2012 Lincoln Navigator: common problems

Owners of the 2012 Lincoln Navigator filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 12

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 42% of all complaints
2 Suspension 17% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
4 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
6 Tires 8% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 5 complaints (42% of all).
Suspension: 2 complaints (17% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Seat belts: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

5.4 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 6-speed

Drive: RWD, 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 8%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 8%
seat belts1 · 8%
stalls while driving1 · 8%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Powertrain	5	0	0
Suspension	2	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Seat belts	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Tires	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Other	3	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Belts dislodged on all tires. Tires have 70% tread left. My mechanic said it is manufacturing defect of Tires. SUV started shaking badly on highway
Tires · 2024-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #11611789
Going down the highway my transmission on my 2012 navigator automatically down shifted to 1st gear. I pulled over and shut the car off. When I tried to start it the interior and exterior light flashed on and off.
Powertrain · 2021-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #11406138
My 2012 navigator started to act weird the wrench signal appeared,my speedometer not working,the rpm went very high,no power on my suv,maybe 5mph the most,and the information screen shows no gas,while I have 1/2 tank,checked amd recalls and shows nothing,but a mechanic told me that the is a tbs recall for this…
Powertrain · 2020-06-23 · NHTSA complaint #11330384
Brake booster and master cylinder no good. Brake fluid costently disappearing, no leaks under truck but once empty or close to low line have to press breaks to the floor just to try and slow down to stop... Both in city and highway, in motion and while parked
Service brakes · 2018-06-04 · NHTSA complaint #11099583
On several occasions while driving, the electrical system failed and caused the vehicle to stall. The contact stated that the instrument cluster, interior lighting, and exterior lighting failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and provided [ref]. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
Powertrain · 2017-09-18 · NHTSA complaint #11023956
I took this to the dealer in 2015, while it was under extended warranty, not sure of what was found at that time, have requested a repair ticket from the dealer. Now aug/sept 2017 having the same issue again.
Suspension · 2017-09-08 · NHTSA complaint #11022328
The contact stated that the rear middle row center seat belt independently unlatched intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,569.
Seat belts · 2016-05-18 · NHTSA complaint #10865626
The rear air suspension failed and the car bottomed out multiple times after even the smallest of bumps. Tires and the structure around tire wheel wheel may also have been damaged due to the bottoming out. Dealer replaced pump for $1,267.53, but would not recognize or inspect for residual damage.
Suspension · 2014-03-11 · NHTSA complaint #10568367

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20141
20162
20172
20183
20201
20211
20221
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Navigator has 44 complaints (31 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Lincoln Navigator?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (8%), infotainment or screen glitches (8%), seat belts (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Lincoln Navigator?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2012 Lincoln Navigator from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2012 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.