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2018 Lincoln Navigator recalls & problems

The 2018 Lincoln Navigator has 12 safety recalls and 52 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train (20 complaints).

Recalls12safety recalls
Complaints52filed by owners
Crashes · fires0 · 3reported in complaints
NHTSA overall5 ★crash-test stars

Safety recalls

Power trainJun 24, 2026

Automatic transmission

Recall 26V402000741,195 vehicles

Problem
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.
Risk
Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
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.
Seat beltsMay 27, 2026

Pretensioner

Recall 26V344000419,967 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem
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.
Risk
Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix
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.
Seat beltsMay 23, 2025

Pretensioner

Recall 25V197000112,951 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem
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.
Risk
Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix
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.
Service brakes, hydraulicApr 11, 2025

Foundation components › Master cylinder

Recall 25V236000123,611 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
Risk
A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S37. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-150.

Components: Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder; Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist

EquipmentNov 8, 2024

Other › Labels

Recall 24V85200027,678 vehicles

Problem
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."
Risk
Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix
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 beltsFeb 9, 2024

Pretensioner

Recall 24V09900077,574 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem
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.
Risk
Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix
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.
Back over preventionAug 25, 2023

Sensing system › Camera

Recall 23V598000177,402 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (OVSC)

Problem
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.
Risk
Loss of the rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
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.
EquipmentJun 9, 2023

Other › Owners/service/other manual

Recall 23V420000691,133 vehicles

Problem
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."
Risk
Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix
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.
SeatsNov 14, 2018

Mid/rear assembly

Recall 18V80500034,946 vehicles

Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Expedition vehicles. The second row center seat track assemblies may be missing one or both of the J-Channel reinforcement brackets, possibly allowing the seat to move in the event of a crash.
Risk
In the event of a crash, a seat that moves may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row center seat for any missing J-channel reinforcement brackets, replacing the center seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge. An interim owner notification was sent on December 21, 2018. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S37
Fuel system, gasolineJun 12, 2018

Delivery › Fuel pump

Recall 18V3920005,645 vehicles

Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.
Risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S17.
Power trainApr 4, 2018

Automatic transmission

Recall 18V213000142 vehicles

Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Risk
Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Fix
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.
VisibilityJan 16, 2018

Power window devices and controls

Recall 18V058000361 vehicles

Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The second row window control modules may intermittently stop the movement of the power window. If something, such as a finger, is pinched by the window glass, the stopped window control module may prevent the window from automatically reversing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Risk
If the window does not automatically reverse when an obstruction is found, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row window electronic control modules, and replace them as necessary based on their build date codes, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C01.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2018 Lincoln Navigator SUV 4x4

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk19.3%

Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional

2018 Lincoln Navigator SUV 4x2

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk20.8%

Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional

2018 Lincoln Navigator EL Extended SUV 4x4

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk19.3%

Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional

2018 Lincoln Navigator EL Extended SUV 4x2

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk20.8%

Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Navigator 2WD

19mpg combined
City / highway16 / 23 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S10) · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel

Navigator 4WD

18mpg combined
City / highway16 / 21 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S10) · Part-time 4-Wheel Drive · about $3,700/year to fuel

Navigator L 2WD

18mpg combined
City / highway16 / 22 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S10) · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $3,700/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem areaComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuriesTypical mileage*
Power train2001079,000 mi
Engine1201061,030 mi
Electrical systemBody control module/bcm8010—
Unknown or other60115,000 mi
Steering5000—
Back over preventionCamera system3000—
Exterior lightingBrake lights2000—
Lane departureWarning; Blind spot detection2000—
Seat belts2000—
Seats2010—
StructureBody1000—
Suspension1000—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations