Is air suspension failure and ride-height loss a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

34 NHTSA complaints have been filed about air suspension failure and ride-height loss on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2003-09 → 2018-02). Reported component: SUSPENSION. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10292306): "2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR AIR SUSPENSION SENSOR FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CAUSED VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL SUSPENSION AND DROP AS LOW AS IT WOULD GO, PROVIDING NO SUSPENSION" Source: NHTSA.

Is spark plug ejection from cylinder head a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

8 NHTSA complaints have been filed about spark plug ejection from cylinder head on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2006-06 → 2016-06). Reported component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10760148): "JUST DRIVING IN A 45 MPH, WHEN HEARD LOUD BANGING COMING FROM ENGINE. PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED IN FOR REPAIR. ENGINE BLEW OUT A SPARK PLUG" Source: NHTSA.

Is power running board deploy and retract failure a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

5 NHTSA complaints have been filed about power running board deploy and retract failure on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2004-02 → 2009-04). Reported component: STRUCTURE. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10154155): "POWER DEPLOYABLE RUNNING BOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DID NOT EXTEND OUT (DEPLOY) WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND FELL TO THE GROUND" Source: NHTSA.

Is shift interlock and gear selector failure a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

5 NHTSA complaints have been filed about shift interlock and gear selector failure on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2005-10 → 2015-06). Reported component: POWER TRAIN. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10224465): "THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK HAS FAILED - EFFECTIVELY LEAVING THE VEHICLE STUCK IN PARK WHILE MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED" Source: NHTSA.

Is door trim rattle and wind noise in cab a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

5 NHTSA complaints have been filed about door trim rattle and wind noise in cab on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2003-02 → 2004-07). Reported component: STRUCTURE. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10062258): "EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE IN CAB. REPORTED AT LEAST THREE TIMES TO DEALER" Source: NHTSA.

Is air bag deployment without a crash a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

8 NHTSA complaints have been filed about air bag deployment without a crash on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2003-07 → 2011-09). Reported component: AIR BAGS. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10400546): "THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO CRASH WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED OR WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE" Source: NHTSA.

Is vehicle shutdown or stall while driving a known issue with the 2003 Lincoln Navigator?

6 NHTSA complaints have been filed about vehicle shutdown or stall while driving on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator (2002-09 → 2010-12). Reported component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. From an owner report (NHTSA ODI #10044144): "WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRONIC SHUTDOWN CAUSING THE STEERING TO BECOME INOPERATIVE AND BRAKE PROBLEMS" Source: NHTSA.

2003 Lincoln Navigator Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

The 2003 Lincoln Navigator has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 7 recurring issue clusters, led by “Air suspension failure and ride-height loss.” Lincoln uses Ford's Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor: it tracks how the vehicle is actually driven and calls for oil service when needed — up to 10,000 miles or 12 months on normal duty, much sooner with towing or repeated short trips. EcoBoost-powered Aviators and Nautilus models are turbocharged: heat is their maintenance story, so oil quality and cooling-system health matter more than on the old naturally aspirated V8s. Traditional V8 Navigators and Town Cars are long-interval machines — 100,000-mile plugs — that mostly reward fluid discipline.

Save this car as:

No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Known issues & problems for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2003 Lincoln Navigator.

Reported to NHTSA

Air suspension failure and ride-height loss

SUSPENSION

34 NHTSA complaints · 2003-09 → 2018-02

“2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR AIR SUSPENSION SENSOR FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CAUSED VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL SUSPENSION AND DROP AS LOW AS IT WOULD GO, PROVIDING NO SUSPENSION”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10292306

“THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHENEVER HE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10440374

“AIR SUSPENSION MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AT AROUND 100,0000 MILES. ALSO AIR BAGS LEAK AND ARE SLOW TO AIR UP IN COLD WEATHER”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10360339

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Spark plug ejection from cylinder head

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

8 NHTSA complaints · 2006-06 → 2016-06

“JUST DRIVING IN A 45 MPH, WHEN HEARD LOUD BANGING COMING FROM ENGINE. PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED IN FOR REPAIR. ENGINE BLEW OUT A SPARK PLUG”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10760148

