Lincoln Navigator
Full-size luxury SUV · 1998–present. 15,531 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Ford Motor Company created it for its Lincoln luxury brand, using the Ford Expedition as the base. According to Edmunds, Lincoln dealers themselves lobbied for a luxury version of a Ford SUV. The inspected original sources do not identify the original 1997 program’s hands-on design and engineering leads. Documented people later on include chief engineer Elaine Bannon and exterior designer Jim Grake (2015 refresh), and Lincoln design director David Woodhouse, chief program engineer Andrew Kernahan and exterior designer Earl Lucas (2018 generation).
It was first built at Ford's Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan, alongside the Expedition. That plant built more than 2.3 million Expeditions and Navigators and ended its SUV line on November 26, 2008. In 2009 Navigator production moved to Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky, where it is still assembled today.
Lincoln launched it for retail sale on July 1, 1997 as a 1998 model, priced at about $43,000. It was the first truck ever sold at a Lincoln dealership. 1998 was its first full year on sale.
No original 1997 naming-decision document was retained; in 2017 Kumar Galhotra included Navigator in Lincoln’s family of travelers and explorers. In English, a navigator is the person who sets the course. It is a name that outlasted fashions: when Lincoln switched to letter names like MKX and MKZ, the Navigator kept its own.
In the mid-1990s full-size SUVs were very profitable, but Lincoln had none for its luxury buyers. The idea was to take the Expedition and dress it in luxury, with leather, wood, air suspension and its own front end. Critics doubted anyone would pay more than $42,000 for a dressed-up Expedition, but by June 1998 Lincoln had sold 40,584 of them and it was the best-selling SUV from a premium brand.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 11998–2002
The Expedition in a tuxedo
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain What changed. It was Lincoln's first SUV, based on the Ford Expedition, with leather and wood, and either second-row captain’s chairs or a bench that increased total seating to eight. It started with a 230 hp SOHC 5.4-liter V8; output later rose to 260 hp and then to 300 hp with a DOHC version. In 1998 it sold 43,859 units in the U.S., still its record year.
The innovation. It came standard with load-leveling air suspension and illuminated running boards, unusual for an SUV in 1998. It could tow up to 8,000 pounds.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists several recalls. 1998: wheel lug nuts that could lose clamp load (98V095). 1999: a missing clip linking the brake pushrod to the pedal (98V296), fuel lines damaged by the supplier (98V312) and 17-inch chrome wheels on 4x4 models that could loosen (99V099). 1998–2000: trailer hitch bolts (00V073). 1998–2002: the speed control deactivation switch could overheat, smoke or burn (05V388). Ask for proof the work was done, especially the speed control recall. On affected speed-control-equipped vehicles, the switch fire can occur even with the engine off. Ford’s original 05S28/05V388 letter instructs parking away from structures until recall service. Verify that the final fused-harness repair was completed; the earlier temporary switch disconnection was an interim step. Check current instructions for the VIN. - Gen. 22003–2006 · U228
Independent suspension at all four corners
Photo: Bull-Doser · Public domain What changed. The platform shared with the Expedition was completely redesigned, with a taller, wider grille, bigger headlamps and a new interior. The DOHC 5.4-liter V8 made 300 hp and 355 lb-ft. In 2003 prices started at $48,775 for the rear-drive Luxury model.
The innovation. It introduced four-wheel independent suspension with air springs, which MotorWeek found clearly superior in ride and handling to the previous generation and most rivals. It also offered power running boards that tuck under the body and a power-folding third-row seat.
If you buy one usedIn exact Lincoln/Navigator queries saved on November3,2026,2003 returns one Tradesonic replacement-lamp campaign (06E064), while2004–2005 return zero. Results depend on the queried model name and do not replace a VIN check. The 2006 model has three: an incorrectly made transmission parking pawl guide plate (05V519), a wiper motor built without grease (05V520) and driver-side tires damaged in production (05V310). As with any air-suspension SUV of this age, check that it sits level. - Gen. 32007–2017 · U326
The Navigator L arrives, then the turbo
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain What changed. It premiered at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2006 with a large chrome grille, in regular and extended L versions. It used a 300 hp 5.4-liter V8 with a six-speed automatic. For 2015 it was refreshed with a 380 hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that replaced the 310 hp V8, plus electric power steering and optional adjustable damping.
The innovation. The Navigator L added an extended body for more cargo space behind the third row. The new six-speed automatic promised up to 7 percent better highway fuel economy than a four-speed, and with a stiffer chassis the Navigator could tow up to 9,100 pounds.
If you buy one usedNHTSA recalls: 2007, the 5.4 V8's fuel rail crossover hose could crack and cause a fuel smell or leak (08V057); 2007–2008, the interior door handle spring (08V058). 2012: transmission (12V190 and 16V248) and seats (12V034). 2015–2017 (EcoBoost): front blower motor (22V648), LED logo lights in the mirrors that could short circuit (25V091) and rearview camera (25V572). 2016–2017: the brake master cylinder could leak fluid into the brake booster (22V150). - Gen. 42018–2024 · U554
Aluminum, 450 hp and Truck of the Year
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 What changed. It debuted at the 2017 New York Auto Show with an aluminum body that cut about 200 pounds. The twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rose to 450 hp and 510 lb-ft, with a 10-speed automatic. Lincoln wanted to win back ground: sales had fallen from 43,859 in 1998 to 10,421 in 2016. The 2022 refresh brought a 13.2-inch touchscreen and hands-free driving on select highways.
The innovation. An aluminum body on a body-on-frame chassis, shared with the new Expedition, plus a head-up display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. In January 2018 it became the first Lincoln to win North American Truck of the Year.
If you buy one usedNHTSA recalls: 2018, V6 high-pressure fuel pump welds that could fracture (18V392) and a missing pin in the 10-speed transmission (18V213). 2018–2020: front-belt pretensioners that could lock the belt (24V099 and25V197);26V344 expands coverage to2018–2022 and requires the new remedy even after prior inspection or repair. 2018–2021: the park pawl could engage while moving (26V402). 2020: a short circuit in the battery junction box with fire risk (25V628). 2021: engine compartment fire risk (22V346). 2022–2024: front brake lines that could rub the air-filter outlet pipe (25V314). 2024: a misaligned engine cup plug that could cause a rapid oil leak (24V851, 25V198). - Gen. 52025–present
A spa with a 48-inch screen
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It was revealed on August 15, 2024 and reached dealers in spring 2025. It keeps the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, now rated at 440 hp and 510 lb-ft, with a 10-speed automatic and, at launch, standard four-wheel drive with continuously variable damping. It adds full-width light bars front and rear, and BlueCruise is standard.
The innovation. A 48-inch panoramic display spans almost the whole dash, and the new Split Gate tailgate has a lower section that swings down to form a bench. It also offers 24-inch wheels for the first time and Lincoln Rejuvenate, a 5- or 10-minute relaxation program with massage, visuals, sound and scent.
If you buy one usedNHTSA recalls for the 2025 model: a passenger air bag that could deploy with excessive force (25V439), an electronic brake booster module that could lose assist (25V488 and 25V823), a rear light bar with cracks that let in moisture (25V831) and image processing module faults (26V165). For 2026 there is a campaign for the driver-seat obstacle detection software (26V120). Confirm with a Lincoln dealer that all of it is done.
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