2003 Lincoln Navigator

Recalls

1 recall names the 2003 Lincoln Navigator. Newest first.

• Exterior lighting

  Jul 17, 2006NHTSA 06E0640004,029 vehiclesEquipment

  Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.

  Risk and remedy

  Risk

  Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash.

  Remedy

  Tradesonic will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. the recall IS expected to begin during july 2006. owners may contact tradesonic at 626-934-8884.

  Full recall details →

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Suspension39
2. Electrical system23
3. Structure18
4. Visibility14
5. Air bags14
6. Power train13
7. Engine and engine cooling12
8. Service brakes, hydraulic7
9. Vehicle speed control7
10. Equipment5

Latest complaints

• Apr 22, 2026IL247,000 mi
  Electrical system › Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer

  Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Lincoln Navigator. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 160,000. The contact reset the mileage, and the display showed 247,000. The contact had not contacted any other agencies. The VIN was not available.

• Aug 26, 2024CA75,000 mi
  Engine
  The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. No warning lights were illuminated. The…

  The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rocker arms, and that the engine lacked adequate compression in cylinders #2 and #3, resulting in engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000.

• Oct 18, 2022AL120,196 miFire
  Firerelated
  The contact owned a 2003 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that fifteen minutes after she parked and turned off the vehicle in the driveway, her brother alerted her that the driver's side front seat had caught fire. The air bags were deployed. The fire department arrived on the scene and…

  The contact owned a 2003 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that fifteen minutes after she parked and turned off the vehicle in the driveway, her brother alerted her that the driver's side front seat had caught fire. The air bags were deployed. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The fire department determined that the cause of the fire was an electrical system failure. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle remained in the driveway and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. Prior to the failure, the gear shifter and driver's side front seat made grinding noises, and the passenger's side front window made clicking noises while driving. The failure mileage was 120,196.

• Aug 27, 2019FL38,000 mi
  Unknown or other

  Rain water leak next to passenger side back rear power window while parked

• Mar 23, 2019WI175,000 mi
  Electrical system · Exterior lighting
  Takata recall !!! I have a 2003 lincoln navigator that has the same issue with the reverse lights same recall issue as the 2012 navigator also the car when it's in park won't engage when the break pedal IS applied to unlock the gearing to reverse nutural drive 1ST and 2ED gear it won't huge safety…

  Takata recall !!! I have a 2003 lincoln navigator that has the same issue with the reverse lights same recall issue as the 2012 navigator also the car when it's in park won't engage when the break pedal IS applied to unlock the gearing to reverse nutural drive 1ST and 2ED gear it won't huge safety with the reverse lights I almost had an accident because other drivers are not aware I'm reversing issue started two months ago and I stopped driving it because I almost get into accidents with out the reverse lights wonder if this IS a common safety consent for a recall.

• Feb 20, 2018CA140,000 mi
  Unknown or other

  My suspension has airbags that do not work properly. I know other navigator owners that have the same problem. I have had it looked at and worked on but nothing changes.problem somewhere in the system. The airbags do not raise the car and it bounces around while driving. The car IS hard to control

• Jun 16, 2016VA107,000 mi
  Engine

  Coming home from a trip engine started to misfire. Come to find out the # 3 spark plus exploded destroying the coil and and threads holding the spark plug in. Causing the need to re tap the threads.

• Aug 29, 2015NC79,000 mi
  Engine

  Just driving in a 45 mph, when heard loud banging coming from engine. Pulled over and had car towed in for repair. Engine blew out a spark plug.

• Jun 30, 2015WY158,000 mi
  Power train

  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.

• Feb 4, 2015NV55,000 mi
  Air bags · Suspension
  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that the air bag warning lamp illuminated. Also, a "check the suspension" message illuminated indicating that the rear shocks failed to work. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who indicated that the passenger side running board…

  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that the air bag warning lamp illuminated. Also, a "check the suspension" message illuminated indicating that the rear shocks failed to work. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who indicated that the passenger side running board switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer several times; however, the technician was not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

• Dec 29, 2014UT159,000 mi
  Engine
  We were driving down the highway at approximately 70mph, when I heard a loud pop and clanking noise on the driver's side front engine area. I was driving with my whole family in the SUV. We were able to still drive it to a mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed it as a "blown-out spark plug". He said the…

  We were driving down the highway at approximately 70mph, when I heard a loud pop and clanking noise on the driver's side front engine area. I was driving with my whole family in the SUV. We were able to still drive it to a mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed it as a "blown-out spark plug". He said the spark plug had come out of the engine block. He said it IS a common problem on that engine and there was a spark plug kit for it. He used the kit, and it only held for about 2 months. It now has lost power, shakes, and poor gas mileage. The repair kit obviously IS not ample for this problem. *tr

• Nov 12, 2014FL45,000 mi
  Electronic stability control (esc) · Steering · Suspension
  This IS the fifth (5TH) time in 6 years I have brought my car in for repair of the air suspension (compressor, ride height) , all but one of those times was to the ford lincoln dealership. it IS clear that ford IS aware of the problem as there are 10 service bulletins on the 2003 air…

