1998 Lincoln Navigator Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 18about this part
- Share
- 9%of 192 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 97,751miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 1998 Lincoln Navigator, 9% of the 192 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 97,751 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 8 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Pulling into a parking space the vehicle sped up on its own. The harder I braked the faster the acceleration. The RPM's red lined and I looked down and all gauges were going crazy. It felt as if I lost all power steering and braking. I turned the ignition off and the brake pedal went to the floor. Started it back up and all seemed fine. The next day the check engine light came on. It is at the dealer today and they have never heard of anything like this. I was very scared.”
NHTSA complaint #10183624, filed 2007-02, 102,000 miles“Wife drove home from nc. Parked car and started unloading. 5 feet from house. 20 minutes after park smoke seen from hood. Could not open hood due to heat. Fire came from hood and wheel well. Flames were 4 feet tall. Used cc frequently do not remember problems. May have had some fuse issues. Veh insured by usaa who was going subrigate. Usaa also sent an adjuster who took photos.”
NHTSA complaint #10130237, filed 2005-07, 70,000 miles“Vehicle was parked outside the owner's home, just a few minutes after the owner came inside the home, vehicle was engulfed in flames. Fire department was notified, and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was totaled.”
NHTSA complaint #10109490, filed 2005-02, 98,000 miles“Vehicle was parked for about 3 minutes when all of a sudden vehicle caught on fire. This seemed to have been a similar problem to the one mentioned in ford recall 05v17oooo regarding the cruise control switch.”
NHTSA complaint #10115007, filed 2005-03, 113,000 miles“Dt: the contact stated on 7-10-04 h 1998 Lincoln Navigator caught on fire. The car was not destroyed. She got it repaired. Recall 05v017000 included the 2000 Lincoln Navigator, but did not include the contact's vehicle. She wanted to know why this car was not included in the recall. She called back in 04 to report that this car was having the same problem. As stated in recall #05v388000 that has just come out and includes 1998 Lincoln Navigator. She has not called ford yet to see if VIN number was included. She would like to be reimbursed for the cost of the repairs back in 2004.”
NHTSA complaint #10135807, filed 2005-09, 80,000 milesRelated recalls
- 05V388000Sep 7, 2005On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.Covers: Lincoln Navigator 1998–2002, Ford F-150 1994–2002, F-250 1994–1999 +3 more
Vehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 15% |
| 2024 | 1 | 6% |
| 2022 | 1 | 5% |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 3% |
| 2019 | 3 | 4% |
| 2017 | 1 | 3% |
| 2014 | 2 | 12% |
| 2013 | 2 | 14% |
| 2012 | 1 | 8% |
| 2011 | 1 | 11% |
| 2010 | 1 | 6% |
| 2008 | 1 | 3% |
| 2007 | 5 | 11% |
| 2006 | 4 | 7% |
| 2005 | 5 | 10% |
| 2004 | 3 | 3% |
| 2003 | 7 | 6% |
| 2002 | 7 | 22% |
| 2001 | 12 | 15% |
| 2000 | 9 | 8% |
| 1999 | 7 | 5% |
| 1998 | 18 | 9% |
Other parts of the 1998 Lincoln Navigator
48 complaintsSuspension
25 complaintsSteering
22 complaintsElectrical system
21 complaintsEngine cooling
16 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
16 complaintsWheels
15 complaintsBrakes
9 complaintsBody and structure
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsEngine
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Lincoln Navigator
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology