while driving in raid the wipers slowed drastically, like it wasn't connected well to the motor, then ultimately stopped. This made it difficult to see while driving and we can no longer drive in the rain until we can get it repaired. Dealer was unwilling to come remotely to inspect and repair.
Lincoln Navigator wipers problems
31 of the 1,361 owner complaints about the Lincoln Navigator describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 31
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 90,000
Is there a fix? There are 8 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Door locks 3Grinding brakes 3Slipping 1Hesitation 1Fuel pump 1
What owners say
Passenger windshield wiper arm flew off while driving vehicle in moderate rainy weather.
One Wiper stopped working in a rain storm
Windshield wipers will stop working when driving in weather that requires the windshield wipers. They stop in place and will not move even when trying to move them manually. This is an intermittent problem. The windshield wipers will reset and start working after a period of 6+ hours of the car being turned off. This happened on 12/1/22 and 12/10/22 while driving the car. Car dealership will not assist unless there is failure that can be produced at time of service. Lincoln has been notified and is unable to assist as well.
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 22V250000 (Visibility) and 22V346000 (Engine) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the driver’s side windshield wiper experienced the failure listed in 22V250000 (Visibility). The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 lincoln navigator. While driving 65 MPH speed and take your foot of the gas pedal and car continues to go 65 MPH all of sudden no power steering or power brakes. In addition, the contact stated that the electrical system failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000. The consumer stated the vehicle continued to go 65 MPH, even when he removed his foot from the accelerator. The RPM meter and the motor speed dropped down to 500 RPM and the engine shut off. There was no power steering and no power brakes, but the vehicle continued going 65 MPH. Also, the radio and air conditioner burned out. The dealer stated the burn happened inside the wire harness. Updated 03/08/17.*jb...updated 03/08/17 *bf updated 09/18/2017*js the consumer stated the radio, AC-fans, turn signals, electric windows, brake lights, turn signals, hazard lights, tail gate, window wiper, actuator, over head stop light, door lock, the tail gate would not open, air springs/air compressor, heater controls, and the wire fuse caused a fire. *js
Vehicles wipers will not cut off. Wiper motor smokes bad from under hood.
Heated/cool seat module burning, ignition coil, 4x4 (4-wheel drive system) , windshield wiper motor linkage transmission , engine light came on , heated heat stopped working , changed entire 4x4 system and it still goes into 4 wheel drive by itself
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lincoln navigator. The contact stated that after rainy weather, there was a burning odor and an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle as if it was attempting to start independently. In addition, the contact stated the windshield wipers failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical system failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.
I have a 2013 lincoln navigator that has some serious problems with it's rain sensing wipers. They will stop completely during a rain or rain/snow storm. Other times they won't come on by themselves. They instead have to be turned on manually. They have come on and stayed on for at least two minutes when there has been absolutely no rain or moisture in the air. I am sure you will agree with me that this can prove to be a very dangerous situation. We also have documentation on the dealer's work orders showing the times we had brought our vehicle in for the problems. We have pictures proving our problem but these pictures have been completely ignored by both the lincoln reps themselves and the dealer's service department that we purchased our vehicle from new last may' williams auto group in sayre, pa. From their tests the wipers 'work as they were designed to'. I am going through the pa lemon law now but I was just curious if there had been other vehicle owners, ford or lincoln, that have reported the same or similar problem. What makes this very troublesome is both the company's and the williams group ignoring our proof -- the pictures. Previously we were having problems with our tailgate opening while driving the vehicle, outside mirrors moving on their own, drivers seat adjusting on its own and the key lock not operating as it should. Even though none of these were able to be reconstructed at the dealership, there were 3 instances where these were witnessed by the dealer's service employees. So they did go ahead and replace many of the modules but have done nothing with the wipers.
Related recalls
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2022-2023 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, and F-600 SD vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S24.Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on April 1, 2026.
Recall number 26V204000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
- Risk
- A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning October 30, 2025.
Recall number 25V729000 · Recall details
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The LED logo lights on the exterior mirrors may short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short circuit in the exterior mirror increases the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will disconnect the LED light wires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S08.
Recall number 25V091000 · Recall details
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system: fan/motor
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail.
- Risk
- Front blower motor failure can increase the risk of a vehicle interior fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the second quarter of 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S56.
Recall number 22V648000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.
Recall number 22V250000 · Recall details
Visibility: power window devices and controls
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 18V058000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
- Risk
- After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1‑800‑521‑4140.
Recall number 05V520000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
- Risk
- Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V258000 · Recall details
Questions about the Lincoln Navigator wipers
Which Lincoln Navigator years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (11 complaints), 2000 (5 complaints) and 2001 (3 complaints).
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