2019 Lincoln Nautilus Reliability Report

The most serious reports here involve overheating and coolant loss. Owners describe low-coolant warnings followed by rapid overheating and engine shutdown, sometimes leaving them stranded far from help. One independent shop confirmed coolant getting into the cylinders of the 2.0L EcoBoost, and another complaint cites a blown head gasket. Other complaints include stalling every time the car stops and loss of power at highway speed with a powertrain warning. Several owners also report jerking or slipping on acceleration that reads more like transmission trouble.

Power assist cuts out, or the wheel swings off center with no driver input. Reports describe an Adaptive Steering Fault message while the wheel sits turned to one side and the car keeps going straight. Others describe the power steering failing and the wheel seizing for a few seconds, or a full loss of assist while driving. One dealer quoted $5,000 for a whole steering column because the faulty module cannot be replaced by itself. Other complaints include a violent wobble at 65 mph, lane centering steering into the next lane, and a heated wheel too hot to hold.

Most of these reports involve belts that will not unlatch, extend, or retract. Front driver belts stick or fail to release. Rear belts stop retracting, and in one case a rear middle belt locked so tight it had to be cut. One dealer said the full belt assembly needed replacing. Failures show up between about 20,000 and 50,000 miles. One rear passenger buckle is also described as very hard to fasten with booster seats, and extenders do not fit it.

In one report, sluggish acceleration with an EGR valve code, P0401, continues even after the valve is replaced. That owner also lists a head gasket and torque converter replaced at 60,938 miles and a purge valve at 67,795. The other complaint describes a tank that takes only about half a gallon at a time before the pump nozzle shuts off as if full. With just 2 complaints on file, neither problem forms a clear pattern.

Brake complaints are rare here but severe. One report describes a sudden, complete loss of braking with a very stiff pedal and no warning light. It was traced to a broken camshaft coupler screw and a failed vacuum pump. The other describes the car braking hard on its own on the interstate, with cruise control on, while passing a truck. The hard braking stopped only when the driver stepped in. Only 2 complaints are on file.

Parking and reversing aids fall short in these reports. One crash-related complaint involves the automated parking assist, which Lincoln said worked as designed. The other says rear cross-traffic alert sometimes stays silent, and that the backup camera image is poor in daylight and close to unusable at night. With only 2 complaints, no broader pattern is clear. Both point to reversing aids that a driver cannot fully rely on.

The 2 complaints here involve headlight faults. In one, water gets inside a headlight and the turn signal, daytime running light and headlight fail on and off. The warranty repair stalls for over 2 months because no replacement assembly is available, so this one is mainly a parts shortage. In the other, the automatic high beams flash at night in traffic with no indicator on the dash, which can dazzle oncoming drivers.