2001 Lincoln Navigator Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Navigator years
- Far more complaints than other years 7th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Lincoln Navigator. That ranks 7th out of 31 Navigator model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is tires (23 complaints, 28%), typically at around 57,700 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 11 fires, 7 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 81owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Lincoln Navigator problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 23 | 28% | 57,700 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 20% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 15% | 81,250 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 11% | 86,125 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 9% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% | 44,300 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 5% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 5% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 5% | 89,547 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 5% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2% | 23,150 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | 36,323 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 2% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | 64,187 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | 134,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 59,400 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 135,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Lincoln Navigator recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A fire at the switch could occur.
Fix: By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 06v286)
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
Risk: Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. Ford crown victoria built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 mercury grand marquis built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. Lincoln town cars built at wixom assembly plant from 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. Lincoln navigators built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. Ford windstars built at oakville assembly plant from 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. Ford rangers built at twin cities plant from 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, and also at the edison plant from 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. Ford f-150 truck built at norfolk plant from 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; at ontario plant from 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; at kansas city plant from 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/9/01. Ford super duty f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 5/27/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/19/01. Ford excursions built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 10/2/00. Ford expeditions built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. Owner notification began july 25, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Engine compartment fires (EA05005) — opened Mar 22, 2005, closed Aug 2, 2006, led to recall 05V388000.
- Front seat belt buckle assembly (EA05004) — opened Feb 17, 2005, closed Jul 6, 2005.
- Front seat belt buckle assembly (RQ04011) — opened Oct 22, 2004, closed Feb 17, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I had been driving for about 15 minutes and then I noticed a burning plastic smell. It was dark so my headlights were on. I felt heat coming from under the dash by the pedals. I started to watch my dash to see if the truck was over heating or the check engine light would come on but neither of…
Bought car in october 2017 have hade to purches had problems with tires four time now today makes five times have to go purchase another tire have to have it towed in the morning
The vehicle's cruise control just will not engage any longer. Has worked fine up until about 2 months ago.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that after rainy weather, there was a burning odor and an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle as if it was attempting to start independently. In addition, the contact stated the windshield wipers failed to operate intermittently…
It makes a loud noise and no 1 know what it is
Other Lincoln Navigator years
← 2000 Navigator · 2002 Navigator →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Navigator | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Navigator | 0 | 2 |
| 2025 Navigator | 13 | 6 |
| 2024 Navigator | 16 | 7 |
| 2023 Navigator | 7 | 8 |
| 2022 Navigator | 21 | 14 |
| 2021 Navigator | 33 | 12 |
| 2020 Navigator | 32 | 13 |
| 2019 Navigator | 84 | 10 |
| 2018 Navigator | 52 | 12 |
| 2017 Navigator | 32 | 5 |
| 2016 Navigator | 25 | 4 |
| 2015 Navigator | 21 | 4 |
| 2014 Navigator | 17 | 0 |
| 2013 Navigator | 14 | 0 |
| 2012 Navigator | 12 | 3 |
| 2011 Navigator | 9 | 0 |
| 2010 Navigator | 16 | 0 |
| 2009 Navigator | 10 | 1 |
| 2008 Navigator | 30 | 2 |
| 2007 Navigator | 45 | 2 |
| 2006 Navigator | 60 | 3 |
| 2005 Navigator | 48 | 0 |
| 2004 Navigator | 86 | 0 |
| 2003 Navigator | 127 | 0 |
| 2002 Navigator | 32 | 1 |
| 2001 | 81 | 3 |
| 2000 Navigator | 109 | 4 |
| 1999 Navigator | 132 | 5 |
| 1998 Navigator | 192 | 5 |
| 1997 Navigator | 0 | 2 |
See all Lincoln Navigator problems by year, every Lincoln model, or the Lincoln VIN decoder.
Similar Lincoln models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Lincoln Navigator?
Owners most often report tires, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, tires, accounts for 23 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Lincoln Navigator?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Lincoln Navigator a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Navigator model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.