Reliable Auto DB

2020 Lincoln Nautilus reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus over 7 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Nautilus years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Back-over prevention, software, Driveshaft, and Camera.

2019 Lincoln Nautilus
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

33

Per year

1

Recalls

5

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (17 of 33), then Engine (5) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Nautilus has 102 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2021 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 25V442000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Remedy Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Recall Driveshaft 2021-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 21V011000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Edge, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the rear drive unit lubricant level. Axles found to have lubricant at the minimum level will be filled to the full level. Axles found to be below the minimum lubricant fill level will be replaced, free of charge. This recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S02.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 20V575000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2020-09-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V550000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Edge, Transit Connect and Lincoln MKX and 2020 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the start/stop accumulator, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S49.
Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2020-07-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V414000
Summary Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the seat occupant uses the tilt function of the seat, potentially damaging one or more wires within the harness, which can result in either inadvertent deployment of the air bag or nondeployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames, and inspect the wire harness for damage, and repair or replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S37.

Complaints by component (33 total)

Powertrain
17
Engine
5
Electrical system
3
Exterior lighting
3
Service brakes
3
Wheels
3
Back-over prevention
2
Speed control
2
Equipment
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Show 6 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202112022820233202492025102026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Hennessey Lincoln in Atlanta repaired my car in June 2026. My Torque converter needed to be replaced. My car was there over 20 days. Two weeks after getting it back from shop it started jerking and smoking. It needed…"
    Suspension, Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-08-26
  • "I bought my 2020 Lincoln nautilus in February 2025 soon after I noticed a jerking from my lower gears,it has 80000 miles.i took it to the dealer I bought it from and they said the transmission is falling and will cost…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-14
  • "I bought my 2020 Lincoln nautilus in February 2025 soon after I noticed a jerking from my lower gears,it has 80000 miles.i took it to the dealer I bought it from and they said the transmission is falling and will cost…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-14
  • "My 2020 Lincoln Nautilus has an intermittent jerk during light acceleration with no diagnostic codes. This was confirmed when I had a professional mechanic drive it."
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-07-06
  • "While driving low speed between 1-55 mph my car feels like it’s stuttering, jerking or about to shut down."
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-06-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Lincoln Nautilus SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Lincoln Nautilus SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Nautilus all-wheel drive 2.7L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 21 MPG $3100
Nautilus all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 25 22 MPG $2950
Nautilus front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 26 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

Nautilus (CD4), 2019–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 (2.0L turbo or 2.7L turbo V6) , 5.5 qt capacity
Tire size 245/60R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V635000 covers certain 2021-2022 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles (with Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, and Aviator) equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine whose intake valves may break while driving, which can cause engine failure and loss of drive power; dealers perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as needed. Recall 20V414000 covers certain 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles (with 2016-2018 MKX) equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats where the seat cushion frame edge may contact and damage the wire harness; dealers install protective flocking tape and inspect the harness. Recall 25V442000 covers certain 2019-2020 Nautilus vehicles among a large multi-model rearview-camera software campaign; dealers update rearview camera software.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Next year 2021 Lincoln Nautilus See every Lincoln Nautilus model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus reliable?

Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus over 7 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Nautilus years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Back-over prevention, software, Driveshaft, and Camera.

What are common problems with a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (17 of 33), then Engine (5) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Nautilus has 102 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2021 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

Has the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus been recalled?

The 2020 Lincoln Nautilus has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus?

Owners have filed 33 complaints about the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln Nautilus take?

5W-30 for the 2.0L turbo or 2.7L turbo V6; capacity about 5.5 qt—confirm in the owner’s manual for your engine.

Is there an EcoBoost engine recall on the Nautilus?

Recall 24V635000 covers certain 2021-2022 Nautilus vehicles (with Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, and Aviator) with 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engines whose intake valves may break.