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Lincoln NavigatorModel year report

2004 Lincoln Navigator Problems

Complaints
86filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
66,500miles, 62 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
13 mpgcombined, 5.4L 8-cyl RWD · 11 city / 16 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Lincoln Navigator (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the rear air suspension, which sags, bounces or leaves one corner low, and about side curtain airbags that deploy with no impact. The suspension complaints typically appear on higher-mileage trucks and worsen in cold weather, while the airbag reports range from a warning light staying on to a full unexpected deployment. A smaller but consistent group of complaints covers electrical accessories misbehaving early in ownership and engine misfires or stalling.

  1. Suspension

    Air suspension sagging and compressor failures

    • 29 complaints (34%)
    • median 65,500 mi at 9.0 yrs old (22 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2020

    Complaints describe the rear or front of the truck dropping onto or near the tires, a bouncy or harsh ride, and a compressor that runs constantly or quits altogether. Many owners say the problem first showed up in cold weather, when the system took a long time to lift or did not lift at all. According to the complaints, dealers diagnosed leaking air springs, failed height sensors, a bad compressor or a relay, and in some cases the fault returned after the parts were replaced; several owners gave up and converted the truck to coil springs. Reports cluster between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles, with several owners noting that the first symptoms appeared on cold mornings.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Start the truck cold and watch whether it levels out quickly at all four corners, and listen for the compressor running continuously. Ask for records of air spring, height sensor or compressor replacement, and check whether a coil spring conversion has already been fitted.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Hi I own a 2004 Lincoln Navigator for 6 months after the 3rd month my air suspencion went out the front of my truck is so low it touch the tires when I drive the truck bounce so much my back and head hurts I hate to drive it but is the only car I have and no money to fix my kids dont like to drive in it and im scare to take my 7 month old baby any were because I am scared that she will get hurt from all the bouncing!!!! …”

    NHTSA complaint #10537839, filed 2013-08, 118,000 miles

    “My 2004 Lincoln Navigator dropped down on the drivers side front. I took it to a mecanic and he said it was the height sensor in the meanwhile while they ordered the part and a week later it got to the shop I drove it and of course with all the bumping around the front passenger side dropped now the Lincoln really bounces I took it to the shop to get the sensor installed went back to pick it they tell me that wasnt the problem now my pump dont work and my front end is really low. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10730675, filed 2015-06, 207,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Side curtain airbags deploying without a crash

    • 8 complaints (9%)
    • median 101,220 mi at 5.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2015

    Several complaints describe the side curtain airbags firing while the truck was being driven normally on a highway or county road, sometimes with a bang and a burning smell, leaving the bags hanging down. Other owners report the airbag warning light staying on, or frontal airbags failing to deploy in a collision. According to the complaints, dealers often told owners the diagnostics showed an impact or declined the repair as outside warranty, and in most cases the owner was left paying or driving the truck as-is. Reports span a wide mileage range, from vehicles involved in low-mileage collisions to trucks past 130,000 miles, with several unexpected deployments logged between about 90,000 and 130,000 miles.

    What to check: Check that the airbag warning light comes on with the ignition and then goes out, and ask whether the truck has ever had curtain or frontal airbags replaced. Have a shop pull airbag fault codes before buying, since a stored deployment code is expensive to resolve.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving my Lincoln Navigator down the highway my side airbags deployed almost causing an accident. I contacted the dealer where purchased 2 months ago, they came to get the vehicle that day. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10268443, filed 2009-05, 103,540 miles

    “I was driving down a county road when the side airbags deployed with no collision or fast braking. I was approaching a stop sign and was coasting and had not applied the brakes when it occurred.”

    NHTSA complaint #10780212, filed 2015-10, 98,900 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Power running boards, memory seats and interior electrics

    • 13 complaints (15%)
    • median 820 mi at 0.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2020

    Complaints describe power running boards that fail to deploy when a door opens, memory seats that move out of the set position, and exterior mirrors that will not hold a programmed position; one owner reported repeated dealer visits without a fix. Others write about interior lights going out, dead batteries and a navigation screen that greys out and stops responding, and one complaint describes damaged wiring from the rear of the truck to the fuse box that a mechanic said was a fire risk. Dealers in these complaints often reprogrammed modules, replaced a battery or a light switch, or said they could not reproduce the problem. Many of these reports came in within the first few thousand miles, including several vehicles with under 1,500 miles on the odometer.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: With the engine off, cycle the key and test the power running boards, seat memory presets and folding mirrors several times. Look for a repair order showing module reprogramming, and have the wiring and fuse box inspected if any accessories work only intermittently.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vibration in the front end. Has been in the shop three times. Twice the tires checked and one alignment. Nothing helped. Also the interior lights went out. Bought brand new and has only 6,000 miles.. Also the front bumper has water streaks on it that dealer says is manufacture problem due to no clear coat on it.”

    NHTSA complaint #10088726, filed 2004-08, 100 miles

    “The running board intermittently failed to come out properly when either door was used. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on 5 separate occasions and was unable to locate the problem. Please provide any further information.”

