2020 Lincoln Navigator Problems, Recalls & Reliability
34 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Lincoln Navigator, alongside 13 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2020 Lincoln Navigator has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2020 sits among all Navigator years
What owners report
Recalls (13)
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.
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…
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.
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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. A short circuit within the battery junction box can cause an engine fire while driving or parked.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles, until the remedy is performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the battery junction box, as necessary,…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
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 Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Expedition and Navigator vehicles that were repaired incorrectly under recall 20V262. The Pre-Collision Assist features, such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are not functional…
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Fix: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The attachment bracket for the driver's side second-row seat headrest may not have been sufficiently welded to the seat frame. As such, these vehicles fail…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began July 8, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with camera-only Pre-Collision Assist feature. Vehicles built with the optional radar-plus-camera Pre-Collision Assist system are not affected. Due…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram software for the Body Control Module, Antilock Braking System, Instrument Panel Cluster and Headlamp Control Modules, and reset the Tire Pressure…
Technical service bulletins
192 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2020 Lincoln Navigator. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 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 2020 Lincoln Navigator reliable?
The 2020 Lincoln Navigator drew 34 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (1998).
What are the most common 2020 Lincoln Navigator problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Lincoln Navigator are transmission & drivetrain (17 complaints), electrical (5), and engine (3).
Does the 2020 Lincoln Navigator have recalls?
13 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 Lincoln Navigator. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.