2012 Lincoln Navigator Problems, Recalls & Reliability
15 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Lincoln Navigator, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 3/100 on the trouble index — too lightly reported for a fair score.
Few reports
Where 2012 sits among all Navigator years
What owners report
Recalls (3)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer…
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER…
Fix: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER…
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD…
Fix: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 19V075000.
Technical service bulletins
58 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Lincoln Navigator. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Navigator TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Lincoln Navigator reliable?
The 2012 Lincoln Navigator drew 15 complaints in federal safety records — too lightly reported for a fair score. Its trouble index is 3/100, scored against the model's worst year (1998).
What are the most common 2012 Lincoln Navigator problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Lincoln Navigator are transmission & drivetrain (5 complaints), other (3), and suspension (2).
Does the 2012 Lincoln Navigator have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Lincoln Navigator. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.