VehicleVerdict

2019 Lincoln Navigator problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

With 92 complaints filed to NHTSA — about 2.8 times the median Navigator year — the 2019 model ranks #7 of 31 Navigator years for complaint volume. It lands on the years-to-avoid list.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across transmission (19), seat belts (16), and engine (12), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 5 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

92

NHTSA complaints

10

Recalls

1

Investigations

4

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

9

Injuries

0

Deaths

5

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2019 compare to other Navigator years?

See all Navigator years to avoid →

What are the most common 2019 Lincoln Navigator problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Transmission1921%
Seat Belts1617%
Engine1213%
Electrical System1112%
Other910%
Visibility & Wipers44%
Driver Assistance44%
Speed Control33%
Airbags22%
Steering22%
Body & Structure22%
Suspension22%
Tires & Wheels22%
Seats11%
Latches & Locks11%
Brakes11%
Lighting11%

Does the 2019 Lincoln Navigator have recalls?

10 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

26V402000TransmissionJune 24, 2026 · 741,195 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

Consequence

Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

26V372000Electrical SystemJune 9, 2026 · 2,349 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ford Mustang, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 19V076. At vehicle start-up, the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) may not function, showing a blank display. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Consequence

A blank instrument cluster that fails to display critical safety information, such as vehicle speed or safety system warnings, increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will reprogram the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 6. 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C27. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

26V344000Seat BeltsMay 27, 2026 · 419,967 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.

Consequence

Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 8, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S34. This recall replaces and expands previous NHTSA recalls 24V099 and 25V197. Vehicles previously inspected or repaired under the prior recalls will need the new repair completed.

25V197000Seat BeltsMay 23, 2025 · 112,951 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.

Consequence

Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.

24V852000OtherNovember 8, 2024 · 27,678 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

24V099000Seat BeltsFebruary 9, 2024 · 77,574 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently deploy and lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.

Consequence

Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors, as necessary. Additionally, dealers will install an HVAC drain tube elbow if it is missing. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S06.

23V598000Driver AssistanceAugust 25, 2023 · 177,402 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2018-2021 Lincoln Navigator, 2022-2023 Ford Transit, and 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles. The rearview camera, or 360-degree view camera if equipped, may not display a rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse.

Consequence

Loss of the rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the rearview camera, and update the software and wiring as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023 to Lincoln owners. Ford vehicle owners notification letters were mailed March 4, 2024. Ford remedy parts are anticipated 2nd Quarter 2024. Ford's number for this recall is 23S48.

23V420000OtherJune 9, 2023 · 691,133 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."

Consequence

Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.

19V773000SuspensionOctober 28, 2019 · 18 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The rear suspension toe link fasteners may not have been properly tightened to the frame, possibly allowing separation from the frame.

Consequence

A disconnected toe link can cause a sudden change to vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the rear toe link fasteners, check and adjust the rear toe alignment, and inspect the rear tires for abnormal tire wear, replacing them if necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S36.

19V076000Electrical SystemFebruary 11, 2019 · 4,212 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ford Mustang, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. At vehicle start-up, the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) may not function, showing a blank display. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Consequence

A blank instrument cluster will not show important information like vehicle speed, fuel or temperature level, or safety system warnings. Driving with an inoperative cluster can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC), free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C03.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

Well, the problem is with the transmission. The transmission will lurch, and it also will go into neutral while you are driving down the road, the other thing with the suspension I had repaired. But it said the drive modes were disabled and kept on throwing. Check engine lights. Not to mention, I…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · November 12, 2025

this recall is taking a long time to get fix and i don’t think this company is going anything to hurry up , and to be honest im not even feel safe to drive this car. the recall is been done for over 6 months allrdy

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Seat Belts · March 20, 2025 · crash

If the rear trunk gate is up and the vehicle is running the passenger compartment will fill with carbon monoxide very quickly. This usually will happen if loading luggage or items in the back of the vehicle while the engine runs. Certainly a risk if kids are left in the passenger compartment while…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · December 22, 2021

could not get the lincoln way app to work, took vehicle to mark Mcclarty Lincoln dealership and was told the tcu (the unit that controls the communications in the car) needed to be replaced and the cost including parts and labor is $1181, concerned that vehicle won't report critical information as…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · February 28, 2023

If the rear trunk gate is up and the vehicle is running the passenger compartment will fill with carbon monoxide very quickly. This usually will happen if loading luggage or items in the back of the vehicle while the engine runs. Certainly a risk if kids are left in the passenger compartment while…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · December 22, 2021

2019 Lincoln Navigator — common questions

Is the 2019 Lincoln Navigator reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 92 complaints put the 2019 model at #7 of 31 Navigator years. It is one of the Navigator years to avoid.

What are the most common 2019 Navigator problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are transmission (19 complaints), seat belts (16 complaints), engine (12 complaints).

Does the 2019 Lincoln Navigator have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns affecting the 2019 Lincoln Navigator. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2019 Lincoln Navigator under NHTSA investigation?

NHTSA opened one investigation into this model year; all are now closed.

Which Lincoln Navigator years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Navigator years to avoid are 1998, 2003, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2001, 2019, 2006, 2005, 2018, 2007. The cleanest record among Navigator years belongs to 2027.

How safe is the 2019 Lincoln Navigator?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2019 Lincoln Navigator earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.