2019 Lincoln Navigator: problems, recalls and reliability
10 recalls and 81 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is seat belts (26% of complaints); the 2017 and 2018 and 2020 and 2021 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 11 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jun 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My vehicle was moving slowly in a pickup line for my child. Randomly, the seat belt retractor went off and pulled me back into the seat. Initially, I thought it was a gunshot. Smoke was all in the car. My neck/shoulder has some bruising and cuts from the seat belt. There was a seatbelt light on the dash. It has been there for some time, but the recall's hasn't been issued and it's not realistic to not have a car until FoMoCo issues the fix.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH with his wife inside the vehicle, seated in the front passenger seat, there was an explosion like a gunshot coming from the front passenger seat. The restraint warning light illuminated after the explosion. There was a sulfur odor inside the vehicle after the explosion. The contact's wife sustained injuries to the left hip and lower spine, and was treated at the ER, where a CT scan, X-rays, and bloodwork were taken, pending a checkup of the spinal and nerve symptoms. The failure mileage was approximately 110,157.”Owner report · Seats · Aug 2026
“Hard shifting while maintaining 30-50 MPH. If there is a slight incline it slams into 9th gear. It also shifts hard when decelerating.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“While a passenger was riding in the company-owned Lincoln Navigator, the front passenger seat belt suddenly tightened with significant force without a collision or other apparent triggering event. The seat belt remained extremely tight against the passenger and caused visible bruising. We later became aware that Ford has issued safety recalls involving inadvertent deployment of the seat belt retractor pretensioners on certain Lincoln Navigator vehicles. We are reporting this incident as a suspected seat belt pretensioner/retractor malfunction and are requesting that it be documented and investigated.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Aug 2026
“The dealership said the Cam Phasers were bad, and I saw that there was a NHTSA report on it. The manufacturer paid a percentage of the cost to fix, but not the entire thing. This is a vehicle that an elderly woman purchased before her husband passed and now runs her grand kids around in. Although the problem was fixed it was bothersome to not have this known issue addressed and risk stranding the occupants. NO warning lights no messages, just a rattling noise at start up. The vehicle had 59000 miles on it.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side seat belt retractor pretensioner deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired. 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 failure mileage was approximately 117,000.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Aug 2026
“Yesterday while driving on I-65 my car all of a sudden seemed to by hydroplaning even thought no water on the water and steering was super unstable and not able to control the vehicle. I had to pull off the side and drive with flashers all the way while driving at a slow speed. The interior lights also kept coming on by themselves.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2026
“I was driving my car about 30 miles an hour when my driver's side seat belt suddenly locked down on me painfully. Also when that happened it sounded like a gunshot went off and it smelled like smoke. I did not hit anything or apply my brakes suddenly to cause the seat belt to engage.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jul 2026
“Our vehicle is part of a recall of the seatbelts and there is no remedy from the Ford motor company for this yet. Due to safety issues, I feel this needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”Owner report · Seat Belts · May 2026
“The transmissions down shifts extremely hard, causing an abrupt wheel speed reduction. It starts doing this after you have driven the vehicle about 15 minutes....before that it operates correctly but once you hit 15 minutes of drive time, it is neck jolting! Driver and Passenger Mirrors have a mind of their own. They will be in position, you start backing out of a spot and they start moving until they get so out of place they start popping. This is dangerous due to possibility of running over someone or possibly hitting another vehicle. You have to put the vehicle in park, reset the mirrors, then start backing out again.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 11 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 10 campaigns
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. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S36.
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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.
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. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S34. This recall replaces and expands previous NHTSA recalls 24V099 and 25V197. Vehicles previously inspected or repaired under the prior recalls will need the new repair completed.
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. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.
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. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.
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. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
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. Ford's number for this recall is 26C27. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.
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. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S06.
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. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
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. Ford's number for this recall is 19C03.
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. Ford vehicle owners notification letters were mailed March 4, 2024. Ford remedy parts are anticipated 2nd Quarter 2024. Ford's number for this recall is 23S48.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Navigator years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Navigator by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Lincoln Navigator reliable?
NHTSA has 81 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The most complained-about area is seat belts (26% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2019 Lincoln Navigator problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 62,000 miles or less.
Does the 2019 Lincoln Navigator have open recalls?
10 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning suspension. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.