There are 10 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2003 Lincoln Navigatorin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD. THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK. THE CONTACT RAN TO CATCH VEHICLE AND WAS INJURED FROM A FALL. DRIVER SUFFERED SPRAINED ANGLE, BODY BRUISING. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
GEAR SHIFT KNOB CAME LOOSE. CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE LOCKED INTO THE DRIVE POSITION. COULD NOT USE REVERSE, NEUTRAL OR PARK. I COULD NOT SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIVE. DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THAT THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
WE HAVE A 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. ON JUNE 17, 2010 WHILE DRIVING ON THE 605 FREEWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE TREMENDOUSLY THEN LOOSE POWER. THE CAR IS STILL RUNNING BUT COULD NOT PICK UP SPEED. A HUGE MACK TRUCK BEHIND US WAS BRAKING HARD TO AVOID HITTING OUR CAR. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE WITH THE CAR SHAKING AND RATTLING. LUCKILY, IT HAD ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE AN EXIT. A PRIVATE AUTO MECHANIC AT AUTO SHOP ARTESIA FOUND THAT THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BLOWN AND COMPLETELY DAMAGED THE CYLINDERS HEAD. MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS MANY TIMES ON FORD VEHICLES. MECHANIC INSISTS THAT VEHICLE MUST BE TOW TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR EXTENSIVE MAJOR REPAIR. MECHANIC RECOMMENDS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS IT MAY IGNITE IN FLAMES DUE TO FUEL LEAK. WHEN CAR ARRIVED AT CERRITOS FORD DEALERSHIP, LEAD TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT IT IS A BLOWN SPARK PLUGS ISSUE WHICH DAMAGED THE CYLINDERS HEAD. REPAIR BILL IS QUOTED AT $4,500. CERRITOS FORD ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS AN A KNOWN DEFECTS ON FORD VEHICLES AND CAN NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIR COST DUE TO THE FACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY UNABLE TO COMPENSATE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS TYPE OF REPAIR. WE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH THIS MATTER. MY CASH RESERVE IS FOR MY SON'S MONTHLY SCHOOL TUITION. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE EXPENSIVE REPAIR. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP US. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT ON FORD VEHICLES, BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING ANY ASSISTANT FROM FORD REGARDING THIS MATTER. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK HAS FAILED - EFFECTIVELY LEAVING THE VEHICLE STUCK IN PARK WHILE MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. LUCKILY, IT WAS NOT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE WE NEEDED TO MOVE RIGHT AWAY AS INDICATED BY A PREVIOUS POSTER. FOR SOME REASON, THE TRANSISTOR IN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FAILS, EFFECTIVELY LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN PARK. AS THERE IS NOT A SAFETY OVERRIDE SWITCH THAT IS HANDY, OR A SLOT TO PUT A KEY IN THE CONSOLE TO OVERRIDE THE INTERLOCK - YOU ARE BASICALLY STRANDED. PER THE OWNERS MANUAL, YOU HAVE TO REMOVE A PORTION OF THE CONSOLE WITH A SCREWDRIVER (POTENTIALLY DAMAGING IT) AND MANUALLY PUSH A LEVER - IN ORDER TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS RATHER DANGEROUS, AND I AM NOW ON MY THIRD ONE - THERE ARE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THIS VEHICLE. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FAILED ON THIS 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. WHEN IT FAILED, IT COULD HAVE IMPACTED THE SAFETY OF BOTH ITS PASSENGERS AND THE PASSENGERS OF OTHERS AROUND IT, AS IT WAS IN AN INTERSECTION. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE DEALERSHIP REBUILT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, BUT THIS DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE GEAR SHIFTER ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE LAST REPAIR WAS MADE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH. THE DOOR LOCK SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE, THE MIRRORS WOULD NOT RETURN TO THEIR ORIGNAL SETTING. UPDATED 10/27/06. *JB
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AT MARSHALL BROS IN NEW ORLEANS, VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS A CERTIFIED VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED 2 MONTHS AFTER VEHICLE PURCHASED. VEHICLE WAS SOLD WITH THE PROBLEM KNOWN TO DEALERSHIP. WORKER AT LOCATION STATED THEY KNEW IT AND WHEN WE PURCHASED VEHICLE, THEY INSISTED ON US BUYING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS USED. INSISTED TO THE POINT OF GIVING POLICY AT COST, THIS WAS DUE TO KNOWN PROBLEM, TRANSMISSION CASE AND UNIT WAS SO BADLY DAMAGED THAT IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MISSED. PREVIOUS OWNER CONTACTED AND STATED THEY TOLD DEALERSHIP OF PROBLEM. ALSO SINCE VEHICLE WAS OWNED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS GONE HAYWIRE, BATTERY NOT CHARGING PERIODICALLY, ALARM AND LIGHTS OPERATING ON THEIR OWN,LIGHTS STAYING ON, COMING ON AT NIGHT, RADIO STAYING ON DEALERSHIP STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR ISSUES, THEY KEPT VEHICLE FOR THREE DAYS. HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES, SAME STATEMENT BY DEALER. I RESEARCHED PROBLEM ON INTERNET AND DISCOVERED TSB'S ON SAME PROBLEMS, BUT NO RECALL. BUT TSBS HAVE EXISTED SINCE 2004, DEALER KNEW WINDSHIELD LEAKS INTO COMPUTER AND MOONROOF CAN LEAK CAUSING SAME PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING, THEN WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY DEALERSHIP STATES KNOWN ISSUE AND FUSE PANEL NEEDS REPLACING AT COST OF $4,000 . THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AFTER MY RESEARCH AND SINCE THE DEALERSHIPS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN INCLUDING LYING AND SELLING VEHICLES WITH KNOWN PROBLEMS. BBB WAS CONTACTED AND IN PROCESS OF HAVING PRESS INVOLVED. PLEASE LOOK AT ALL COMPLAINTS ON ISSUE AND MAKE A RECALL NECESSARY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM, VEHICLES WRECKING, PUTTING DRIVERS IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *TR
WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT ON ITS OWN. DRIVER HEARD A CLANKING SOUND. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT FROM PARK. THE TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING A CLANKING SOUND. WHEN STARTING UP THE ENGINE IT MADE A STRANGE NOISE. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FOR A WHILE THE NOISE WENT AWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP ABOUT SIX TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A DIAGNOSIS. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026