2020 Lincoln Nautilus problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 16 | 50% |
| Engine | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 9% |
| Wheels | 3 | 9% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought my 2020 Lincoln nautilus in February 2025 soon after I noticed a jerking from my lower gears,it has 80000 miles.i took it to the dealer I bought it from and they said the transmission is falling and will cost $10,188 to replace. They told me there was no recall and it wasn't covered under any warranty.”
Power Train · filed Jul 14, 2026
“I bought my 2020 Lincoln nautilus in February 2025 soon after I noticed a jerking from my lower gears,it has 80000 miles.i took it to the dealer I bought it from and they said the transmission is falling and will cost $10,188 to replace. They told me there was no recall and it wasn't covered under any warranty.”
Power Train · filed Jul 14, 2026
“My 2020 Lincoln Nautilus has an intermittent jerk during light acceleration with no diagnostic codes. This was confirmed when I had a professional mechanic drive it.”
Power Train · filed Jul 6, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance
Recall Query RQ21002 · opened Aug 3, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
142 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W520102-S442 and 4S4Z-3N324-AA "FWD Only". Some of the vehicles listed in the…
TSB 26-2341 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim quantity for the drain/fill plug, update the claim quantity of the wheel hub…
TSB 26-2328 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the…
TSB 26-2194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2026
This article updates TSB 25-2154. Reasons for update: *Parts List *Service Procedure to replace the output planetary carrier assembly *Added 2023-2024 model year vehicles Some of the vehicles listed in the Model…
TSB 26-2171 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2026
This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One time use parts for Corsair and Bronco Sport were also added to the parts list…
TSB 26-2092 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various connectivity concerns with The Ford App Lincoln App including but not limited to: missing activation prompt pop-upon the vehicle's…
SSM 54589 · Other · issued Feb 17, 2026
This article supersedes TSB 25-2552 to update the Parts List Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: Shudder chatter condition, most noticeable at low speeds…
TSB 25-2627 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 9, 2026
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
This article supersedes TSB 25-2351 to update the Service Procedure Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: Shudder chatter condition, most noticeable at low…
TSB 25-2552 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2025
Some 2019-2020 Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost, 2020 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.0L plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) engine, 2020 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.0L…
SSM 54262 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Lincoln Nautilus has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Lincoln Nautilus?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.