Reliable Auto DB

2018 Lincoln Navigator reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator over 9 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Navigator years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Pretensioner, and Brake master cylinder.

2012 Lincoln Navigator
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

52

Per year

2

Recalls

12

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (20 of 52), then Engine (12) and Electrical system (8). Those filings include 3 that report a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Navigator has 31 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 80 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Lincoln Navigator. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (12)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2026-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 26V402000
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.
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.
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2026-05-27 · NHTSA campaign 26V344000
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.
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.
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2025-05-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V197000
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.
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.
Recall Brake master cylinder 2025-04-11 · NHTSA campaign 25V236000
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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Labels 2024-11-08 · NHTSA campaign 24V852000
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."
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.
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2024-02-09 · NHTSA campaign 24V099000
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.
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.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2023-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 23V598000
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.
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.
Recall Owner's manual 2023-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 23V420000
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."
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.
Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2018-11-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V805000
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.
Remedy 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
Recall Fuel pump 2018-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V392000
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.
Remedy 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.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2018-04-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V213000
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.
Remedy 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.
Recall visibility, power windows 2018-01-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V058000
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."
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (52 total)

Powertrain
20
Engine
12
Electrical system
8
Steering
5
Back-over prevention
3
Exterior lighting
2
Lane departure
2
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2201832019220205202132022820238202413202582026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact's wife owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the gear shifter independently shifted to park and other gears while driving over a railroad track. The vehicle…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-20
  • "I have experienced harsh shifting from gear 1 to 2 and as well from 2nd to 3rd gear. This results in delayed acceleration at expressway onramps and when turning into forward traffic. This is a known risk with unresolved…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-19
  • "We purchased a 2018 Lincoln Navigator L in 2022 with 29,489 miles, and it has been great. We are at 64,351 miles, and it is making the cold-start rattling noise. We have called Lincoln for assistance, and they are…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-17
  • "The other weekend, we were unloading the back of the Lincoln when all of a sudden the liftgate came down on us. Fortunately, we were able to back away in time... Later that weekend, my son was unloading the back and it…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-13
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the transmission seized, and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-06-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Lincoln Navigator EL Extended SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 Lincoln Navigator EL Extended SUV 4x4 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Lincoln Navigator SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 Lincoln Navigator SUV 4x4 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
Navigator two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Navigator four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Navigator L two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600

Specs and fitment

U554 generation, 2018–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (3.5L EcoBoost V6) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 285/45R22 (common Black Label)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 22V-250 covers certain 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles, along with other Ford trucks and SUVs: the windshield wiper arms may break. Dealers inspect and replace the wiper arms if needed.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Lincoln Navigator Next year 2019 Lincoln Navigator See every Lincoln Navigator model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Lincoln Navigator reliable?

Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator over 9 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Navigator years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Pretensioner, and Brake master cylinder.

What are common problems with a 2018 Lincoln Navigator?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (20 of 52), then Engine (12) and Electrical system (8). Those filings include 3 that report a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2018 Lincoln Navigator more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Navigator has 31 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 80 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Lincoln Navigator been recalled?

The 2018 Lincoln Navigator has 12 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 2018 Lincoln Navigator?

Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Lincoln Navigator get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Lincoln Navigator is 18.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Lincoln Navigator take?

U554 Navigators with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 use 0W-20 full synthetic; capacity is about 4.5 quarts with filter.

What does recall 22V-250 cover on the Navigator?

Certain 2020-2021 Navigators (with other Ford trucks/SUVs): windshield wiper arms may break. Dealers inspect and replace them if needed.

What tire size is common on Black Label Navigators?

285/45R22 is a common Black Label fitment; confirm the door placard for your trim.