Lincoln Navigator 1998–2002
1st generation · UN173 (Ford U platform)
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026696 complaints, 309 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 56,641 and 121,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 13 complaints (4.2%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 34,219
- 25%
- 56,641
- Median
- 85,500
- 75%
- 121,000
- 90%
- 163,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 12 | 3.9% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 6 | 1.9% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 9 | 2.9% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 13 | 4.2% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 25 | 8.1% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 17 | 5.5% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 32 | 10.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 22 | 7.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 29 | 9.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 22 | 7.1% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 17 | 5.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 23 | 7.4% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 18 | 5.8% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 8 | 2.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 12 | 3.9% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 9 | 2.9% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 12 | 3.9% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 5 | 1.6% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 3 | 1.0% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 200,000+ | 13 | 4.2% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 696 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2002 Lincoln Navigator, and 309 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 56,641 and 121,000 miles. The median is 85,500 miles.
The most-reported areas are the tyres (21.8% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles), the electrical system (9.9% of complaints, typically around 94,000 miles), the suspension (8.2% of complaints, typically around 73,000 miles).
What fails, and when
- Tyres50,000median 50,000 miles, middle half 38,000 to 78,000
- Electrical system94,000median 94,000 miles, middle half 72,000 to 133,000
- Suspension73,000median 72,840 miles, middle half 52,000 to 124,000
- Engine and its cooling system101,000median 101,000 miles, middle half 81,000 to 134,000
- Throttle and speed control94,000median 93,751 miles, middle half 70,000 to 117,000
- Transmission and driveline76,000median 76,000 miles, middle half 66,000 to 100,000
- Steering69,000median 69,000 miles, middle half 53,000 to 92,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 152 | 21.8% | 50,000 | 38,000–78,000 |
| Electrical system | 69 | 9.9% | 94,000 | 72,000–133,000 |
| Suspension | 57 | 8.2% | 73,000 | 52,000–124,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 57 | 8.2% | 101,000 | 81,000–134,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 55 | 7.9% | 94,000 | 70,000–117,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 44 | 6.3% | 76,000 | 66,000–100,000 |
| Steering | 41 | 5.9% | 69,000 | 53,000–92,000 |
| Wheels | 28 | 4.0% | — | — |
| Airbag system | 28 | 4.0% | 90,000 | 34,000–160,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 27 | 3.9% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 85,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The tyres account for 21.8% of complaints (152 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 50,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 38,000 and 78,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.9% of complaints (69 reports, 44 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 94,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 72,500 and 133,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 8.2% of complaints (57 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,840 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 124,233 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 8.2% of complaints (57 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 101,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 81,025 and 134,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 7.9% of complaints (55 reports, 32 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 93,751 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 70,000 and 117,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.3% of complaints (44 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 76,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 66,000 and 100,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1998 model year drew the most — 240 complaints — while 2002 drew the fewest at 48. The median year sits at 137.
The first year of the generation, 1998, sits above the median. That is a common pattern — early production of a redesigned vehicle tends to surface problems that later years do not repeat — and it is worth weighing when choosing between years.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
Of the 696 complaints filed against this generation, 59 reported a crash; 77 reported a fire; 85 reported an injury; 17 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 8.5% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 56,641 and 121,000 miles, with a median of 85,500. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the tyres and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Air Suspension 1998–2002
Rear (and on 4x4 models, front) air springs leak and the compressor burns out from over-cycling; symptoms are a sagging or squatting rear end, ride-height faults and nose-dive under braking. Height sensors and control module electrical faults are secondary causes.
Cylinder Head Spark Plug Threads (5.4l 2-Valve) 1998–2002 (5.4L 2–valve)
The 2-valve Triton aluminum heads have too few spark plug thread engagements; plugs (commonly #2/#3/#4) work loose and eject from the head under compression, typically at 60,000-100,000 miles, stripping the threads. Ford revised the head design for 2003.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 240 | 81 |
| 1999 | 155 | 66 |
| 2000 | 137 | 54 |
| 2001 | 116 | 74 |
| 2002 | 48 | 34 |
What owners reported
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 Lincoln Navigator. The vehicle speed control was deactivated for the Ford recall. The contact stated that the dealer deactivated the speedometer when the cruise control was deactivated. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle and…
1998 · 10,000 miles · Throttle and speed control
While driving, the left tie rod separated, which almost caused an accident. *Jb while driving, the right tie rod separated. (All parts were replaced by the dealer) the consumer was able to stop the vehicle without causing an accident because both failures occurred at a low speed. When the tie rod broke, along…
1998 · 38,000 miles · Steering
I was driving on a straight stretch of road through riverside, pa doing 35 MPH when i experienced violent shaking in the front end of the vehicle. I had extreme difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle and almost hit 3 people walking alongside the road. When i was able to stop the vehicle i discovered that the…
1998 · 53,000 miles · Steering
Spark plugs!! I have a 98 Lincoln Navigator, i just had a 60,000 mile service completed on it 3,000 miles ago. The truck was sputtering and stalling out in traffic, the Lincoln dealership assured me it was a hose egr/pcv, i can't really recall which. They replaced the hose along with the service. I deploy to korea…
1998 · 60,000 miles · Electrical system
Built from 309 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page