  This IS the fifth (5TH) time in 6 years I have brought my car in for repair of the air suspension (compressor, ride height) , all but one of those times was to the ford lincoln dealership. it IS clear that ford IS aware of the problem as there are 10 service bulletins on the 2003 air suspension alone, as well as hundreds of complaints on the internet (see complaints on edmunds, even fords website and several car forums. these are of the lincoln navigator only, not its equivalent ford expedition, which also has hosts of complaints.) many of the complaints state, much like my experience, that the dealer cannot even figure out the problem. it IS impossible to describe to you the danger involved when the suspension fails, especially at highway speeds. the car bounces violently and becomes totally uncontrollable. *tr

• Nov 11, 2014GA
  Electrical system · Exterior lighting · Suspension
  My roof-mounted dvd player has never worked but still makes noises when car IS crunk up or switched off, my battery all of a sudden went dead (car would not crank), headlights have shorts in them...after replacing $100 bulbs, I found out if I turn the lights off and back on, the bulb will come…

  My roof-mounted dvd player has never worked but still makes noises when car IS crunk up or switched off, my battery all of a sudden went dead (car would not crank), headlights have shorts in them...after replacing $100 bulbs, I found out if I turn the lights off and back on, the bulb will come back on, check park assist light and alarms come on every time the vehicle IS put in reverse, and my suspension will not let the vehicle up when the weather IS cold. *tr

• Jun 18, 2014CA80,000 mi
  Suspension
  I bought my used 2003 lincoln navigator in 2008. A year later, air suspension failure happened several times. both in city and on highway - various speeds - but the scariest and most dangerous was when it happened on the highways. caused vehicle to lose all suspension and drop extremely low. The…

  I bought my used 2003 lincoln navigator in 2008. A year later, air suspension failure happened several times. both in city and on highway - various speeds - but the scariest and most dangerous was when it happened on the highways. caused vehicle to lose all suspension and drop extremely low. The navi bounced dangerously and violently even at very reduced speeds. it also caused the navi to scrape the ground on a few occasions. Had it repaired three times @ $500+ and was finally told that I needed to replace all four @ appx $2000+!! I was also told that this IS a known problem with navi's. in order to save my time, money and sanity, I opted for spring-suspensions at a third of the cost and have not had any problems with those in over 4 years! I highly recommend the spring-suspensions and stop the insanity. *tr

• May 21, 2014DE102,812 mi
  Suspension

  Total air suspension failure. *tr

• Mar 20, 2014PACrash1 injury
  Power train
  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…

  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.

• Sep 24, 2013CA65,319 mi
  Suspension
  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a loud roaring noise was heard from the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact inspected under the hood and detected that the noise was coming from the air lift compressor. The…

  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a loud roaring noise was heard from the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact inspected under the hood and detected that the noise was coming from the air lift compressor. The noise could also be heard when the vehicle was stationary. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 65,319.

• Nov 30, 2012NY60,000 mi
  Seats
  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that the driver's seat failed to adjust and could not be moved forward. The metal bar for the driver's seat fractured and the seat became locked in place, which was abnormally far from the steering wheel. As a result, the contact was…

  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that the driver's seat failed to adjust and could not be moved forward. The metal bar for the driver's seat fractured and the seat became locked in place, which was abnormally far from the steering wheel. As a result, the contact was unable to reach the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the metal bar adjuster for the driver's seat failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 81,000.

• Oct 29, 2012NC80,000 mi
  Suspension
  My air suspension went out the first time in march of 2008, it just quit working. I then paid $500 to get it replaced. Then again in 2011 it went out 2 different time, in which this time I had the compressor rebuilt. And again it went out of may of 2012. This time I have not had it replaced, I only…

  My air suspension went out the first time in march of 2008, it just quit working. I then paid $500 to get it replaced. Then again in 2011 it went out 2 different time, in which this time I had the compressor rebuilt. And again it went out of may of 2012. This time I have not had it replaced, I only drive the SUV when I have to. There are so many problems with the air suspensions on the 2003 lincoln navigator that ford should make the part good. *tr

• Oct 9, 2012SC189,000 mi
  Air bags · Suspension

  The right side front airbag ride suspension bag exploded while driving. *Tr

• Mar 13, 2012CA199,000 miFire
  Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling · Vehicle speed control
  Loss of brake fluid, leaked through to cruise deactivation switch into cruise systems and electrical components causing corrosion which caused a short. had trouble with cruise control working over time lead to higher flow of current that overheated and caused fire at switch under hood. ford speed…

  Loss of brake fluid, leaked through to cruise deactivation switch into cruise systems and electrical components causing corrosion which caused a short. had trouble with cruise control working over time lead to higher flow of current that overheated and caused fire at switch under hood. ford speed control deactivation switch fire. the fire originated in the area where the speed control deactivation switch IS located (left rear corner of the engine compartment at the master cylinder. there was evidence of speed control deactivation switch failure prior to the fire including inoperable speed control, repeated difficulty shifting out of park. *tr

