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2018 Lincoln Navigator Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator, most often about the transmission (39% of complaints, typically around 79,000 miles). It is 7th of 26 Navigator model years by number of complaints and has 12 recalls.
Most common 2018 Lincoln Navigator problems
Transmission
20 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle lunged forward. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was shifting roughly. The contact stated that the vehicle would redline. There were no warning lights…
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 23v598000 (back over prevention) and 25e070000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair on the power train was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel…
Engine
12 complaints · 23%The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that there was a loud rattle, rough idle, and loss of power during acceleration after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that there was a cold start rattle on the eco-boost engine related to the cam phaser. The vehicle…
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of manufacturer recall number: 21b10 (cam phaser PCM reprogram). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer performed the recall repair. After the recall repair, the engine was rattling during start-up. The…
Electrical
8 complaints · 15%Parts named most often: body control module/bcm.
Back liftgate opens randomenly. Dealer has replaced two parts involved and happened again yesterday. Seems to be when you shut one of the front doors firmly and lock the car w keyfob twice. I suspect the air pressure from shutting door and keyfob action cause this. But problem persists. Car was stationary every time.
Other or unspecified
6 complaints · 12%I own a 2018 Lincoln Navigator, 3 months after purchasing the AC stopped working. I brought it in to the dealer and was told that Lincoln had a dried of vehicles which had the wrong refrigerant put in from the factory. Today is the 22nd straight day without my truck because there are supposedly no parts available to…
The alarm goes off if you lock the vehicle when you are in it with the key. For example, if you are waiting for someone and you lock the door. This causes the alarm to go off, thus drawing attention to you in the vehicle.this leaves you in a very vulnerable position. You are in a very expensive vehicle with the doors…
Steering
5 complaints · 10%Started vehicle and went to adjust steering wheel I pushed the down button to lower and steering wheel dropped. Steering wheel is no longer able to adjust up or down only forward and backward. When pushing the up/down button a grinding sound occurs. When driving steering wheel feels loose and will pull to the right.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a clunking noise coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be…
Backup camera
3 complaints · 6%Parts named most often: camera system.
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v598000 (back over prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that on three occasions while in reverse, the back over prevention camera went black. The vehicle…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Lincoln Navigator recalls
Transmission: automatic transmission
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: master cylinder
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Equipment: labels
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.
Full defect summary
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."
Seat belts: pretensioner
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Backup camera: camera
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Equipment: owners/service/other manual
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.
Full defect summary
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."
Seats: mid/rear assembly
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
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: fuel pump
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: automatic transmission
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: power window devices and controls
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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment
Summary
On november 22, 2023, the oï¬ce of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation (pe) pe23021 to investigate complaints of front seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment in model year (my) 2019 ford expedition vehicles manufactured by ford motor company. Some complaints alleged hearing a loud, explosion-like sound immediately followed by the seat belt tightening around the occupantâs torso area. The complaints did not state that a crash occurred that may have resulted in the deployment of the pretensioner system, suggesting that this deployment was inadvertent or otherwise unwarranted. On february 9, 2024, ford issued safety recall 24v-099, recalling certain my
Questions about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Lincoln Navigator?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (20 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles); engine (12 complaints); electrical (8 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Lincoln Navigator have?
- 12 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 24, 2026 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Lincoln Navigator?
- It is 7th of 26 Navigator model years by number of complaints, with 52 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.