2012 Lincoln Navigator Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Navigator years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 25th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Lincoln Navigator. That ranks 25th out of 31 Navigator model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (5 complaints, 42%), typically at around 30,000 miles. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 12owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 5 | 42% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 17% | 56,018 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 8% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 8% | 16,569 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 8% | 103,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Lincoln Navigator recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Exterior lighting:back up lights; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford f-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 âlamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.â these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
Risk: If this condition exists, the transmission may not go into reverse or when the driver pushes the shift lever in the reverse ârâ position and the vehicleâs transmission does go in reverse, the ârâ may not illuminate on the dashboard of the f-150, expedition, or navigator models and/or the backup lamp on the rear of the f-150, expedition, navigator, or mustang vehicles may not illuminate. These conditions increase the risk of a crash or a pedestrian being struck due to the vehicleâs not signaling it is in reverse.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the trs as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 11, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles, manufactured from november 19, 2011, through december 2, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraints." these vehicles may have inadequate welds on the head restraint support brackets for the second row, right-hand seat.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat head restraint may not provide the required strength, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 21, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center 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
- Unexpected Transmission Downshift (RQ17010) — opened Dec 25, 2017, closed Oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V075000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Belts dislodged on all tires. Tires have 70% tread left. My mechanic said it is manufacturing defect of Tires. SUV started shaking badly on highway
Vehicle randomly downshifts at speed causing sudden and jarring loss of speed. Vehicle will eventually and intermittently flash a service wrench error, speedometer stops working, and displays "000 Miles to Empty" message. Diagnosed at the dealer as a failing Molded Lead Frame. There was extended…
Going down the highway my transmission on my 2012 navigator automatically down shifted to 1st gear. I pulled over and shut the car off. When i tried to start it the interior and exterior light flashed on and off. After i shut the cat down again i tried restarting the car and it started normal but…
My 2012 navigator started to act weird the wrench signal appeared,my speedometer not working,the rpm went very high,no power on my suv,maybe 5mph the most,and the information screen shows no gas,while i have 1/2 tank,checked amd recalls and shows nothing,but a mechanic told me that the is a tbs…
Brake booster and master cylinder no good. Brake fluid costently disappearing, no leaks under truck but once empty or close to low line have to press breaks to the floor just to try and slow down to stop... Both in city and highway, in motion and while parked
Other Lincoln Navigator years
← 2011 Navigator · 2013 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 | 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 Navigator | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Lincoln Navigator?
Owners most often report power train, unknown or other, suspension problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Lincoln Navigator?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.