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2020 Lincoln Navigator problems

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator has 37 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (49%) concerns drivetrain & axles. After that come electrical system (11%) and engine (8%).

At a glance

Complaints
37 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Drivetrain & axles 49% of complaints
Crashes and fires
2 and 2
Injuries and deaths
1 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Drivetrain & axles 49%
  • Electrical system 11%
  • Engine 8%
  • Seat belts 8%
  • Cruise control 3%
  • Forward collision avoidance 3%
  • Lane departure 3%
  • Lighting 3%
  • Seats 3%
  • Tires 3%

What the data shows

Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 14th most-complained-about out of 21 model years of the Lincoln Navigator with enough data (27 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 13 safety recall campaigns.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

On June 28, 2023 I was driving my 2020 Lincoln Navigator Black Label and pull over due to smoke coming out from under my car. I turned the car off and went to open up the hook and seen black smoking pouring out of my car. I immediately called 911 and reported my car on fire. My car burned to the ground and Lincoln says there was not recalls. I have loss a significant amount of money on this car that I purchased only 1 year & 3 months ago and my insurance company is only paying me what the most current sales are.

June 2023 CrashFire

Had transmission problems before this final issue. With that said the dealership ended up replacing the transmission as it was under warranty. Not even 2000 miles later we are coming back from vacation and I lost total power of the vehicle but since I was going around 70 mph we made it to the shoulder of the highway. Once there the vehicle was already smoking so we all got out of the vehicle and that’s when I saw the fire, and not even 3 minutes later it was totally in gulfed in flames.

July 2025 Fire

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The contact 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 contact stated that while driving toward a red light at 10 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into park(P), causing the contact's chest to strike the steering wheel. The engine then shut off.

Reported at 103,000 miles, September 2026 Injury

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the passenger’s side seat would move forward and backward without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

Reported at 500 miles, December 2020

Other model years of the Navigator

Best and worst years for the Lincoln Navigator