Ford Navigator Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Ford Navigator (1998–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 5. Across all years, the part named most often is vehicle speed control (4 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Navigator model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5 | 59,000 | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 2001 | 5 | 90,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 5 | 112,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Vehicle speed control4 25%
- Body and structure3 19%
- Engine cooling3 19%
- Air bags2 13%
- Tires1 6.3%
- Suspension1 6.3%
- Steering1 6.3%
- Seat belts1 6.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1998: “On 9/25/2005 about 2:30 am my lincoln Navigator caught on fire. I was told by the fire inspector that the truck was involved in a recall by Ford. Apparently the cruise control switch was the cause of the fire. The truck was not on it was just sitting in front of my townhouse villa and it just caught on fire. I notified Ford company their reply get a lawyer .”
NHTSA complaint #10139712, filed 2005-10, 112,000 miles2003: “On february 25, 2005, I took my 2003 lincoln Navigator to the service department for a major front air suspension problem; the front half of my car was so low to the ground while the back half was set high. The ride was very bumpy, rough,and unwieldy . The dealerships service personnel determined the vehicle's air suspension compressor was inoperable and that there was a failure of the car's front pneumatic system. …”
NHTSA complaint #10115967, filed 2005-03, 18,475 miles2001: “Truck was parked not running when it just caught on fire in garage. Allen fire dept came and put out fire, vehicle was towed to storage facility, damage to townhome, fortunately no one was injured. Truck was not pd for, so lienholder went and sued me. Want damages and mental anguish paid for by Ford.”
NHTSA complaint #10236422, filed 2008-07, 99,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology