2019 Lincoln Nautilus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report transmission shuddering and harsh or delayed shifting, followed by instrument cluster and screen failures at start-up. Many complaints are filed at low mileage, and several owners describe dealer visits where the concern could not be duplicated or was described as normal. Electrical and warning-system complaints also appear early, while a smaller group of steering and seat belt concerns shows up at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, harsh or delayed shifting

   • 20 complaints (19%)
   • median 6,600 mi at 2.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe shuddering, jerking or hesitation, often between about 20 and 50 mph or when accelerating from a stop, and some report clunking or a bang when shifting between park, reverse and drive. Several say the dealer could not duplicate the concern or called it normal, while others were told the torque converter was at fault and that a transmission replacement was needed. Some owners mention repair quotes in the thousands of dollars. Reported from very low mileage (some under 5,000 miles) up to roughly 100,000 miles, occurring during normal driving and low-speed turns.

   Recall 20V5500006 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, note any shudder or hesitation at low speeds and on light acceleration, and ask whether transmission work or a torque converter replacement has been done. Ask for service records showing whether any related bulletin or calibration was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There is a class action lawsuit regarding the transmission on my vehicle. The transmission is shuddering. My mechanic alerted me of the lawsuit, Lincoln Mercury has not put out a recall, but is aware of the problem. There are no error codes, tried a reset on the transmission. So it is not a software problem, but mechanical. I am concerned my transmission will go out while driving. This started at about 98000 miles, I am now at 106000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11758149, filed 2026-08

   “Transmission shutter at 25 to 45 mph. Known issue with the Transmission. Ford has mechanic memos stating the exact issue my car is experiencing. Took it to the dealer ship, got charged $250 to get told I need a transmission replacement and torque converter for $8000. little over 1 year out of warranty car only has 48,000 miles on it. worried the transmission going to go out causing a safety issue while I figure out what to do to get it fixed”

   NHTSA complaint #11747333, filed 2026-06
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Blank or flickering instrument cluster and screen

   • 13 complaints (13%)
   • median 2,100 mi at 0.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners report the instrument panel going completely dark at start-up or while driving, sometimes returning only after the vehicle sits for a while, and in some cases rebooting repeatedly. Some also describe the center screen freezing or going black, which takes out navigation, camera and driver-assist displays. Several complaints mention dealer visits where the fault could not be reproduced, and some owners tied the symptom to a recall campaign that their vehicle was not included in. Often reported within the first few thousand miles, and also recurring at 30,000 to 50,000 miles.

   Recall 19V076000Recall 26V372000Recall 25V4420005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the vehicle cold and watch the cluster and center screen through a full boot cycle, then repeat a few times. Ask whether the instrument panel cluster recall and any SYNC software updates were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With less than 700 miles on the new car, my instrument cluster went black. I took it to the selling dealer who kept it for several days and said they couldn't replicate the issue. I was informed when they returned my car that when they first started the car my issue was not there. We received several text message warning from Lincoln. Photo attached.”

   NHTSA complaint #11245842, filed 2019-08, 700 miles

   “The screen freezes up or goes blank while driving or upon starting up this is happened over a dozen times. When this happens the driver assist stops working along with the back up cameras the bluetooth the navigation everything that is on the screen is not available to me this is a huge safety hazard the dealership is aware of the issue and I am not the only one having this problem this needs to be fixed. Lincoln is aware of the issue and does not have a fix for it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11340024, filed 2020-07, 2,100 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalling or shutting off while driving

