Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Lincoln Navigator owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Woke at 4:00 am to the smoke and fire of our vehicle fully engulfed in flames from the engine compartment. The vehicle was located in our driveway. It was parked at about 9:50 am the day before..roughly about 18 hours before it caught on fire. My wife and mother in law got our three kids out into the back yard. Two of the kids were within 20-25 ft. Of the fire when they were sleeping. I went out to the garage and tried extinguishing the fire with a fire extinguisher, but was unable to do any good. I then hooked up the water hose and began using the hose on both the car and the side of our house with most of my efforts on keeping the house wet since the vehicle was only about 8ft from the house. I got hit in the leg and chest with material that flew when one of the tires blew out. Later, the other front tire and windshield blew. The vehicle was totally destroyed, mostly from the front. …
I started vehicle and drove approximately 1 mile or so and vehicle completely lost power. I came to a complete stop notice smoke from under hood. I investigated smoke and noticed the fire and immediately had friends evacuate following phone call to fire department. I have done nothing to fix problem at this point except for contacting insurance company.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that the gear shift failed to go into the park position. In addition, the contact stated that the ignition key failed to disengage from the ignition. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 187,000.
Car was parked in the driveway. Had not been running or started in over a week. Spontaneously caught fire and burned up. Vehicle is totaled and our garage and front fascia received fire and water damage.
Spark plugs!! I have a 98 Lincoln Navigator, I just had a 60,000 mile service completed on it 3,000 miles ago. The truck was sputtering and stalling out in traffic, the Lincoln dealership assured me it was a hose EGR/pcv, I can't really recall which. They replaced the hose along with the service. I deploy to Korea in sep 02', and I get a call from my wife the truck is doing the same thing. So she takes it to a different Lincoln dealership, they inform her that a spark plug is rusted and frozen in the head assy. They also inform her that the upper half is broken off, and the lower half is still in the head. I call to ask is this something that should have been caught on one the regular services, and he said "maybe". That is all he would say , he said he could not comment on what another dealership should have done. So I'm getting nowhere, but out of $14-$1,500. …
Pulling into a parking space the vehicle sped up on its own. The harder I braked the faster the acceleration. The RPM's red lined and I looked down and all gauges were going crazy. It felt as if I lost all power steering and braking. I turned the ignition off and the brake pedal went to the floor. Started it back up and all seemed fine. The next day the check engine light came on. It is at the dealer today and they have never heard of anything like this. I was very scared.
While driving at approximately 65 MPH there was a loud bang coming from the engine area. Also, the engine began to lose power. Driver coasted to the shoulder and applied the brakes. Driver got out of the vehicle and lifted the hood. It was discovered that the 3rd cylinder spark plug blew out of the top of the engine, ripping the cable and the electronic ignition coil. Owner had the vehicle towed back to the dealership.
My auto, a 98 Lincoln Navigator, sometimes will not start. The starter just grinds & vehicle cannot be started or moved except manually. This can happen at any time, even in traffic, if engine stalls. It occurs with engine hot or cold. I also incur this defect now with my 2000 Ford expedition. I believe the vehicles are manufactured with a defective flywheel assembly.
On Saturday July 23, 2005, my 1998 Lincoln Navigator caught on fire from underneath the hood. At the moment it is at the repair shop, but it is said that there is no repair, it is burned completely. Thank god there was no injuries, but in hearing about the cruise control deactivation fires. I was concerned that my vehicle could of had this type of accident.
Spark plug blew out at 45 MPH w/o warning. Took to dealership and got back next day. 2 days later, engine light on, was told by same dealership that I had faulty vacuum hoses. More money spent. Now ABS light is on after changing all front end brake components. Also dash lights stay on even with all other lights are off.
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Electrical complaints in other Navigator years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Lincoln Navigator?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Lincoln Navigator, 11% of the model year's 192 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Lincoln Navigator electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1998 Lincoln Navigator, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Lincoln Navigator electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 7 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.