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ProblemsByVin Index / 2020-LINCOLN-NAUTILUS / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2020 Lincoln Nautilus owner complaints

28 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle . Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

powertrain 8 complaints shown

11 total in this category · severe · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/02/2025 ODI #11702537.0

Hard shift stuttering when driving About 30000 miles ago Called Lincoln they said $150 to diagnose it No warning lights

10/23/2025 ODI #11695215.0

Transmission complete failure. It is available at the dealer. Where I had it towed. Went out on highway. Everyone using the turnpike highway was in danger. Slowed vehicle to little more than idle speed, in road construction. Little rough being slowed from 75mph to 10 mph. One dealer diagnosed it. I had it towed to the original dealer after having it towed to the closest dealer. Warning light came on during the turnpike travel. Limited access highway. October 19, 2025

09/22/2025 ODI #11689032.0

Transmission bucking and slow under 40 mph. brought to dealers attention. Car only 5 years old. Diagnostics resulted in internal fault , excessive slippage and torque converter chatter. Told that I could easily breakdown at any time if transmission not replaced.!!!! No warnings or messages. Occurring approx 2 months. Noted a class action investigation into this issue on 2020 Nautilus !

08/30/2025 ODI #11684050.0

Car jerks/ shifts hard up to 35 miles per hour.

08/28/2025 ODI #11683754.0

2/4/25 purchased 2020 Nautilus from Dick Hannah Jeep Vancouver, WA 3/12/25 I noticed some issues developing with uneven revving. Inconsistent in cruise control, feeling like the road is bumpy. Also revving up to 3,000 RPM when breaking to stop. 3/28/25 Kendall Ford did software update issues still happening, they said it's adaptive learning and needs time to adjust to my style of driving. Made appointment for Courtesy Lincoln. 4/8/25 - 4/26/25 Courtesy Lincoln let me know on the 10th transmission needed to be replaced, so they ordered parts which arrived 4/14. Time passed and I finally had to check in 4/22 to be told it was in the shop now. When I asked if there had been a delay, they said the transmission technician quit. Things happen, but communication goes a very long way when rent

06/14/2021 ODI #11420872.0

I’ve only had the car 2 weeks brought brand new from Crest Lincoln on May 28,2020. Every time I try to accelerate the car doesn’t want to move , it sounds like it’s trying to get power. It makes a humming noise then it slowly starts to move and the care jerks and pick up speed. I don’t like it, I’m afraid that when i come to a light and it doesn’t accelerate I might get hit from behind. I contacted the sales person Paul Smith (on vacation) then I spoke to the Sales Manager (Deno Martino) told him my story. He said he believes its the software. And that he will tell the Service Manager to reach out to me ( Bob Elliott) I honestly believe that the car shouldn’t been sold and the sales person and sales manager knew it. It was a sale for them and a bad experience for me. I didn’t tes

05/08/2023 ODI #11521005.0

Vehicle has an erratic transmission issue. Ddoes not respond at times when in traffic at low speeds. Do not feel safe in traffic because of this. Worried if it will respond when asked to do so. No codes or other warnings are giving by the vehicle. Been to the dealer at least 3x and once the reset the computer back to factory settings only to have it morph back into its unreliable state after 2k miles were added. The dealer art hill Ford claims they are backed up with work and dont notice anything wrong when driving it on a few occasions. But admittley state that the 10 speed transmissions are a problem. The manufacuter licoln offered a buy back but changed it to 10 free oil changes

05/05/2025 ODI #11659120.0

When taking my car in for diagnostics, I was informed of a transmission failure. My VIN was not included in a transmission recall but has the same issue . Mileage on my 2020 Lincoln Natilus is 94,000. The same type of transmission is in my car that was recalled in 2021. There is discrepancies with who is allowed to get the transmission. The problem I was having was with the Auto Hold not working at all times. My car has been stalling after stopping at a traffic light or sign and trying to accelerate . The vehicle service report showed no issues, warnings, or service needs. There was no engine warning light, nor code. Lincoln denied responsibility for fixing it. My extended warranty company sent an adjuster and verified it needs a transmission. The computer monitoring smart sy

other 3 complaints shown

08/04/2021 2,000 mi ODI #11427694.0

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V575000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted on multiple occasions and informed him that the part was still unavailable. The contact also stated that soon after receiving the recall notice, the back over prevention camera failed to operate. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

06/23/2023 40,009 mi ODI #11528446.0

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing in the rain, the back-up camera image was distorted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the failure might be due to a leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 40,009.

