOK MY CAR HOME AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK. I WENT BACK TO SPAIN SO I TOOK MY AMERICAN CAR BACK TO SPAIN TOO. AND EVERYTHING WAS OK, UNTIL YESTERDAY MY LINCOLN NAVIGATOR STARTED TO BURN AND IT WAS TOTALLY PARKED AND SHUT DOWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10254460

Incident

Jan 9, 2009

Mileage

96,000 mi

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER HOOD BY FUSE BOX/FIREWALL AND WIRING HARNESS TO MOTOR. FIRE MARSHALL STATED ELECTRICAL SHORT IN WIRING HARNESS. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF THE FIRE. MY WIFE AND MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WERE IN VEHICLE WHEN IGNITED WITH NO NOTICE. I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RECALL AND RECALL WAS NEVER PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF THAT. FIRE OCCURRED IN AREA OF SPEED CONTROL CABLE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10169863

Incident

Oct 1, 2006

Mileage

121,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PUMP, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DRIVER'S SEAT, BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONER, GEAR SHIFT, AIR BAG, CD PLAYER, WINDOW MOTORS, DRIVER'S HANDLE DOOR, SUNROOF. *MR PH. ALSO THE FUEL PUMP, TRAILER HITCH, THE LIGHTER EJECTED TO THE FLOOR ,THE IGNITION WAS LOOSE AND THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WINDOWS.. *JB

NHTSA ID

10026416

Mileage

2,000 mi

THE PASSENGER SEAT STARTED SMOKING. *JB THE CONSUMER SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL WIRE BURNING. THE CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE HEAT WARMER ON THE SEAT. THE SMELL CONTINUED. WHEN THE CONSUMER HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE, HE VIEWED SMOKE COMING FROM THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE SMOKE TO STOP, EVEN WITH THE IGNITION TURNED OFF. SCC

NHTSA ID

10008958

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HORN BUTTON IS HARD TO PUSH. HAVE TO PUSH ON IT THREE TIMES FOR IT TO WORK. WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MR

NHTSA ID

8020667

CONSUMER STATES AFTER PUTTING DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOWN THE RADIO WILL CUT OFF. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED.THIS IS A RESULT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM,CONSUMER AFRAID THIS SHORTAGE WILL CAUSE A FIRE. MR

NHTSA ID

8020666

Incident

Oct 11, 2000

WHEN DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW IS ACTIVATED IT CAUSES A SHORT AND THE RADIO CUTS OUT. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM. NLM

NHTSA ID

8008042

Incident

Feb 1, 2001