2019 Lincoln Navigator Problems & Complaints

Avoid3.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Navigator at the same age

Owners have filed 85 complaints about the 2019 Lincoln Navigator with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 3.8× as many as a typical Navigator model year at the same age, which makes the 2019 one of the Navigator years to avoid. The most reported problem area is the seat belts (25 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles). 10 recalls cover this model year.

85complaints
10recalls
3crashes
1fires
12injuries
0deaths

Most common 2019 Lincoln Navigator problems

  • Seat belts~85,000 miles
    2529%
  • 2428%
  • Engine & cooling~31,000 miles
    1214%
  • Other / not specified
    1113%
  • Electrical system~97,000 miles
    1113%
  • Driver assistance
    56%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~45,000 miles
    45%
  • Air bags~5,000 miles
    45%
  • Speed control & acceleration~35,000 miles
    34%
  • Steering
    34%
  • Seats~110,000 miles
    34%
  • Wheels & tires
    22%
  • Suspension
    22%
  • Body & structure~45,000 miles
    22%
  • Brakes~2,000 miles
    11%
  • Locks & latches
    11%
  • Lights
    11%

Share of the 85 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Lincoln Navigator complaints by model year

’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’261921321098132127864860453010169121417212532528532332171613
Owner complaints per model year, Lincoln Navigator. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Navigator years: 2011, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2019, 2018, 2024, 2021, 2020. Compare all years →

2019 Lincoln Navigator recalls (10)

Power train › Automatic transmission

NHTSA recall 26V-402 · Jun 24, 2026 · 741,195 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge.

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA recall 26V-372 · Jun 9, 2026 · 2,349 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Seat belts › Pretensioner

NHTSA recall 26V-344 · May 27, 2026 · 419,967 vehicles

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.

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.

Seat belts › Pretensioner

NHTSA recall 25V-197 · May 23, 2025 · 112,951 vehicles

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.

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.

Equipment › Other › Labels

NHTSA recall 24V-852 · Nov 8, 2024 · 27,678 vehicles

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.

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.

Seat belts › Pretensioner

NHTSA recall 24V-099 · Feb 9, 2024 · 77,574 vehicles

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.

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.

Show 4 more recalls

Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 23V-598 · Aug 25, 2023 · 177,402 vehicles

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.

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.

Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual

NHTSA recall 23V-420 · Jun 9, 2023 · 691,133 vehicles

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.

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.

Suspension › Rear

NHTSA recall 19V-773 · Oct 28, 2019 · 18 vehicles

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.

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.

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA recall 19V-076 · Feb 11, 2019 · 4,212 vehicles

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.

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2019 Lincoln Navigator:

Seat Belt Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment

NHTSA investigation PE23021 · opened Nov 22, 2023 · closed Jul 29, 2024 · led to recall 24V-099

On November 22, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-021 to investigate instances of seat belt pretensioner inadvertent deployment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Expedition vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Some complaints allege hearing a loud, explosion-like sound immediately followed by the seatbelt tightening around the occupant's torso area.

What 2019 Lincoln Navigator owners say

Seat belts all 25 →

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V099000 (SEAT BELTS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and allowing the engine to warm up, the contact attempted to buckle the seat belt and heard a loud pop and the seat belt started to retract with the contacts left arm in the seat belt harness. The contact stated that the Air Bags/SRS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the seat belt retractor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …

110,000 miles · Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt had locked and had failed to extend as needed. The contact stated that the seat belt was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V099000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

70,000 miles · Apr 2024

Transmission & drivetrain all 24 →

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while making a left turn, the vehicle started to stall and seized. The contact stated that an unknown power train warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving to her destination. The contact stated she continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the battery to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was taken back to dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the power control module to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was taken back for a third time to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing another control module to be replaced. …

54,000 miles · Mar 2022

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. Additionally, while slowing down and driving under 40 MPH, the transmission experienced a rough downshift, causing the passengers inside the vehicle to lunge forward from their seats. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who flushed the transmission, but the failure persisted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …

77,000 miles · Dec 2025

Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the front and the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the sound. The vehicle was not repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, within several months of the repair, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to attempt to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,736.

30,000 miles · Nov 2019

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

83,000 miles · Mar 2025

2019 Lincoln Navigator engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
3.5L 6-cyl turbo10-speed automaticRWD16 / 23 / 19
3.5L 6-cyl turbo10-speed automatic4WD16 / 21 / 18

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Lincoln Navigator a good car?

Based on 85 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 Navigator rates avoid: 3.8× 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 2019 Lincoln Navigator?

The seat belts — 25 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (24) and engine & cooling (12).

How many recalls does the 2019 Lincoln Navigator have?

There are 10 recalls for the 2019 Lincoln Navigator, the most recent from June 24, 2026 (automatic transmission). 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 2019 Lincoln Navigator problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 43% 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.