2020 Lincoln NAVIGATOR problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
31 owner complaints analyzed
13 distinct recall campaigns
45,600 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 5 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 17 of 31 complaints (54.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 15 | 48.4% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 16.1% |
| Braking behavior | 3 | 9.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 6.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 17 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Engine | 3 |
| Seat Belts | 3 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 1 |
| Lane Departure: Warning | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
Power Train: 17; Electrical System: 4; Engine: 3; Seat Belts: 3; Exterior Lighting: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 1; Lane Departure: Warning: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 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 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 26 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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2021: 2; 2022: 1; 2023: 4; 2024: 7; 2025: 7; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 15 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 3 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 11562810 · 2023-12-31 (December 31, 2023)
Vehicle set on adaptive cruise control, car accelerated to get back up to set speed and had a hard "clunk" sound. Driver turned off cruise control and attempted to accelerate vehicle. Vehicle tachometer revved up, transmission didn't shift properly, still shifting hard or not shifting at all. Once stopped, driver of vehicle found the back of the car covered in what appeared to be ATF and what appeared to be ATF leaking under the car. Took car to dealership for inspection, transmission rebuilt. Per tech that rebuilt transmission, it overheated. …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11562810 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11562917 · 2024-01-01 (January 1, 2024)
Driving vehicle for an approximately 70 miles highway trip, the vehicle was experiencing some hard shifts/poor shift quality prior to overheating. Temperature in vehicle for the transmission was reading 237 degree Fahrenheit when we stopped at a light after exiting the highway. We noted smoke and saw oil on the exhaust, which is a concern for fire. We noted a burning smell as well. Rear hatch of vehicle was sprayed with fluid, which we think is transmission fluid, causing a visibility concern out the rear windshield. The transmission had been p…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11562917 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11539842 · 2023-08-21 (August 21, 2023)
Vehicle will abruptly lose power when accelerating to pass. Typically when travelling between 40 and 60 miles an hour and while accelerating to merge or pass. Vehicle basically stalls. Creates extremely dangerous situation.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11539842 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11563894 · 2024-01-06 (January 6, 2024)
Frequently while traveling at 35 mph to highway speeds, while needing to accelerate slightly to avoid traffic, change lanes, pass, etc. the Navigator needs to downshift. It drops out of gear and seems to fail to find a lower gear resulting in a neutral like gear, loss of power, engine revving sometimes to redline. This was happening frequently during a family Thanksgiving trip in 2023. It is very scary when this happens, especially at interstate speeds in traffic. It is very unsafe!
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11563894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11564489 · 2024-01-09 (January 9, 2024)
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 s…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11564489 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11588044 · 2024-05-10 (May 10, 2024)
The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while at a complete stop, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted upon pressing the Push to Start button. The contact stated upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked, was sluggish, and made an abnormal crackling sound. The vehicle then responded as needed and the contact continued driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal to co…
Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11588044 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11388698 · 2021-01-18 (January 18, 2021)
WE'VE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. THE APP STARTED SENDING NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT THE CAR GOING INTO DEEP SLEEP AND NEEDING TO CONSERVE BATTERY WITHIN A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE. WE WERE UNABLE TO USE REMOTE UNLOCK OR START. JAN 10, IT WAS DEAD AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT AND NEEDED TO BE JUMP STARTED. AFTER THAT, THE RUNNING BOARDS WERE STUCK ONE UP AND ONE DOWN ALL DAY. THE NEXT DAY IT NEEDED TO BE JUMPED AGAIN BUT AFTER THAT TIME, ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, RUNNING BOARDS DID NOT WORK AT ALL. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY …
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11388698 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11601982 · 2024-07-14 (July 14, 2024)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11601982 at NHTSA ↗