1st generation · UN173 (Ford U platform) · 696 complaints, 309 with mileage
Owners filed 696 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2002 Lincoln Navigator, and 309 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 56,641 and 121,000 miles. The median is 85,500 miles.
The most-reported areas are the tyres (21.8% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles), the electrical system (9.9% of complaints, typically around 94,000 miles), the suspension (8.2% of complaints, typically around 72,840 miles).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 152 | 21.8% | 50,000 | 38,000–78,000 |
| Electrical System | 69 | 9.9% | 94,000 | 72,500–133,000 |
| Suspension | 57 | 8.2% | 72,840 | 52,000–124,233 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 57 | 8.2% | 101,000 | 81,025–134,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 55 | 7.9% | 93,751 | 70,000–117,000 |
| Power Train | 44 | 6.3% | 76,000 | 66,000–100,000 |
| Steering | 41 | 5.9% | 69,000 | 52,800–92,000 |
| Wheels | 28 | 4.0% | — | — |
| Air Bags | 28 | 4.0% | 89,746 | 34,219–160,000 |
| Visibility | 27 | 3.9% | — | — |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 240 | 81 |
| 1999 | 155 | 66 |
| 2000 | 137 | 54 |
| 2001 | 116 | 74 |
| 2002 | 48 | 34 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 85,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The tyres account for 21.8% of complaints (152 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 50,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 38,000 and 78,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.9% of complaints (69 reports, 44 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 94,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 72,500 and 133,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 8.2% of complaints (57 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,840 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 124,233 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 8.2% of complaints (57 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 101,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 81,025 and 134,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 7.9% of complaints (55 reports, 32 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 93,751 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 70,000 and 117,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.3% of complaints (44 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 76,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 66,000 and 100,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1998 model year drew the most — 240 complaints — while 2002 drew the fewest at 48. The median year sits at 137.
The first year of the generation, 1998, sits above the median. That is a common pattern — early production of a redesigned vehicle tends to surface problems that later years do not repeat — and it is worth weighing when choosing between years.
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Of the 696 complaints filed against this generation, 59 reported a crash; 77 reported a fire; 85 reported an injury; 17 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 8.5% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 56,641 and 121,000 miles, with a median of 85,500. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the tyres and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Rear (and on 4x4 models, front) air springs leak and the compressor burns out from over-cycling; symptoms are a sagging or squatting rear end, ride-height faults and nose-dive under braking. Height sensors and control module electrical faults are secondary causes.
The 2-valve Triton aluminum heads have too few spark plug thread engagements; plugs (commonly #2/#3/#4) work loose and eject from the head under compression, typically at 60,000-100,000 miles, stripping the threads. Ford revised the head design for 2003.