   • 20 complaints (19%)
   • median 11,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe the engine quitting at a stop, at low speed or occasionally at highway speed, sometimes with electrical power lost as well. In some cases owners report warnings such as coolant or overheating messages beforehand, or a battery and EGR-related diagnosis, and some vehicles restarted after being shut off for a period. Dealers reportedly could not always reproduce the problem or returned the vehicle without a clear cause. Spread from a few hundred miles to around 75,000 miles, with several reports at very low mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has ever stalled or refused to restart, and check service records for battery, EGR or cooling-system repairs. A scan for stored codes can help reveal faults that were cleared without repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Cruise was set at 79 MPH and the car shut down while the vehicle was in motion going straight on the interstate in the far left lane. This occurred 4 times with a lot of traffic, very fearful experience. The car died without any warning, I only knew it died because it stopped accelerating. Dealership had it for two week following the incidents. Gave it back to me explained that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, and then this same incident occurred again on 12/28/2020, again, causing fear,. This vehicle is in no way safe to be on the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11386643, filed 2021-01, 30,000 miles

   “There was one alert soon after I left Gallup NM, the engine heat light went off very briefly then went off (mile marker 6). The close to Miler marker 340 in AZ the card complete shut down and I had no control over the car. I had to pull over. I was in the middle of no where with no cell service. I was eventually able to reach my father Via Whatsapp/ I tried multiple times to call my husband but had no service. I added water to the radiator and sat the car for several minutes. The outside temperature was 41. I was not near anything. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11725408, filed 2026-03
4. 4
   Seat belts

   Seat belt buckles and retractors not working

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report seat belts that will not unlatch, will not extend, or stop retracting, including both rear belts failing within days of each other. Some describe needing to cut the belt to free an occupant, and one owner found the rear outboard buckle very hard to latch with a child seat in place. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate the failure in some cases, and others were told no recall applied and the repair would be at the owner's cost. Reported from around 20,000 to 50,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

   What to check: Buckle and unbuckle every belt, front and rear, and check that each retracts smoothly and latches with a child seat in place. Ask whether any belt assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With booster seats in rear seat, passenger side seat belt is extremely difficult to snap in in place. Got extenders but will not work on passenger rear seat different than the other 2 rear buckles. Wife can not strap grand children in and I the grandfather have a hard time. Shouldn't all the belts be the same? No problems with the other's.”

   NHTSA complaint #11430427, filed 2021-08

   “The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that the front driver’s side seat belt failed to unlatch as designed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11426635, filed 2021-07, 20,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Steering assist warnings and momentary loss of steering

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe a warning message and chime followed by the steering wheel becoming briefly very hard to turn or feeling locked for a few seconds, sometimes at low speed and sometimes with a misaligned wheel. One owner connected an occurrence to low battery voltage, and another described water intrusion that preceded limited visibility and loss of control in rain. Some owners also mention lane-centering that pulled the vehicle toward an adjacent lane. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 85,000 miles, with lane-centering concerns noted at lower mileage.

   Recall 19V031000Recall 26V377000

   What to check: Ask whether the lane-centering recall repairs were completed, and check for water leaks or damp carpets that could affect electronics. Have the battery and charging system tested, since low voltage has been linked to steering assist warnings.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus on a 4 lane highway with adaptive cruise control and lane centering on, the car all of a sudden turned into the next lane. It does this both to the right and the left. I was on the phone with both my mother and the Lincoln service manager on separate incidents when it occurred. Also, I took it on a test drive with the lead mechanic and it did the same thing to him to the right, right where our veterinarian office is located. Center line was still there. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310772, filed 2020-02, 8,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. After several days of rain, there was moisture inside the vehicle. The contact detected a foul odor and discovered water on the floorboard. A box in the rear of the vehicle was covered in water, and the inside front windshield was foggy, but the contact was unable to determine how the water had entered the vehicle. Later, while driving approximately 45-55 MPH in the rain, there was limited visibility, and the vehicle slid from left to right. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11761649, filed 2026-09, 98,222 miles

Buying note. A road test at low speed and light throttle is the most useful check on this model year, since transmission shudder and cluster dropouts are the most common themes in owner complaints. Ask for a full service history and confirm that the open recall repairs, including the instrument cluster and lane-centering campaigns, have been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.