Is the Lincoln Navigator more reliable than the Toyota Sequoia?

No. The Sequoia has a clear edge. It draws 3.1 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 6.2 for the Navigator. Its repairs also cost less and are less likely to be major. Both models still stand well in the rankings.

Which has more recalls, the Navigator or the Sequoia?

The Navigator has far more. Federal recall records show 68 recalls across 9 model years for the Navigator and 17 across 5 model years for the Sequoia. Navigator seat belt complaints often mention long waits for recall parts, so check open recalls on any VIN.

Which costs less to repair, the Navigator or the Sequoia?

The Sequoia costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $642 a year, against $1089 for the Navigator. That is about $2,235 over five years. Shop visits are equal at 0.4 per year, but Navigator repairs are more often major.

What are the common Lincoln Navigator problems?

The biggest is the 10-speed automatic, which slips, hesitates, and sticks in gear. Others include cam phaser failures with cold-start rattle, a digital instrument cluster that goes blank, and seat belt pretensioners that fire without a crash.

What goes wrong on the Toyota Sequoia?

Electrical driver-assist faults lead its complaints. Blind spot, pre-collision, and camera warnings come on falsely and often return after software updates. Some owners report the truck braking hard with nothing ahead. Power train and fuel complaints are few.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia: Reliability Compared

Lincoln Navigator

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Sequoia

Good

On reliability, the Toyota Sequoia beats the Lincoln Navigator by a clear margin. Its estimated annual repair cost is $642 against $1089. Owners also file about half as many complaints per vehicle sold, and the Navigator's transmission problems are the biggest gap.

How Do the Lincoln Navigator and Toyota Sequoia Generations Compare?

Most used Navigators a shopper will see come from the fourth generation, which ran from 2018 through 2024 and received a refresh in 2022. The fifth generation began with the 2025 model year, so 2025 and 2026 are early in a new cycle and have little complaint history. The Sequoia data covers 2018 to 2022, all within the second generation, which began in 2008. A third generation arrived for 2023. Every Sequoia year in this comparison therefore belongs to the older design, and its record has had time to build up.

Verdict

The Toyota Sequoia is more reliable than the Lincoln Navigator, scoring 71/100 vs 62/100.

Reliability favors the Toyota Sequoia, and the edge is clear. Owners file about half as many complaints per vehicle sold, the yearly repair bill is lower, and a repair is less likely to be major. The Lincoln Navigator's main weakness is its 10-speed automatic, which slips, hesitates, and sticks in gear, with reports starting as early as 20,000 to 31,000 miles. Both models stand well in the rankings, but the Sequoia gives you fewer chances of a costly surprise.

Key Differences

1Toyota Sequoia costs $447 less per year to repair
2Toyota Sequoia has 51 fewer total recalls
3Toyota Sequoia scores 9 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

0Lincoln Navigator

—

5Toyota Sequoia

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia: Which Is More Reliable?

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Lincoln Navigator	Toyota Sequoia
Reliability Score	62/100	71/100
Years Tracked	9	5
Total Recalls	68	17
Complaints per 10k Sold	6.2	3.1
Annual Repair Cost	$1089/yr	$642/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	18%	15%
Year Wins	0	5

What Are the Common Problems With the Lincoln Navigator and Toyota Sequoia?

Drivetrain and engine trouble dominates the Navigator's record. Owners describe the transmission revving without pulling away, shuddering on inclines, and coasting as if in neutral, plus cold-start rattle from failed cam phasers. Its electrical and seat belt areas also include crash-linked complaints, among them pretensioners that fire with no crash. The Sequoia's complaints are mostly electrical and mild by comparison: false driver-assist warnings that keep returning. The worst of them involve sudden hard braking with no vehicle ahead. Its power train and fuel complaints are only a handful, so no wider pattern shows.

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia common problem areas comparison
Component	Lincoln Navigator	Toyota Sequoia
POWER TRAIN	1.4Low	0.2Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	0.6Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE	0.6Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.4Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.3Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.2Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.2Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Lincoln Navigator or Toyota Sequoia?

Repair bills run lower on the Sequoia. Its estimated annual repair cost is $642, against $1089 for the Navigator. Over five years, that gap comes to about $2,235 in the Sequoia's favor. Both models average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits per year, so you will visit the shop equally often. The difference is in what happens there: 18% of Navigator repairs are major, compared with 15% for the Sequoia.

How Does Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia Reliability Compare by Year?

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Lincoln Navigator	Toyota Sequoia	Edge
2022	61/10013R / 16C	72/1002R / 1C	Toyota Sequoia
2021	60/10010R / 26C	72/1002R / 4C	Toyota Sequoia
2020	60/10011R / 24C	72/1002R / 4C	Toyota Sequoia
2019	59/1004R / 58C	70/1006R / 7C	Toyota Sequoia
2018	59/1007R / 45C	69/1005R / 20C	Toyota Sequoia

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Lincoln Navigator scored 61/100 and the 2022 Toyota Sequoia scored 72/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Lincoln Navigator vs the Toyota Sequoia?

Pick the Sequoia if you want the lower-risk used full-size SUV. It costs less to keep running and has far fewer recalls and complaints. Target 2020 and 2021, which rank as its strongest years, and be careful with 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Before you buy, ask a dealer to confirm that no recall work is open on the VIN, and test the driver-assist features for false warnings or sudden braking. Pick the Navigator if you want the Lincoln's size and features and can accept a higher chance of expensive repairs. Avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rank well, but they are new and have had little time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof they are better. On any Navigator, test drive for transmission slip, hesitation, and late shifts, listen for rattle on a cold start, and confirm that every seat belt recall repair is finished.

Lincoln Navigator vs Toyota Sequoia: Common Questions

Is the Lincoln Navigator more reliable than the Toyota Sequoia?: No. The Sequoia has a clear edge. It draws 3.1 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 6.2 for the Navigator. Its repairs also cost less and are less likely to be major. Both models still stand well in the rankings.
Which has more recalls, the Navigator or the Sequoia?: The Navigator has far more. Federal recall records show 68 recalls across 9 model years for the Navigator and 17 across 5 model years for the Sequoia. Navigator seat belt complaints often mention long waits for recall parts, so check open recalls on any VIN.
Which costs less to repair, the Navigator or the Sequoia?: The Sequoia costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $642 a year, against $1089 for the Navigator. That is about $2,235 over five years. Shop visits are equal at 0.4 per year, but Navigator repairs are more often major.
What are the common Lincoln Navigator problems?: The biggest is the 10-speed automatic, which slips, hesitates, and sticks in gear. Others include cam phaser failures with cold-start rattle, a digital instrument cluster that goes blank, and seat belt pretensioners that fire without a crash.
What goes wrong on the Toyota Sequoia?: Electrical driver-assist faults lead its complaints. Blind spot, pre-collision, and camera warnings come on falsely and often return after software updates. Some owners report the truck braking hard with nothing ahead. Power train and fuel complaints are few.

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More Toyota Sequoia comparisons

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How we score the Lincoln Navigator and Toyota Sequoia

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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