RoadVitals

2020 Lincoln Navigator Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
29
Latest Jul 21, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
10
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Lincoln Navigator, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Electrical412.5%
  • Engine39.4%
  • Driver assistance26.3%
  • Seat belts26.3%
  • Interior & seats13.1%
  • Visibility13.1%
  • Tires & wheels13.1%
  • Transmission13.1%
  • Exterior lighting13.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

16
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

CDF Drum Failure is a known issue to Ford. They have issued a technical service bulletin (TSB 22-2428) to replace poorly designed components that have since been redesigned. The failure mode can cause violent gear shifts (from gear 10 to gear 1) at high speeds, which is a significant safety concern. While driving on the highway, the transmission would not shift between gears and the car lurched. Check engine light came on and I exited the highway immediately. I took my vehicle to be looked at, and they diagnosed the problem as CDF Drum failure. Ford needs to take responsibility for their problematic design in these vehicles.

NHTSA ID 11739013 · filed May 20, 2026

2020 Lincoln Navigator, 10R80 transmission. Following two full transmission replacements, torque converter replacement, valve body replacement, and transmission pump repair, vehicle continues to exhibit hesitation under acceleration, harsh and delayed shifting, loss of power, shaking beginning at approximately 28-30 mph felt through the floorboard, and abnormal fuel consumption. Independent tire shop ruled out tires as cause. Safety Recall O1 for PCM reprogramming remains incomplete on this VIN despite multiple service visits. Vehicle has been at dealership since early-March with no confirmed repair date or Ford engineer visit scheduled

NHTSA ID 11735680 · filed May 4, 2026
All 16 reports naming powertrain (other)

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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.

NHTSA ID 11684616 · filed Sep 2, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID 11601982 · filed Jul 14, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Regularly maintained 2020 Lincoln Navigator at 78,000 miles experienced engine failure with no warning. No check engine light until we experienced power issues and engine shuttering. We took the vehicle directly to the mechanic within an hour of check engine light. They changed the oil and said to go to the dealer. Dealer assessed the vehicle as follows: Bottom end failure of the short block which caused a knocking noise. Confirmed metal debris in the engine oil. Seals failed and leakage occurred. Recommend complete engine replacement. This is the same issue occurring in newer models. Recalls and class action lawsuits filed due to this exact issue. This is premature engine failure requiring complete engine replacement on a 5-year-old vehicle. Major safety concern since the engine can seize up at any time. Imagine going 70 miles per hour down the highway and your engine seizes up with semi trucks around you, and your entire family is in the vehicle. This is beyond unacceptable. Now Lincoln expects us to pay $15,000+ for a new engine. Federal and state oversight organizations are created and funded by our taxpayer dollars to stop these problems and hold these manufacturers accountable. Please do something about this failure.

NHTSA ID 11717154 · filed Feb 11, 2026

Catastrophic engine failure on 2020 Lincoln Navigator at 93,000 miles. Oil contamination in cylinder 6 caused complete compression loss due to piston ring failure. The engine suffers from failed cam phases and excessive carbon build up which are known failure points of this engine. Ford Technical Service Bulletins 20-2423 and 23-2143 document this as a known manufacturing defect for vehicles in my build timeframe, proving Ford was aware of this problem before production. This is premature engine failure requiring complete engine replacement on a 5-year-old vehicle. The failure pattern matches ongoing class-action lawsuits against Ford for EcoBoost engine defects. Safety concern: Catastrophic engine failure without warning while driving creates risk of sudden loss of power and potential accidents. Lincoln customer service has admitted these vehicles have this issue but refused escalation despite documented manufacturing defect and broken multiple callback promises. Request NHTSA investigation into 2020 Lincoln Navigator 3.5L EcoBoost engines for premature piston ring/compression failures related to carbon buildup and failed cam phasers as documented in Ford's own service bulletins.

NHTSA ID 11683838 · filed Aug 29, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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.

NHTSA ID 11684616 · filed Sep 2, 2025

When driving, if the accelerator pedal is depressed to merge into the highway or overtake other vehicles, the vehicle abruptly stops accelerating, and the RPM reaches max revs. The vehicle quickly loses momentum until it abruptly slams back into gear, causing a loud bang and startling the driver. This vehicle had a TSB for similar issues that was repaired by our dealer 2 times previously. We have experienced this 2 times since the repair (A total of 4 times). One time, while attempting to accelerate onto a merge lane into traffic, the car stopped accelerating, causing a large 18 wheeler to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting us as we were running out of onramp space. The dealer performed a transmission rebuild after the 3rd time this occurred. The day after we got the car back from service, it happened again. We have video footage of the transmission slipping after the event. The dealer is unable to replicate the condition, and therefore, don't have anything they can fix without a code or system fault- apparently not even the over-revs triggered a fault. I don't trust this vehicle to be safe for my family or other motorists. I have asked for a completely new transmission and other components but am told that without their ability reproduce the issues, there is no repair. They are unable to guarantee the car's safety, but expect for me to take it back. This puts me in an impossible situation - I'm being forced to drive a car that I know is unpredictably unsafe, and am unable to ethically/morally dispose of the vehicle knowing it will be back on the road and driven by someone else. Lincoln needs to do the right thing for their customers, other motorists, and my family. Their solution was to give me an extended warranty - a nice gesture, but clearly not addressing the safety issue at hand. Note: I am unable to upload the email chain with Lincoln because the upload button below does not work. I'm happy to share any communication you need.

NHTSA ID 11564489 · filed Jan 9, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, occupied with his wife in the vehicle, he heard a loud explosion noise coming from inside the vehicle, and as his wife leaning forward the seat belt deployed on his front passenger side of the vehicle causing his wife to sustain whiplash and brushing to her chest. A dealer or An Independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for dignanoses. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure mileage was 124,000. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:25V197000(SEATBELTS) However, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 55, 884.

NHTSA ID 11751851 · filed Jul 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID 11670363 · filed Jun 30, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

NHTSA ID 11442183 · filed Nov 30, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

All windows will fog up when the outside air temperature is below 29 degrees Fahrenheit. The dealer says that it is a known condition, but they are not sure how to resolve it.

NHTSA ID 11462942 · filed May 1, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

These tires have become uncontrollable in the rain. At 45 mph in light rain the vehicle slides all over the place. Traction control is going off and the vehicle is near impossible to stop and it slid sideways. I have been driving for 40 years including in the rain with a motorcycle even. I have never experienced anything like this. I asked other lincoln owners on facebook and quickly got a lot of comments on how dangerous they are. Tires came from the Lincoln factory and have 29,000 miles on them with good tread. I dont beleive its a tread depth issue - possibly a tire compound issue. Very dangerous and people will die. This issue is with all 4 tires.

NHTSA ID 11520127 · filed May 2, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

When driving, if the accelerator pedal is depressed to merge into the highway or overtake other vehicles, the vehicle abruptly stops accelerating, and the RPM reaches max revs. The vehicle quickly loses momentum until it abruptly slams back into gear, causing a loud bang and startling the driver. This vehicle had a TSB for similar issues that was repaired by our dealer 2 times previously. We have experienced this 2 times since the repair (A total of 4 times). One time, while attempting to accelerate onto a merge lane into traffic, the car stopped accelerating, causing a large 18 wheeler to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting us as we were running out of onramp space. The dealer performed a transmission rebuild after the 3rd time this occurred. The day after we got the car back from service, it happened again. We have video footage of the transmission slipping after the event. The dealer is unable to replicate the condition, and therefore, don't have anything they can fix without a code or system fault- apparently not even the over-revs triggered a fault. I don't trust this vehicle to be safe for my family or other motorists. I have asked for a completely new transmission and other components but am told that without their ability reproduce the issues, there is no repair. They are unable to guarantee the car's safety, but expect for me to take it back. This puts me in an impossible situation - I'm being forced to drive a car that I know is unpredictably unsafe, and am unable to ethically/morally dispose of the vehicle knowing it will be back on the road and driven by someone else. Lincoln needs to do the right thing for their customers, other motorists, and my family. Their solution was to give me an extended warranty - a nice gesture, but clearly not addressing the safety issue at hand. Note: I am unable to upload the email chain with Lincoln because the upload button below does not work. I'm happy to share any communication you need.

NHTSA ID 11564489 · filed Jan 9, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Exterior lighting

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Both front headlight and rear headlight seals are faulty resulting in a water leak, causing headlight and taillights to become inoperable at 60k miles.

NHTSA ID 11737024 · filed May 11, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .