Head-to-head reliability
Lincoln Navigator vs FORD F 150
How the Lincoln Navigator and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Lincoln Navigator vs FORD F 150: The Navigator has 273 complaints over 10 years (27.3/yr) versus the F-150's 11,311 (1,131.1/yr). Navigator owners report engine fires and unintended shifting, while F-150 owners face widespread transmission hard shifts. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Lincoln Navigator or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator, in ownership terms, is a large luxury SUV that owners expect to be quiet and dependable. However, the complaint data reveals a pattern of persistent, sometimes alarming issues that can disrupt that experience. Owners report vibrations at highway speeds that resist multiple repair attempts, unexpected transmission shifts into neutral, and even engine fires in parked vehicles. These are not just minor annoyances; they point to potential safety concerns that a buyer should take seriously.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150, as a best-selling pickup, has a high volume of complaints, but that's partly due to its popularity. The dominant issue is the 10-speed automatic transmission, with owners describing hard shifts, jerks, and even sudden power loss. Electrical problems, such as camera and sensor malfunctions, also appear frequently. While the F-150 is a workhorse, these transmission and electrical gremlins can affect daily usability and reliability.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Lincoln Navigator | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 273 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 89 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 16 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 27.3 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 15 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Lincoln Navigator
- 01POWER TRAIN69
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM47
- 03ENGINE39
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER31
- 05SEAT BELTS26
Owners report a persistent vibration at highway speeds (70-85 mph) that resists tire rebalancing, new tires, and even replacement of the transfer case and rear driveshaft. Another serious issue is the transmission unexpectedly shifting into neutral while driving, which can be dangerous if it happens in traffic.
There are reports of uncontrolled and spontaneous events, including inappropriate braking on the interstate and driver window malfunctions. These electrical gremlins can be intermittent and hard to diagnose, leading to multiple service visits without a permanent fix.
A few owners report engine fires that started while the vehicle was parked, with popping noises and flames seeping from under the hood. Another incident describes the vehicle lurching forward and crashing into a garage door, then shutting down. These are severe safety concerns that could lead to injury or property damage.
“The vehicle has a vibration at interstate speeds 70-85 mph. The dealership has rebalanced the tires that came on the car, installed new tires and road forced balanced, replaced transfer case, rear drive shaft, but different size tires on car, and done another…”
“The contact owns a 2024 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on several occasions, the transmission independently shifted into neutral(N). The contact stated that during each failure, the drive(D) button was pressed wi…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The most common issue is with the 10-speed automatic transmission, which owners describe as shifting hard, jerking, or clunking between gears, particularly 4-5 and 5-6. Some report sudden power loss and the vehicle shutting off while driving, which is a serious safety risk.
Many owners report warning messages for Front Camera Malfunction and Pre-Collision Assist Not Available appearing every time they start the truck. These issues can disable safety features and may require sensor or camera replacement.
Headlight problems are frequent, with complaints about poor visibility or headlights that flicker or fail. This can compromise nighttime driving safety.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Lincoln Navigator — 89 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: 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…
The risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The 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 recall is 24C39.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Navigator and Expedition vehicles. The front brake lines may contact the engine air cleaner outlet pipe and become damaged, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak and reduced brake function.
The risk: A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the front brake line and replace the brake line or air cleaner outlet pipe, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Lincoln Navigator or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Lincoln Navigator has far fewer complaints per year (27.3) compared to the Ford F-150 (1,131.1), but the Navigator's issues include more severe safety-related events like fires and unintended shifting. In practice, the F-150's transmission problems are more widespread but often less catastrophic, while the Navigator's issues, though rarer, can be more alarming.
Key differences
- The Navigator has a much lower complaint rate (27.3/yr) than the F-150 (1,131.1/yr), but its complaints include engine fires and unintended shifting, which are more dangerous.
- The F-150's dominant issue is the 10R80 transmission with hard shifts and jerks, while the Navigator's power train issues include vibrations and neutral shifts.
- Electrical problems are common in both, but the Navigator's include spontaneous braking and window malfunctions, while the F-150's are more about camera and sensor failures.
- The F-150 has more crash-related complaints (328) and injuries (287) than the Navigator (16 and 15), but the Navigator has zero deaths compared to one for the F-150.
- Test drive at highway speeds (70-85 mph) to check for vibrations that may indicate driveline issues.
- Ask about any history of engine fires or unexpected transmission shifts, and check for open recalls related to engine oil cooling or brakes.
- During a test drive, accelerate and decelerate to feel for hard shifts or clunks, especially between 4th and 6th gears.
- Check if the dashboard shows any warning messages for camera or pre-collision assist malfunctions, and ask if they have been addressed.
Before you buy
- Obtain a vehicle history report and check for any open recalls on both models.
- Have a trusted mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection, focusing on the transmission and electrical systems.
- For the Navigator, specifically ask about any prior repairs for vibrations or engine issues.
- For the F-150, ask about the transmission's service history and whether any software updates have been performed.
- Take both vehicles for an extended test drive that includes highway speeds and stop-and-go traffic to feel for any abnormalities.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Lincoln Navigator | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| 2025 | 11 | 329 |
| 2024 | 15 | 617 |
| 2023 | 6 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 20 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 32 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 31 | 33 |
| 2019 | 75 | 36 |
| 2018 | 52 | 56 |
| 2017 | 31 | 43 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Lincoln Navigator or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Lincoln Navigator vs FORD F 150
- Lincoln Navigator total complaints
- 273
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Lincoln Navigator total recalls
- 89
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Lincoln Navigator avg complaints/year
- 27.3
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Lincoln Navigator
- Lincoln Navigator top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN