Most common 2001 Lincoln Navigator problems
Share of the 81 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln Navigator complaints by model year
Best Navigator years: 2011, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2019, 2018, 2024, 2021, 2020. Compare all years →
2001 Lincoln Navigator recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began August 20, 2001.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle May not fully latch. Ford crown victoria built at st.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. Owner notification began July 25, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2001 Lincoln Navigator:
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Under recall campaign (01V227), Ford recalled approximately 1.3 million vehicles to inspect and if necessary replace the front driver and/or passenger seat belt buckle.approximately 1.1 million owners responded by taking their vehicles to a dealer for inspection of the buckle using a specialized buckle test tool.Ford reported that 829,927 vehicles had both buckles pass the tool test and another 167,336 vehicles had…
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…
Front seat belt buckle assembly
During the initial recall campaign in 2001, the subject vehicles were inspected by Ford dealerships using a test tool that would detect a defective front seat outboard seat belt buckle assembly.approximately one million vehicles passed the inspection test for one or both front buckles.subsequent to the recall service action, odi received 15 consumer reports alleging that a passed inspection buckle subsequently…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2001 Lincoln Navigator owners say
Wheels & tires all 24 →
My tires were subject to a voluntary recall and when taken to the dealer were found to be defective. I was informed by the dealer that it would be weeks before replacement continental tires would be available so I purchase good year tires. I submitted all the required paper work for a refund and the bill of sale shows the new tires were purchased 10/4/02. I received a reply form letter from continental with a box checked that states; "the purchase date of the receipt you supplied does not qualify. The only previously purchased tires eligible for reimbursement are those tire(s) purchased between August 19, 2001 and October 10, 2002 as stated in your notification letter." I do not understand why they cannot see with their own eyes the receipt I supplied has a purchase date of 10/4/02 and does qualify.
2001 Lincoln Navigator- 21,000 miles -contitrac at-p255/75r17 tires - dot# ad9c 448 5100. We had been driving for about 2 hours on I-95 at speeds between 65 and 70 MPH. (posted limits on I-95 are 65 and 70) on a sunny day with temperatures around 95 degrees. The rear passenger side tire lost all it's tread and immediately blew out. This happened on Friday afternoon around 5 pm in moderate traffic 7/16/2004. Fortunately I was able to keep the car under control and move to the shoulder to change tire. The tire tread caused body damage of approximately $500.00 and forced me to replace all four tires and one wheel at a cost of $868. (at my expense of coarse. The Ford dealer where I bought the car would not have it any other way.) I will retain the old tire and wheel for inspection if needed.
Electrical system
I had been driving for about 15 minutes and then I noticed a burning plastic smell. It was dark so my headlights were on. I felt heat coming from under the dash by the pedals. I started to watch my dash to see if the truck was over heating or the check engine light would come on but neither of those happened. The next light I stopped at I could see smoke coming from the driver side air vents. I pulled over and opened the hood and nothing. Well after some extensive searching I located the issue. The headlight switch to control my headlights was completely melted. Had I not pulled over and popped the hood, Im sure the truck would have continued to catch fire. I replaced the fuses and switch and have not had any problems there but I do now have problems with my odometer lights. I cannot seem to keep that fuse from popping. Everyone I replace just pops again. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that after rainy weather, there was a burning odor and an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle as if it was attempting to start independently. In addition, the contact stated the windshield wipers failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical system failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.
Speed control & acceleration
About 2 hours after me and my children got back home from wal-mart and got settled in for the night my brother stepped outside and came back in the house yelling for me to call the fire department because my 2001 Lincoln Navigator was on fire. I seriously thought he was playing a joke on me but insisted so I got up and my truck was on fire in my driveway. My husband had to get 2 water hose and keep the fire under control so the wind wouldn't blow the fire towards the other vehicles parked in the driveway. After the fire department came and put the fire out we looked under the hood and saw where the fire started which was over by the brake master cylinder. At first I didn't know of a recall I just thought it happened after searching the websites I learned of the recall on the speed control switch which is located under the brake master cylinder. …
I was on the expressway, the gas pedal continued to accelerate after removing my foot. I thought I May have set off the cruise control on the steering wheel, so I pushed the off button. The car continued to accelerate, so I hit the brakes, hoping that would turn off the cruise. The brakes on the car were stiff and the pedal would not go down. The brakes were not working at all. I down shifted to slow the car down , the car jumped a little and slowed down a little. I down shifted again and the car slowed down even more. I continued to move forward at approx. 40 miles per hour and was unable to stop. I finally shifted into reverse, the car jumped a few times, the wheels spun backwards thus making the car go backwards. I then turned the wheel to the left which directed the car into the median of the expressway. …
2001 Lincoln Navigator engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 15 / 12 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 10 / 15 / 12 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Lincoln Navigator a good car?
Based on 81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Navigator rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Navigator at the same age. It is one of the Navigator years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Lincoln Navigator?
The wheels & tires — 24 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the electrical system (16) and speed control & acceleration (12).
How many recalls does the 2001 Lincoln Navigator have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2001 Lincoln Navigator, the most recent from September 7, 2005 (vehicle speed control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln Navigator?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2018, 2024, 2021 and 2020. See the full Lincoln Navigator years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Lincoln Navigator problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 78,000 miles; 27% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.