The 2018 Navigator uses Ford's 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 (450hp) paired with the 10R80 10-speed automatic. While luxurious and powerful, this platform suffers from catastrophic turbo-related engine failures and transmission cooling issues that can total the powertrain.
Catastrophic Engine Failure from Carbon Buildup and Low-Speed Pre-Ignition
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Sudden loss of power with loud knocking or rattling from engine, Metal shavings in oil, dropped valve seat fragments, Engine seizure or hole blown through block, May occur with no warning after short trips or frequent idling
Fix: Complete engine replacement or rebuild required. Ford has had TSBs on this gen-3 EcoBoost for LSPI causing piston/rod failure and valve seat issues. Rebuild: 25-35 hours labor including R&R, machine work, and reassembly. Most shops recommend long-block replacement given the catastrophic nature.
Estimated cost: $12,000-18,000
10R80 Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure and Leaking
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 30,000-70,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid pooling under vehicle near front, Burnt transmission fluid smell, Harsh shifting or slipping when fluid gets low, Cooler lines crack at crimp points or corrode through
Fix: Replace transmission oil cooler lines and often the cooler itself. Ford issued recalls and TSBs but many fall outside VIN ranges. If catch early, just lines (3-4 hours). If delayed and trans was run low, internal damage likely requiring rebuild (18-22 hours).
Estimated cost: $800-1,200 for lines only, $4,500-6,500 if transmission damaged
Turbocharger Wastegate Rattle and Actuator Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Rattling or chattering noise on cold starts that fades when warm, Check engine light with P0234 (overboost) or P003A (turbo underboost), Loss of power under acceleration, Turbo whine or excessive exhaust noise
Fix: Turbocharger replacement on these is labor-intensive due to tight packaging. Each turbo: 6-8 hours labor. Wastegate actuators fail or the wastegate arm breaks internally. Often both turbos done together given access required. OEM Ford turbos only reliable option.
Estimated cost: $3,200-4,800 per turbo
Rear Air Suspension Compressor and Line Failures
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Rear sags overnight or after sitting, Air suspension warning on dash, Compressor runs continuously or not at all, Hissing noise from rear when parked
Fix: Air spring leaks at crimp seams or compressor inlet valve fails. Compressor replacement: 2.5-3 hours. Single air spring: 1.5-2 hours. Lines crack at fittings. If compressor ran dry from leak, replace both compressor and springs to prevent comeback.
Estimated cost: $1,800-2,800 for compressor, $800-1,200 per air spring
Panoramic Sunroof Drain Tube Clogs and Water Leaks
Common · low severity
Symptoms: Water dripping from headliner onto front or rear passengers, Musty smell in cabin, Wet carpets in footwells after rain or car wash, Water pooling in spare tire well
Fix: Four drain tubes clog with debris where they exit behind wheel wells. Requires removing wheel well liners to blow out tubes (1.5 hours). If delayed, water damages modules under seats and corrodes body seams. Clean drains every oil change in high-pollen areas.
Estimated cost: $180-280 for cleaning, $1,500-3,000+ if electronics damaged
Backup Camera Failures and Distortion
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Backup camera shows black screen or 'camera unavailable' message, Image distorted, blurry, or has horizontal lines, Camera works intermittently, especially in cold weather, Recall issued for camera failures causing blind spots
Fix: Camera module mounted in tailgate handle corrodes internally or loses connection. Replacement: 1-1.5 hours including tailgate trim removal and calibration. Ford recall 20S37 covers some VINs. Aftermarket cameras fail quickly—use OEM only.
Estimated cost: $450-750
Timing Chain Stretch and Phaser Failures
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Rattling on cold start from front of engine for 2-5 seconds, Check engine light with P0016 or P0017 (cam/crank correlation), Rough idle or hesitation, Metal shavings in oil from worn chain guides
Fix: Early gen-3 EcoBoosts had phaser and chain issues. Requires timing chain set, both cam phasers, guides, and tensioners. Front cover removal: 12-16 hours labor. If delayed until chain jumps, valve/piston contact destroys engine. Use Motorcraft oil and change every 5k to extend life.
Estimated cost: $3,500-5,500
Owner tips
Change oil every 5,000 miles maximum with Motorcraft synthetic—carbon buildup kills these engines
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually and replace at first sign of seepage
Clean sunroof drain tubes yearly to prevent interior water damage
Avoid extended idling and short trips under 10 minutes—LSPI risk highest when engine not fully warmed
Budget $500/year post-warranty for turbo/powertrain-related repairs—these are not cheap to maintain
Avoid unless under warranty or you have $5k-10k set aside for inevitable EcoBoost catastrophic failure—luxurious when running, financial disaster when not.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER · 25V236000
2025-04-11
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
Consequence: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S37. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-150.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS · 24V852000
2024-11-08
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER · 24V099000
2024-02-09 · PE23021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently deploy and lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors, as necessary. Additionally, dealers will install an HVAC drain tube elbow if it is missing. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S06.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA · 23V598000
2023-08-25
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2018-2021 Lincoln Navigator, 2022-2023 Ford Transit, and 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles. The rearview camera, or 360-degree view camera if equipped, may not display a rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
Consequence: Loss of the rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, and update the software and wiring as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023 to Lincoln owners. Ford vehicle owners notification letters were mailed March 4, 2024. Ford remedy parts are anticipated 2nd Quarter 2024. Ford's number for this recall is 23S48.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."
Consequence: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY · 18V805000
2018-11-14
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Expedition vehicles. The second row center seat track assemblies may be missing one or both of the J-Channel reinforcement brackets, possibly allowing the seat to move in the event of a crash.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, a seat that moves may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row center seat for any missing J-channel reinforcement brackets, replacing the center seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge. An interim owner notification was sent on December 21, 2018. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S37
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S17.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · 18V213000
2018-04-04
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Consequence: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS · 18V058000
2018-01-16
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The second row window control modules may intermittently stop the movement of the power window. If something, such as a finger, is pinched by the window glass, the stopped window control module may prevent the window from automatically reversing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Consequence: If the window does not automatically reverse when an obstruction is found, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row window electronic control modules, and replace them as necessary based on their build date codes, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C01.
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