There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2011 Lincoln Navigatorin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
JANUARY 4, 2021- WHILE CRUISING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE INTERSTATE AT A SPEED OF 75-80 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION RANDOMLY SHIFTED FROM 6TH GEAR TO 2ND OR FIRST GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS BOTH LANES AND SPINNING THE MOTOR AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH RPM. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND I SHUT OFF THE KEY AND COASTED TO A STOP. WE WERE LUCKY THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES IN OUR VICINITY. I STARTED IT UP AND VERY CAUTIOUSLY DROVE HOME. THERE WERE NO ENGINE LIGHTS DURING THE INCIDENT. THE MOTOR WAS/AND STILL IS VERY LOUD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE LOOKED INTO RECALLS AND TSB'S AND FOUND THAT OUR VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE 2011 TO 2013 RECALL YEARS. WHEN CHECKED BY THE FORD DEALER JAN 1/11/21, NO CHECK ENGINE CODES WERE FOUND. THEY CHECKED THE SOFTWARE AND REPORTED THAT THE MOST RECENT UPDATES ARE ALREADY INSTALLED IN OUR VEHICLE, BUT WE HAVE NO PROOF OF THAT. WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE BRINGING IT HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. IF MY WIFE OR KIDS WERE DRIVING WE WOULD ALL BE DEAD. THIS QUOTE IS FROM NHTSA WEBSITE. "THE MOST RECENT UPDATE FROM FEBRUARY 2, 2019 OFFICE OF DEFECTS AND INVESTIGATIONS (ODI) WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (19V-075000) TO REMEDY THE DOWNSHIFT FAILURES ON ALL 2011-2013, F-150'S, EXPEDITIONS, AND NAVIGATORS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE AN UNINTENDED LOSS OF TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SPEED CENSOR SIGNAL TO THE PCM POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A TEMPORARY UNINTENDED DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR. FORD WILL REPROGRAM THE PCM WITH SOFTWARE THAT WILL PREVENT AN UNINTENDED DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR AND ILLUMINATE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT IN THE EVENT OF AN INTERMITTENT OUTPUT SPEED CENSOR SIGNAL LOSS". WE CANNOT VERIFY THAT THESE UPDATES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN OUR VEHICLE (PUR AUG 2020) AS THE EVENT HAPPENED AND WE DID NOT GET ANY CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS OR CODES. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE WHEELS WOULD SUDDENLY LOCK WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. ...UPDATED 05/11/17 *BF
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 25, 2026