“COMING HOME FROM A TRIP ENGINE STARTED TO MISFIRE. COME TO FIND OUT THE # 3 SPARK PLUS EXPLODED DESTROYING THE COIL AND AND THREADS HOLDING THE SPARK PLUG IN”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10874720

“A POPPING SOUND CAME FROM BENEATH THE HOOD OF MY 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER, I LEARNED THAT A SPARK PLUG EJECTED AND DAMAGED THE CYLINDER HEAD”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10255024

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Power running board deploy and retract failure

STRUCTURE

5 NHTSA complaints · 2004-02 → 2009-04

“POWER DEPLOYABLE RUNNING BOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DID NOT EXTEND OUT (DEPLOY) WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND FELL TO THE GROUND”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10154155

“AUTOMATIC RUNNING BOARDS HAD DELAYED DEPLOYMENT OR WOULDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10059387

“THE RETRACTABLE POWER RUNNING BOARDS ON MY 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO DEPLOY AND/OR RETRACT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10086506

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Shift interlock and gear selector failure

POWER TRAIN

5 NHTSA complaints · 2005-10 → 2015-06

“THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK HAS FAILED - EFFECTIVELY LEAVING THE VEHICLE STUCK IN PARK WHILE MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10224465

“THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FAILED ON THIS 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10192019

“GEAR SHIFT KNOB CAME LOOSE. CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE LOCKED INTO THE DRIVE POSITION”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10375034

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Door trim rattle and wind noise in cab

STRUCTURE

5 NHTSA complaints · 2003-02 → 2004-07

“EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE IN CAB. REPORTED AT LEAST THREE TIMES TO DEALER”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10062258

“RATTLES IN BOTH FRONT DOOR TRIM PANELS - OCCURS AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 45-50 MPH. HAVE HAD VEHICLE UNSUCCESSFULLY IN FOR REPAIRS FOUR TIMES”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10005562

“EXCESSIVE WIND AND ROAD NOISE IN CAB OF LINCOLN NAVIGATOR”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10026112

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Air bag deployment without a crash

AIR BAGS

8 NHTSA complaints · 2003-07 → 2011-09

“THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO CRASH WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED OR WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10400546

“WHILE SLOWLY BACKING UP AFTER A PARALLEL PARK, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO CRASH NOR CONTACT WITH ANYTHING”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10025541

“THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND SIDE ARMS”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10418201

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Vehicle shutdown or stall while driving

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

6 NHTSA complaints · 2002-09 → 2010-12

“WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRONIC SHUTDOWN CAUSING THE STEERING TO BECOME INOPERATIVE AND BRAKE PROBLEMS”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10044144

“WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10109614

“CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE TRUCK COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #8019396

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Raw data + downloads for this vehicle →

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (Oil-Life Monitor)

Every 10,000 mi

Change when the Oil-Life Monitor calls it — up to 10,000 miles or 12 months. EcoBoost engines (Aviator 3.0T): use the specified synthetic and don't stretch the monitor; turbos cook marginal oil.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate every 7,500 miles. Heavy Navigators shift a lot of weight — even wear is a ride-quality item, not just a tire-budget item.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection

Every 10,000 mi

Inspect pads, rotors, and parking brake at every oil service. Town Car livery duty and Navigator towing both count as severe service for brakes.

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter

Every 20,000 mi

Replace every 20,000 miles where equipped. (2004-era Town Cars predate cabin filters; modern Lincolns locate it behind the glovebox.)

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Coolant Replacement

Every 100,000 mi

Motorcraft Orange (OAT) on modern models: first change around 10 years / 200,000 miles per Ford, though shops commonly refresh by 100,000. Older green-coolant V8s: every 5 years. Never mix chemistries.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Battery Test & Service

Every 25,000 mi

Test annually after year 3. Feature-heavy Lincolns (air suspension compressors, power everything) expose weak batteries as electrical gremlins first.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$225–$390

Shop

~$160–$280

DIY

~$130–$250

Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

37 crashes 1990–2024

How the 37 occupant deaths break down

driver deaths

passenger deaths

occupant deaths

Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2003 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.

Why we show driver deaths too

Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.

Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.

IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

complaints mentioning a crash

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2003 Lincoln Navigator reflects Lincoln's published service intervals and the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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