04/25/2026 ODI #11733790.0

Rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation

lighting 2 complaints shown

12/25/2023 ODI #11561745.0

High mount brake light failure (2nd occurrence) November 2023 at 13,400 miles. Vehicle was repaired under warranty. This occurrence appears to be a repeated faulty part. Failure of high mount brake light creates rear collision potential in low visibility scenarios. The part (13613A High Mount Stop Lamp Assembly) appears to be a known faulty part by manufacturer or vehicle design. There are no warning lamps or messages to warn driver that failure has occurred. Problem could go unnoticed for an extended time.

11/04/2023 ODI #11553530.0

High mount brake light (or third brake light) failure occurred September 2022 at 8,000 miles. Vehicle was repaired under warranty. Failure of high mount brake light creates rear collision potential in low visibility scenarios. The part (13613A High Mount Stop Lamp Assembly) appears to be faulty by manufacturer or vehicle design. There are no warning lamps or messages to warn driver that failure has occurred. Problem could go unnoticed for an extended time.

wheels 2 complaints shown

3 total in this category · severe · avg repair $400 · see wheels cluster analysis →
12/23/2025 ODI #11706804.0

Manual Park--release cable escaped its locking position, locking front wheel brakes ON. The locked brakes resulted in the car being dragged until we noticed the problem and exited the motor home to reinstate the cable into its locking position (to re-seat the metal bead in the pocket, locking it in the override position). Dragging the locked wheels creates a fire and traffic hazard with large plumes of blue smoke, potential towed-vehicle fish-tail out of control affecting nearby/adjacent traffic lanes. This issue was confirmed by my long-time mechanic (Deckard Pham) as a design deficiency that could fail due to road vibrations, that it was intended for limited use for emergency towing. This incident has occurred four times over the past year; twice, at low speed (so tire damage was mi

07/13/2024 ODI #11601751.0

When I took the vehicle in for service, I had to replace all 20 lug nuts as the dealer service department reported they were "swollen" and they were unable to complete the tire rotation. This also poses a safety risk as if I had a flat tire, I could not get them off to change a tire. They could also break causing stress on others and cause a wheel to come off of the vehicle. I was advised that this is a common problem with Ford/Lincoln vehicles, however there didn't seem to be any warranty coverage or safety recalls. If this is a common problem or some type of defect, it seems that I should not have had to spend $240 to replace them.

cruise control 2 complaints shown

10/02/2024 24,000 mi ODI #11617686.0

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated while driving downhill at 55 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle failed to maintain the set speed and accelerated to 70-75 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had standard cruise control; not adaptive cruise control that could automatically apply the brakes while driving and maintain the set speed. The vehicle was then taken to Ellsworth Ford, Inc. (424 Industrial Rd, Ellsworth, WI 54011), where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

09/13/2022 ODI #11484267.0

When accelerating onto the interstate the traction control engages without a warning light. It occurs on dry pavement. The acceleration is not excessive and there is no loss of traction. The traction control disengages when the accelerator pedal is released.

fuel system 1 complaint shown

12/30/2025 85,000 mi ODI #11707732.0

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle jerked upon starting and shifting to drive(D) intermittently. The contact stated that the failure initially occurred after refueling the vehicle, but the failure had become consistent and was occurring erratically. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and accelerating between 35-40 MPH, the vehicle jerked. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had added a fuel additive to the vehicle, and the failure was reduced temporarily. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The dealer was contacted and advised that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure t

equipment 1 complaint shown

11/20/2023 16,000 mi ODI #11556002.0

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the Hollywood Destination E Rack Bicycle Carrier had detached and fell onto the roadway. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E085000 (Equipment) as the cause for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000. The contact requesting the complaint be closed with a satisfactory outcome.

steering 1 complaint shown

05/21/2023 ODI #11523075.0

According to Lincoln, in their manual, the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus is designed such that it can be recreational towed behind a motorhome. My first experience towing this vehicle resulted in a violet "wobble" that shook a 43 foot motorhome when making a normal left hand turn. A second incident occurred when a dip in the road caused the wobble. In both incidents it was necessary to come to a complete stop and then proceed and the wobble disappeared. This problem has been discussed on RV Forums over the years but I'm not sure if it has been report. It was stated that in one incident the hitch of the RV snapped causing the towed vehicle to crash. I believe this is a potential danger on our roads.

Showing 300 of 28 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2020/Lincoln/Nautilus#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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