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Lincoln NavigatorModel year report

2006 Lincoln Navigator Problems

Complaints
60filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
73,750miles, 54 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns 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 2006 Lincoln Navigator (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe problems with the rear air suspension, which many say sags or bounces, especially in cold weather, and sometimes returns after repeated compressor and air spring repairs. A second common theme is an "engine fail safe mode" warning that cuts power or stalls the vehicle, which owners report at highway speeds and at low speeds alike. Reports are spread across a wide mileage range, from near-new to well past 150,000 miles.

  1. Engine

    Engine fail safe mode and stalling

    • 20 complaints (33%)
    • median 70,750 mi at 6.0 yrs old (18 state mileage)
    • filed 2008–2020

    Owners describe a dash warning reading engine fail safe mode, followed by loss of power or the engine shutting off, sometimes with heavy steering or brake effort. Many say the vehicle restarts and drives normally afterward, and that the condition repeats over months. Complaints mention throttle body or throttle motor replacement, sensor replacement and computer reprogramming, with some owners reporting the warning returned afterward. Reported from about 12,000 to 140,000 miles, often at steady highway speeds around 40-70 mph.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the throttle body or throttle motor has been replaced and whether the powertrain software was updated, and have a scan tool check for stored throttle and misfire codes before buying. Bulletins describe throttle body sludge and electronic throttle diagnosis.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “1: 10/19/08 I was driving 70+MPH and all of sudden car gives an engine failure/safe mode signal which locked wheel, not allowing acceleration. Once able to get to side of the road, I had to try at least 2 times until finally car turned on. It was towed and dealership could not find any problems. 2: 11/16/07 started car drove about 2-3 miles and then when I had to restart the car, it did not come on. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10238573, filed 2008-08, 43,693 miles

    “2006 Lincoln Navigator, 50,000 miles on car. Car shut down after giving an engine safety mode error on dash while on four lane busy highway traveling 40-45 MPH. Coasted to side of road (no berm available). Cars racing by. Waited 5 minutes. Restarted car and limped into team ford of marietta georgia dealer. I was told the throttle control body & motor asy #8l3z*9e926*a was bad and was not covered under the $1,000 extended warranty I purchased on the car in 2006. Repair bill was $800 out of pocket. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10329901, filed 2010-05, 51,539 miles
  2. Suspension

    Air suspension sags or bounces, often in cold weather

    • 13 complaints (22%)
    • median 86,500 mi at 9.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2007–2020

    Complaints describe the rear air suspension dropping, the vehicle riding rough or bouncing, and a lowered stance that makes steering and turning difficult. Several owners say air springs, O-rings or the compressor were replaced, sometimes more than once, and the problem returned; others report the ride issues appear once temperatures drop. Some complaints mention that dealers could not reproduce or resolve the condition after repeated visits. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 180,000 miles, with many owners tying the symptoms to cold weather.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check the ride height at all four corners after the vehicle has sat overnight and again after a cold start; ask for receipts showing whether air springs, O-rings or the compressor were replaced and how recently. A service bulletin describes a height sensor linkage arm coming loose on the air suspension.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Suspension goes out frequently for over 2 years and everything has been checked out and ford says nothing is wrong after each repair. I don't understand the rules to getting a vehicle replaced but my concerns are above and beyond the rules and should be considered for our safety and well being. We have been in the shop at least 7-10 times during this time. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10561332, filed 2014-01, 133,000 miles

    “The suspension on this SUV is extremely dangerous I have replaced the suspension airbags oh rings compressors multiple times and each time it turns cold and I live in arizona the car drops and on able to drive it due to extreme violent shaking to wear the car seems like it's going to roll over something needs to be done with the suspension on this vehicle Lincoln needs to own up to this mistake”

    NHTSA complaint #11157159, filed 2018-12, 45,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Electrical faults, fuse panel and wiring

    • 11 complaints (18%)
    • median 96,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2008–2022

    Complaints describe hard starting or a dead battery traced to a melted rear fuse panel, and electrical activity such as seats or warning lights operating while the vehicle is parked, sometimes after rain or a wash. Owners also report wiring harness corrosion and accessory failures, and ride control or stability warnings appearing along with rough running. Reported from roughly 60,000 to 100,000 miles, with some symptoms tied to wet weather.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Inspect the fuse boxes for heat discoloration or melted wiring and ask about any prior harness repairs; check that all interior electronics and warning lights behave normally with the key off. Bulletins cover relay box chafing and throttle body sludge.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Whenever the car is washed or if it snows or rains the car experiences spontaneous electrical activity when no key or person is present using any aspect of the vehicle. For example, after washing the car, the vehicle will drive perfectly fine, but upon being parked, sometimes hours after being parked, the vehicle will then be observed triggering power seats, airbag warning lights, and clicking sounds can be heard. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10328682, filed 2010-05, 95,000 miles

    “During normal driving conditions, the car gave in rapid succession a number of warnings and the car began to run rough and shift erratically. One related to the stability control system and the other was a etc engine failsafe mode . After restarting the car the stability control error persisted. The dealer replaced sensor assembly 6l2z*3c187 for ~ $1000 for the part and labor + the battery and indicated no other codes were stored relating to the fail safe warning. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10476835, filed 2012-09, 60,000 miles
  4. Engine

    Spark plugs seizing or breaking during service

    • 5 complaints (8%)
    • median 105,500 mi at 5.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2009–2020

    Several complaints describe spark plugs that broke off, seized, or were ejected during routine tune-ups, in some cases leaving part of a plug in the cylinder head and leading to head or engine repair estimates. Owners report the vehicle ran rough or misfired beforehand and that the repair was a significant cost; a few say the shop or dealer did not accept responsibility. Mostly reported between about 44,000 and 115,000 miles, during or shortly after a plug change.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask when the spark plugs were last changed and who did the work, and whether any plug or head repair was needed. Bulletins describe an updated spark plug boot for remanufactured engines and diagnostics for upper engine noise and misfire.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Engine was missing when trying to accelerate or pass vehicles. Dangerous situation when trying to pass on highways and interstates. Took 2006 Lincoln Navigator in for new spark plugs. Dealer said all 8 plugs broke off and one damaged the head and now need new head due to broken spark plug. Cost will exceed $3,000. Spoke with 6 local mechanics and all agreed this is a big problem. Why should I pay for ford's faulty design?”