    NHTSA complaint #10092364, filed 2004-10, 500 miles
  4. Engine cooling

    Engine misfire, stalling and spark plug blowout

    • 8 complaints (9%)
    • median 72,123 mi at 5.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2006–2017

    Owners describe the engine cutting out or stalling at speed, hesitation when pulling away from a stop, and a check engine light with misfire codes. One complaint reports a spark plug blowing out of the aluminum cylinder head around 72,000 miles, and another describes a loss of speed on the interstate traced to a failed engine module. According to the complaints, dealers replaced coil packs, a cam position sensor, a vacuum module or the affected plug, and in some cases the stalling continued after the repair. Most reports fall between roughly 25,000 and 75,000 miles, with a few appearing well past 100,000 miles.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for service records showing whether ignition coils and spark plugs have been replaced and whether any plug thread repair was needed. During a test drive, listen for a misfire at idle and watch for a check engine light or hesitation on acceleration.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “For the past 6-8 months my vehicle has sporadically stalled/stopped for no apparent reason. When it stops like this it can occur on the highway or surface streets without notice. I have taken it to the Lincoln dealer two times with the last time being told it was a transmission problem, which I was skeptical, because of no previous problems. I have requested assistance from ford motor who essentially dismissed without any liability due to the car being out of warranty. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10574086, filed 2014-03, 170,000 miles

    “In nov 05 the car started to shut off momentarily as you started to drive, it would do it only when you would take off from a stop and never at freeway speeds. This would occur 50% of the time. The dealer had it on 11-7 and replaced the cam position sensor. When I picked it up on 11-8 it was worse than before. I returned it on 11-9 they returned it on 11-19 after replacing one of the coils. This helped but didn't solve the problem, still had the hesitation leaving a stop but only happened 2-3 times in the 1st week. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10168436, filed 2006-09, 32,658 miles

Buying note. The air suspension is the item to budget for on this model year: plan on a pre-purchase inspection that checks ride height, compressor operation and air spring condition, and price in a possible conversion. Also confirm the airbag warning light behaves correctly and get any stored airbag codes read before purchase, since unexpected curtain deployment and non-deployment reports are both on record.

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.

NHTSA recorded 86 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lincoln Navigator. 62 of the complaints include a mileage, and 37% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 66,500 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 7 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 55 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Equipment (4), Transmission and drivetrain (4), Seat belts (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Engine (2), Other or unknown (2), Wheels (2), Electronic stability control (1), Fuel system (1).

Example complaints

Suspension: “I have a 2004 Lincoln Navigator and when it gets too cold the airbags have busted on me and the compressor. I have owned this vehicle for 2 years and 2 years in a row each winter my suspension has failed. My wheels are riding right under my tire wall and it is going to cause me to have an accident or cause further damage. At $1000 to fix these they should last longer than 1 year. Please look into this and recall our vehicles, the air suspension is supposed to provide a smoother ride not a rough winter.”

NHTSA complaint #10672760, filed 2015-01, 14,700 miles

Air bags: “While driving north on ar hwy 9 a few miles south of malvern, arkansas with my wife in the front passenger seat and my son in the second row directly behind me, a loud bang occurred. In the next moments I realized the side curtain air bags deployed on both sides of the vehicle, a smell like fireworks became immediately apparent, and the driver's side sun visor was destroyed and hanging down directly in front of me at an angle. I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and stay in my lane of the two-lane highway and slowed down. …”

NHTSA complaint #10467986, filed 2012-07, 132,000 miles

Electrical system: “2004 ford Navigator caught on fire while parked in the carport. Prior to the fire the consumer read and article about fire occurring in Lincoln Navigator due to faulty cruise control switch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the consumer he had nothing to worry about. Two week later the consumer's home and vehicle were destroy by a fire which started in the vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #10119136, filed 2005-04, 9,003 miles

Body and structure: “Ford has failed to install insulation on the underside of the Lincoln Navigator hood therefore the heat has caused the hood paint and clear coat to bubble and peel. My hood has as many spots on it as a hormonal teenage boy has on his face. This issue has caused injury to the value of my car and my pride in owning this vehicle. Many lawsuits have been filed and successfully won through several states, a nationwide recall needs to happen for this issue.”

NHTSA complaint #10676159, filed 2015-01, 92,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

37% of the 62 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 12,300 and 103,540 miles.

24%0–105%10–258%25–5018%50–7518%75–10018%100–15010%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (62 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 66,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

13’05’08’11’14’17’20
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 Lincoln Navigator. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Navigator · sedan not rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 Lincoln Navigator version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Navigator 2WD5.4L 8-cyl4-speed automatic111613$6,300

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2004 Lincoln Navigator in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 55 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 55 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lincoln Navigator

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2025132,5006517—Too new
20241612,3507—18—Too new
2023743,2008—19—Too new
20222157,00014—19—Rising
20213319,7001251882 · MoreRising
20203250,7421351950 · TypicalRising
20198570,0001051973 · MoreRising
20185257,5001251956 · TypicalRising
20173287,000551712 · FewerRising
20162579,50045181 · FewerRising
20152166,5004518—Rising
20141786,0000416—Falling
20131420,0000416—Not enough data
20121230,0003416—Not enough data
2011986,3000—16—Not enough data
20101677,0000—16—Stable
20091066,0571—16—Not enough data
20083060,0002—1417 · FewerStable
20074570,0002—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20066073,7503—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20054860,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20048666,5000—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200312772,5000—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20023290,0001—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20018178,0003—12Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200010975,0004—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199913285,0605—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199819298,0605—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Lincoln Navigator model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Lincoln Navigator?

Owners of this model year most often write about the rear air suspension, which sags, bounces or leaves one corner low, and about side curtain airbags that deploy with no impact. The issues reported most often: Air suspension sagging and compressor failures; Side curtain airbags deploying without a crash; Power running boards, memory seats and interior electrics.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Lincoln Navigator have?

NHTSA recorded 86 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lincoln Navigator as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Lincoln Navigator is reported most often?

Suspension is named most often, in 24 complaints (28% of the total), followed by air bags with 13.

Has the 2004 Lincoln Navigator been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Lincoln Navigator get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Lincoln Navigator (Navigator 2WD, 5.4L 8-cyl) at 13 mpg combined, 11 city and 16 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $6,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Lincoln Navigator reported?

Among the 62 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 66,500 miles and the middle half falls between 12,300 and 103,540 miles; 37% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.