2009 Lincoln Navigator: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2009 Lincoln Navigator
On the 2009 Lincoln Navigator, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 3 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 65,000 miles.
What breaks on the 2009 Lincoln Navigator
Owners have reported 5 named failure modes on the 2009 Lincoln Navigator, and the three most-reported carry 70% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Other engine problem leads with 3 reports and about 4.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other electrical problem follows with 3 reports, median 95,000 miles.
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure follows with 1 report, median 75,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (4), engine (3) and transmission (1).
At what mileage it happens
8 of the reports on the 2009 Lincoln Navigator came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 65,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 38% by 50,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 90,000 and 100,000 miles, which alone holds 38% of the dated reports.
38% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 2 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.10, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure at $250–$1,400 and control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure at $700–$3,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
40% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 2 | — | 57k | — | 4.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 93k | — | 4.4 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 75k | — | 1.5 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 31k | — | 1.5 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 24k | — | 1.5 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2009 Lincoln Navigator draws about 15 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 93rd percentile of complaint rates among 2009 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 678 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2009 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
While unloading the back of my truck, I was burned by the tail pipe that protrudes from the back right side of the truck. The burn is a 1/2 round shape on my right leg. Took the truck in for service and lincoln dealership said that is how it was designed for my model year and no fix was available. I have reported the problem to lincoln but have not heard back from them as of this writing. *tr
Other electrical problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact horn failed to respond when engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the wires connected to the horn needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 57,114.
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure
The vehicle randomly gets stuck in park and is unable to shift into gear when the vehicle is stationary. I read something about the break switch recall but after calling ford they told me the recall was VIN specific and my vehicle wasn't a part of it. Makes no sense to me if my vehicle is doing exactly what the recall entailed.
Recalls on the 2009 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2009 Lincoln Navigator, affecting an estimated 678 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover exterior lighting:brake lights:switch. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
1,357 vehicles 2009-06-24- Defect
- Ford is recalling 1,357 my 2009 expedition and navigator vehicles for failing to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the brake stop lamp switch may be improperly adjusted. This may result in a delay in brake stoplamp illumination when the brake pedal is depressed. In situations of very mild brake application, the brake stoplamps may not illuminate.
- Consequence
- Delay or loss of brake stoplamp function may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will adjust the brake stoplamp switch free of charge. The recall began on july 6, 2009. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332 or www.ownerconnection.com.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How 2009 compares with the other years
Across the 25 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2008 comes out best at 59 and 2019 worst at 74.
Within the 2006–2009 generation specifically, 2008 is the strongest year at 59 and 2006 the weakest at 70.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2006-2009 generation, 2008 Lincoln Navigator scores best at 59 and 2006 Lincoln Navigator worst at 70.
What this page cannot tell you
10 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 10 reports, 8 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 80% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Lincoln Navigator?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (3 reports, median 55,000 miles), other electrical problem (3 reports, median 95,000 miles) and shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure (1 report, median 75,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Which year of the Lincoln Navigator is best?
Within the 2006–2009 generation, 2008 scores best at 59 out of 100 and 2006 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed