Lincoln Nautilus Complaints

85 consumer complaints on file.

#11720917February 27, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a truly alarming issue with the Ford Blue Cruise Hands-Free Driving Assistance Feature where safety alert sounds have simply turned themselves off with no warning. I was previously using the BlueCruise feature on highways without incident. A few weeks ago, having changed NO settings on my vehicle, the audible alarms / safety alerts suddenly disappeared, including the audible alarms for "resume control" and "watch the road". I repeatedly carefully watched the system for several weeks wondering if it was a glitch, and I also triple checked that ALL my alert settings were set to highest sound volume. Still - NO audible alarms are sounding. The alerts "RESUME CONTROL" and "watch the road" show up on the dashboard, but no sound is made. Previously there was a very loud alert which was a critical safety warning for me to resume control. Having already gotten comfortable with using the system, that they simply disappeared one day is truly alarming. Now I know not to expect audible alerts. I am very worried this is happening on other vehicles and someone may fall asleep on blue cruise, and then suddenly not be alerted to resume control. I think the audible alarms MUSt stay on. Now, i cannot make them alarm no matter what setting I change.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720366February 25, 2026
SEAT BELTS, SEATS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The newer Lincoln Nautilus starting model year 2024 has an issue of moving seat positions while in motion. For the seat memory settings I am set to position 1 my wife is set to position 2 and there's at least a foot difference between us. If the Nautilus enters power save mode which seems to be quite frequent the radio system also seems to go into a deeper sleep mode too. That means when you go to power on the car the radio takes roughly an extra 2 minutes to fully boot. When it is completely booted it will decide to default to the position 1 setting even if you are driving and on the move on the road. So what has happened is from the garage my wife gets in the car, starts it, clicks the number 2 position, is driving down the road while the car is in motion the radio completes its boot up and moves to position 1 where my wife now struggles to reach the steering wheel and the pedals. And since the car is in motion she is unable to click position 2 again because the car prevents you from changing position while in motion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718455February 17, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a serious vehicle safety concern involving my company-leased 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label. The vehicle was damaged while in the custody of the dealership (Tasca Lincoln). The damage was not minor cosmetic damage and involved replacement of a door assembly. The dealership returned the vehicle to me after repair in approximately two (2) days, but I was provided no safety documentation at all, including no written proof of what parts were installed, no proof whether the replacement door was new or used, and no documentation confirming that the vehicle was restored to factory safety standards. This vehicle contains advanced safety systems integrated into the doors and surrounding structure, including side airbags, crash sensors, wiring harnesses, blind spot monitoring, and other electronic safety systems. I requested documentation confirming that these safety systems were properly inspected, calibrated, and functioning correctly after the repair, but I was provided nothing. Because the repair involved a major door replacement and the vehicle was returned in only two days with no verification of airbag, sensor, or safety system calibration, I do not believe the vehicle is safe to operate. I have not been driving the vehicle due to fear that the airbags or crash detection systems may not function properly in an accident. I contacted both the dealership and Ford/Lincoln corporate customer service seeking assistance and safety verification, but neither provided help or documentation, and I have been unable to obtain any proof that the vehicle’s safety systems were properly inspected or calibrated after the repair. Ford Lincoln Corporate had no knowledge of this, until I spoke to them. They denied my claim. This is a company lease vehicle, which creates additional safety and liability concerns. I am requesting NHTSA investigate the repair and the dealership’s failure to provide documentation confirming the vehicle is safe after structural repair.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718014February 14, 2026
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING
Front right brakes make grinding sounds when stopping and lose traction when roads are wet. Vehicle causes safety issues when roads are wet. Due to lack of control. Issue was reported to the dealer and I was told Lincoln is aware of the issue but there’s no fix at the time. Vehicle was inspected by dealer at 7,500 miles No warning lights present
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715875February 5, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while another person was driving approximately 15-50 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and jerked. The vehicle was driven to the workplace, and the contact attempted to test-drive the vehicle. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to drive, there was delay while responding, with a clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear the following day. The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse, the vehicle jerked forward, and upon shifting to park(P), there was a delay before the vehicle responded. There was a delay after shifting out of park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where several internal diagnostic trouble codes were found. The dealer determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 149,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714494January 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
While driving on the highway my transmission died. Had it towed to a nearby forwad dealershiop, Owens Ford in Jarrett VA and they confirmed the transmission died at 51,600 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712734January 22, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while opening the front driver’s door, there was a cracking sound coming from the door. While the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the front driver’s side door check arm stop bracket and door hinge were faulty. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who examined the vehicle and informed the contact that the front driver’s side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the same failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709683January 8, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V953000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708334January 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
There is a class action lawsuit for the 2019-2021 Nautilus with the 8F35 transmission, which is the same transmission that my 2022 Nautilus has. Ford has also issued multiple technical service bulletins (25-2154, 21-2389) regarding the 8F35 transmission. My transmission has had a catastrophic failure and began slipping out of gear while driving on the highway. The vehicle lost power several times while driving. The wrench light came on. I was able to make it to the dealership where they are quoting me for a total replacement of the transmission. One week prior, I brought the vehicle in to reprogram the PCM due to a recall alert I got from the Lincoln app. I was experiencing jerking and shuddering prior to the PCM reprogram, then within days of the reprogramming, the transmission completely failed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708212January 1, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Door check and spot welds are broken. The car has less the 20,000 miles on it. I was told by the mechanic that he saw this issue with Ford Escapes, there was a recall on the drive side door for the welds failing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700952November 22, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When using Apple Car Play and Sirius radio through Apple Car Play, the radio station controls on the steering wheel do not function properly and actually function differently than when using the native Nautilus radio. When using Apple Car Play, in order to change radio stations, you must use the display screen to change stations. This forces the driver, if driving alone, to take their eyes off the road, locate the proper screen, and then change the station. When using the native radio and listening to Sirius, using the radio controls on the steering wheel function as expected. I reported this to Ford through my local dealer, and the response was that "it is functioning as anticipated". To me this means Ford is aware they require one to take their eyes off the road to change radio stations in the manner outlined above.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700282November 19, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700079November 18, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2025 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that the front brakes were making an abnormally loud squealing sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697018November 2, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The brakes on my 2025 Lincoln Nautilus make a scraping/grunting noise when first applied after the car has been sitting. when applied, in addition to the noise, the brakes require more pressure to stop. The issue is worse in the rain. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. There were several times while I was driving that it was difficult to stop quickly when I was cut-off by another vehicle or approaching a stop light, especially while the roads were wet. On 09/16/2025 Al Packer Lincoln confirmed the issue and the service advisor verbally told me that "there is a special service message indicating that Lincoln is investigating because some other 2024/2025 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles have the same issue", however, I was not provided a copy of SSM 53329 referenced in Section A of page 1 of my attached invoice. The service advisor further indicated that "once engineering finishes investigating and comes out with a repair or recall for certain vehicles produced at one plant or another and during specific times they will send a letter to owners of affected vehicles for either a software update or repair etc., whatever they determine will rectify the issues. They estimated finishing investigations by Third Quarter 2025". Presently, there has been no need for any other entity to inspect my vehicle as I have received no correspondence. There were/are no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure. I leased the vehicle in April 2025 and the issue began around July 2025. My vehicle currently only has 923 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692102October 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The back rear seat WINDOW on the left-hand side spontaneously exploded while driving around 60 mph on the highway on the morning (10:30 AM ET) of October 7, 2025. All of the pieces blew into the car. There was a loud boom when the window imploded. Had this happened on the driver's window, I would have wrecked. As loud as the window explosion was, I felt as though my ear drums busted. I had to get off the highway as soon as safely possible and pulled into a parking lot to check the damage. That's when I took these pictures. I took it to the Lincoln Dealer directly. There were no warning lights or other noises before the window exploded. There were no cars directly near me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691977October 7, 2025
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
I had a 2020 ford explorer with co-Pilot 360 which is lane centering with your hand on the wheel. The new Nautilus is equipped with this same system and Blu Cruise. Unfortunately, the system will not work without the eye scanning system as it says it does and the sales rep says it will. The car has non-working safety equipment. The eye scanning system is very sensitive and constantly yelling at you. When you turn off hands free lane centering there is no lane centering which is very dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689898September 26, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while shifted to reverse(R) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and then suddenly jerked backwards. The contact stated that the vehicle almost jumped into gear. The contact stated that later while driving and attempting to accelerate, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated and then jolted forward. The vehicle accelerated to approximately 60 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle was jerking while attempting to slow down. The contact was able to stop the vehicle at a traffic light. The contact stated that the "WRENCH" symbol was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and then the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic had not diagnosed the vehicle but advised the contact that it was possibly a transmission failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that there were no recalls associated with the VIN for the transmission. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686356September 10, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. In addition, it was noticed that the VIN was no longer associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674818July 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
12/21/24 Took delivery of vehicle 03/17/25 Called Lincoln to schedule service after brakes began grinding. 03/19/25 Took vehicle in for service - Brake rotors began grinding shortly after purchase. Such grinding causes anxiety about safety of the vehicle on the road. Took vehicle back to dealership where they validated the issue. They replaced the rotors. Grinding began again, but more intense. 04/14/25 Took vehicle back again and was informed new improved parts were on order for availability in Q3 2025. 07/17/25 Called Plaza Lincoln checking status of new parts. Informed they are still waiting. Lincoln bulletin SSM 53329 states condition does not affect vehicle durability.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671941July 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the transmission was slipping, and the RPM had increased significantly. The contact stated that the “Service Vehicle Soon” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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