• Dec 19, 2011LA50,000 mi
  Suspension
  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated the air suspension system disengaged and the vehicle began to shake violently whenever he drove over a bump in the road. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact noticed that the suspension system was…

  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln navigator. The contact stated the air suspension system disengaged and the vehicle began to shake violently whenever he drove over a bump in the road. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact noticed that the suspension system was disengaged while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer at least ten times to be repaired. The failure continued to occur. The contact also stated that the failure occurred more frequently during cold weather. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

• Dec 9, 2011TX90,300 mi
  Vehicle speed control

  TL* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. while driving 20 mph, the accelerator pedal remained stuck to the floor. the dealer inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the accelerator cable was fractured. the contact was awaiting repairs to the vehicle. the contact was also awaiting a response from the manufacturer. the approximate failure mileage was 90,300. the vin was unavailable.

• Oct 10, 2011KY
  Suspension

  This IS a common problem that needs to be fixed it's all over the internet. The suspension system on these are always messed up please fix this. *kb

• Sep 29, 2011TX76,000 miCrash
  Air bags · Suspension · Vehicle speed control
  While driving in a parking lot a car pulled out in front of my 2003 navigator as I hit the brakes I felt my SUV drop from the front. The tire skidded and I hit the car that was pulling out. After the accident my truck was never the same .it was taken to the dealership but they said the warranty…

  While driving in a parking lot a car pulled out in front of my 2003 navigator as I hit the brakes I felt my SUV drop from the front. The tire skidded and I hit the car that was pulling out. After the accident my truck was never the same .it was taken to the dealership but they said the warranty would not cover it.i have a 40000 dollar truck just parked in the driveway for the past 6 months I know mechanics that can convert it to to springs suspension for about 400 dollars but that's not the point I paid top dollar for a piece of you know what.i drive a 2000 nissan with 170000 miles on it and haven't spend a dime on it besides tires *tt

Defect investigations

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.

• Spark plug ejection from cylinder head

  DP05005Opened Sep 22, 2005Closed Jan 4, 2006
  On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton V-8 and V-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or…

  On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton V-8 and V-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi IS not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi IS aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it IS possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect IS very low.in view of the foregoing, it IS unlikely that nhtsa would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition IS denied.

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 11005305This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IWE). To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to remove and cap the vacuum supply line or to reprogram the transfer case control module (TCCM) and replace any worn vacuum and/or IWE components.
• 10235153For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are followed when diagnosing the condition prior to all module replacements and only order modules using the correct VIN.
• 10214754Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IWE). To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to remove and cap the vacuum supply line or to reprogram the transfer case control module (TCCM) and replace any worn vacuum and/or IWE components.
• 10181917Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with TOD transfer cases may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IWE). To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to remove and cap the vacuum supply line.
• 10177863This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended.
• 10156863Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
• 10155551Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
• 10028736Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. Oil separation appears to be and IS often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak.
• 10022299Parking aid system IS inoperative - dtc c1983.
• 10021459High intensity discharge (hid) headlamps.
• 10021072Air suspension performance - height sensor linkage arm disengaging.
• 10020702Parking aid system inoperative - dtc c1983.
• 10020133High intensity discharge (hid) - service fix.
• 10019912Engine misfire with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) pewee, p0302, p0303, p0304, p0305, p0306, p0307, p0308, and p0316.
• 10019415Unintended brake assist.
• 10019384Low tire indicator on - TPMS system sensor wake up.
• 10018968Parking aid system inoperative.
• 10018938Vibration diagnosis - tire/wheel runout.
• 10018745Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running.
• 10018069A tiny crack, or cracks, around the transfer case drain plug hole.
• 10018052Drivers front power seat will not move forward or rearward.
• 10017924Clunk/grind/thump noise - frame repair procedure.
• 10017892Rear axle noise repair.
• 10017888Steering wheel at 65 mph (105 km/h) or higher.
• 10017805Rear window wiper inoperative.
• 10016789Rear axle noise repair.
• 10014676Aluminum alloy wheels pitting and or peeling cleaning procedures.
• 10014668Axle seal leaks.
• 10014659Axle whine howl. This includes 1997-05 ford vehicles.
• 10014314Climate controlled seat diagnosis - service tips.
• 10014165Aluminum corrosion - service tip.
• 10014138Safety belt retraction speed.
• 10014100Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers.
• 10014091Deployable running boards (drb) intermittently inoperative.
• 10014088Heater hose leak.
• 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
• 10014062Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
• 10013369General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
• 10013301Brake shudder (rotor thickness variation) due to the new low dust front brake lining used in production, or new linings that were installed per tsb 04-05-02.
• 10013117High intensity discharge (hid) headlamps left headlamp intermittent operation flicker.

Every Lincoln Navigator model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.