Ford NAVIGATOR problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
23 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
85,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 to 2003 model years. Data snapshot: . 15 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 23 complaints (13.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 13.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 13.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 4.3% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 4.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | 1 |
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Air Bags: 1; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Electrical System: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 4 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 8 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
2000: 1; 2001: 3; 2003: 3; 2004: 1; 2005: 5; 2006: 2; 2007: 5; 2008: 2; 2012: 1
Pattern summary
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 9002486 · 2001-12-06 (December 6, 2001)
BRAKES DEFECTIVE AND FRAME RUSTED
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 9002486 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10220068 · 2008-03-04 (March 4, 2008)
BLINKERS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING ON THE CAR. FUSE #13 WAS BLOWN. WHEN FUSE #13 WAS REPLACED, LARGE QUANTITIES OF WHITE SMOKE BOILED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I RAISED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE WIRING TO THE SWITCH INSTALLED ON THE MASTER CYLINDER BURNING. THIS OCCURRED IN MY HOME DRIVEWAY. I PUT THE FIRE OUT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10220068 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10178886 · 2007-01-17 (January 17, 2007)
UNWANTED ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY WHEN THE CAR IS UNATTENDED. EVERY TIME IT RAINS I HAVE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FOR DAYS. STARTER KICKS IN AUTOMATICALLY, BLOWER STAYS ON WHEN CAR IS OFF. HEADLIGHTS JUST TURNING ON WITH THE SWITCH OFF AND THE KEYS OUT. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10178886 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10203899 · 2007-09-23 (September 23, 2007)
03 NAVIGATOR BEGAN "STUTTERING" WHEN DRIVING, FELT LIKE A TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THREE OF THE EIGHT CYLINDERS WERE NOT AT FULL COMPRESSION. HE ADVISED NEW HEADS WERE NEEDED. COST: $7000. SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THE PROBLEM, INDEPENDENT (FORMER FORD TECH) MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM. HE ADVISED THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE TRITAN MOTOR AND THERE IS A CASTING PROBLEM WITH THE HEADS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 64,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10203899 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10173090 · 2006-11-09 (November 9, 2006)
2003 FORD EXPEDITION XLT WITH 5.4 LITER TRITON V8 ENGINE WITH 59,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND NOT ABUSED. THE #3 SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEAD DURING DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. THIS EVENT WAS PRECEDED BY A TAPPING NOISE WHICH OCCURRED OVER THE PRECEDING TWO WEEKS. THE NOISE WAS SIMILAR TO A NOISY VALVE LIFTER. THE ENGINE HAD THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED SPARK PLUGS THAT WERE NEVER REMOVED, REPLACED OR SERVICED. THE FACTORY CHANGE INTERVAL ON THE PLUGS IS 100,000 MILES. SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT …
Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10173090 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
1998: 1; 1999: 0; 2000: 2; 2001: 1; 2002: 0; 2003: 0