    NHTSA complaint #10410692, filed 2011-07, 115,000 miles

    “Spark plug in 2006 Lincoln Navigator popped out! Serviced by ford/Lincoln/mercury and said nothing was wrong with ignition system. Spark plug replaced and cars is barely drivable. It often stalls at idle RPM.”

    NHTSA complaint #10335055, filed 2010-06, 41,500 miles
  5. Air bags

    Airbag deployment without a crash

    Mentioned in 4 of 57 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the airbag deploying while the vehicle was parked or just started, filling the cabin with smoke, and in some cases causing arm injuries. Owners say diagnostics found a cracked wire in the clock spring or no crash data, and that coverage for the repair was refused. Reported from about 91,000 to 130,000 miles, typically at startup or while parked.

    What to check: Ask whether the clock spring or airbag system has been inspected or repaired, and whether the airbag warning light has ever come on; a pre-purchase scan can show stored airbag codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2006 Lincoln Navigator was parked. Entered vehicle and inserted key in ignition. I cranked the vehicle, sat back to have the car warm up. About 5 seconds after cranking the vehicle, air bag inadvertently deployed without incident. Car was filled with white smoke. Contacted local ford/Lincoln dealership and was told they had never heard of a vehicle airbag deploying without incident. Contacted ford/Lincoln corporate office and they offered to pay for the diagnostic at local ford/Lincoln dealership. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10569242, filed 2014-03, 91,000 miles

    “Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 5.4l engines. The fuel rail cross-over hose may contain weak areas. As a result, the hose may crack, which could cause a fuel odor and/or fuel leak”

    NHTSA complaint #10917463, filed 2016-10

Buying note. Have any 2006 Navigator inspected for air suspension operation, especially in cold weather, and for stored throttle, misfire and airbag codes before purchase; service records for spark plugs, the throttle body and electrical repairs are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 57 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 60 consumer complaints for the 2006 Lincoln Navigator. 54 of the complaints include a mileage, and 37% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 73,750 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 34 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: Body and structure (3), Tires (3), Electronic stability control (2), Other or unknown (2), Wheels (2).

Example complaints

Suspension: “Air suspension on my vehicle begins to bounce in cold weather. Apparently this is a common issue. It is due to a faulty o-ring. I was on a long distance trip and ran into cold weather and the car started bouncing uncontrollably. I feel this could be very dangerous in certain conditions”

NHTSA complaint #10885530, filed 2016-07, 170,000 miles

Engine cooling: “2006 Lincoln Navigator, 60,000 miles on car. Car shut down after giving an engine failed safety mode error on dash while on four lane busy highway traveling 40-45 MPH. Coasted to side of road (no berm available). .. Waited 5 minutes. Restarted car and limped into gary yeoman ford dealer. I was told the throttle control body & motor asy #3l3z*9e926*a was bad and was not covered under the extended warranty I purchased on the car in 2009. Repair bill was $900 out of pocket. Checked online and this is a known issue for ford expeditions & Lincoln Navigator engines and yet ford does nothing to fix. …”

NHTSA complaint #10386935, filed 2011-03, 60,000 miles

Engine: “2006 Lincoln Navigator, with just over 100,000 miles on vehicle. Vehicle shut down immediately after giving an engine failed safety mode error on dash. Fortunately my wife was driving in the neighborhood and doing 25 MPH. Muscled it over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. This is about the 4th time this has happened in the 5 years we have owned the vehicle. The other times the vehicle was being driven around 45 MPH on 4 lane highways/roads. We had a 2003 expedition that had the same problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10654945, filed 2014-11, 101,320 miles

Electrical system: “Fuel gauge says zero miles to empty and will not take any gas more than a few gallons before kicking pump off. Gauge shows it's over heating but if you turn ignition off and turn right back on it resets and is fine. Codes come back saying nothing about fuel or cooling, but only something about speed control in the hub. Sounds like an electrical issue but no where to be found.”

NHTSA complaint #11482715, filed 2022-09

Mileage when problems were reported

37% of the 54 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 32,000 and 100,000 miles.

11%0–109%10–2517%25–5015%50–7519%75–10022%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (54 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 73,750 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.

’05’08’108’12’14’16’18’22
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 2006 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 RWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 19.1% risk

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 2006 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-cyl6-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

Recall details for the 2006 Lincoln Navigator → · Check a 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. 34 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 34 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 2006 Lincoln Navigator?

Owners of this model year most often describe problems with the rear air suspension, which many say sags or bounces, especially in cold weather, and sometimes returns after repeated compressor and air spring repairs. The issues reported most often: Engine fail safe mode and stalling; Air suspension sags or bounces, often in cold weather; Electrical faults, fuse panel and wiring.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Lincoln Navigator have?

NHTSA recorded 60 consumer complaints for the 2006 Lincoln Navigator as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Lincoln Navigator is reported most often?

Suspension is named most often, in 16 complaints (27% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 13.

Has the 2006 Lincoln Navigator been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Lincoln Navigator get?

The EPA rates the 2006 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 2006 Lincoln Navigator reported?

Among the 54 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 73,750 miles and the middle half falls between 32,000 and 100,000 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.