2004 Lincoln Navigator

Typical pattern

14.4% of complaints about the 2004 Lincoln Navigator came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.6 yr in service. The most-reported system is suspension (25 complaints), typically at 7.5 yr or about 75,000 miles.

Complaints: 118
Median age at failure: 6.6 yr
Median mileage: 54,000 n=87
Crash / fire / tow: 11% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Suspension mileage not reported 5 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. A LOUD BANGING NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NM

Suspension mileage not reported 1.8 yr in service

PROBLEM WITH AIR SUSPENSION ON VEHICLE. PLACED IN SHOP OVER 7 OR MORE TIMES PROBLEM STILL NOT RESOLVED. DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED PARTS BUT STILL SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Suspension 50,000 mi 4.5 yr in service

PROBLEM WITH THE AIR SUSPENSION ON VEHICLE. HAD IT REPLACE WITH LESS THAN 50 THOUSAND MILES ON VEHICLE, ADDED 12 THOUSAND MILES IN LESS THAN A YEAR AND THE AIR SUSPENSION IS OUT AGAIN. *TR

Other Navigator model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2004 Lincoln Navigator

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other Navigator model years

How to read this