Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Structure9
- Power train8
- Unknown or other4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Electrical system3
- Engine3
- Back over prevention2
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Vehicle speed control1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2021 Nautilus vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus failed the safety check 0.36% of the time — 62% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 16,633 miles.
4,680first inspections
0.36%failed on safety
16,633 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Lincoln Nautilus SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 15.5 % |
| 2021 Lincoln Nautilus SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 15.5 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 10.7–11.1 L/100 km (about 21–22 mpg US), CO₂ 252–262 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nautilus AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 9.6 | 10.7 |
| Nautilus AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 9.6 | 10.7 |
| Nautilus AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.6 | 9.3 | 11.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus.
| 2025260 9 May 2025 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to display or to freeze when the transmission is shifted into reverse… |
| 2024492 23 Aug 2024 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the intake valves may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the valves could break and cause the engine to fail. Note:… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
25V315000 · Back over prevention9 May 2025 · 1,076,138 vehicles
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
24V635000 · Engine and engine cooling23 Aug 2024 · 90,736 vehicles
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lincoln told its dealers about the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011227 | "Quality improvements include: -Improved error logging and fault recovery for the Battery Health, Wheel Alignment, Wheel Vibration, and Key off load monitors." |
| 11011211 | Quality improvements include: -Telematics Control Unit mantains its country code after updates -Ensures factory software image cannot be loaded onto the Telematics Control Unit once a production software has been loaded -Stolen Vehicle Service enhancement |
| 11010950 | Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. |
| 11009841 | Quality improvements include: -ECG minor improvments, not customer facing - Allow vehicle access during OTA update. - Reduction in Key off load battery drain via ECG controlled reset. Networking quality for a better experience with software updates |
| 11009445 | Some 2018-2024 F150/Edge, 2018 MKX, 2019-2023 Nautilus, 2020-2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2021-2024 Bronco, and 2024 Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost or a 3.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an engine oil leak from the crankshaft rear seal with retaining plate. |
| 11009439 | Some vehicles equipped with SYNC4 may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms after all currently available accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software updates have been performed. |
| 11008948 | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. |
| 11007916 | Unable To Update APIM, TCU Or GWM With FDRS And USB Drive - TSB 22-2404 Module Recovery App No Longer Available on FDRS |
| 11001112 | Some vehicles equipped with SYNC4 may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms after all currently available accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software updates have been performed. - General system performance, stability, and intermittent system reboots. - Intermittent Wireless CarPlay or Android Auto function. - Phone related concerns with intermittent No Audio or Static. - Navigation/global positioning system (GPS) related concerns through CarPlay and Android Auto. - Alexa function consistency and stability. These symptoms may be due to the software in the APIM. Replacing the |
| 10254334 | Quality Improvements include: Allow vehicle entry during OTA update. Add secure verification and roll back to Direct Configuration updates. |
| 10253552 | Various vehicles have had pinpoint tests, guided routines and the Warranty and Policy Manual recentlyupdated for diagnostics and repairs on SYNC generation 3 and later applications. When performingdiagnostics and repairs on SYNC Gen 3 or later, select the diagnostics tab and search for related symptoms,DTCs and keywords. The search results will be shown in the search results pane. Read and follow allTechnical Service Bulletins (TSB), Special Service Message (SSM)s or General Service Bulletin (GSB) first if abulletin specifically addresses the vehicle concern. If there are no messages, run the |
| 10251952 | For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbochargers replaced for oil leak symptoms and although oil may collect on the external surface of a turbocharger, it is extremely rare for a turbocharger assembly to be the root cause of the oil leak. Careful inspection of the turbocharger oil feed and drain tubes should be performed along with the recommended WSM procedures as needed. Warranty claims for turbochar |
| 10251934 | During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the timing gear breaking and engine damage. Replacement of the bolt is critical to the repair and accurately following the installation procedure in the Workshop Manual (WSM) Section, 303-01 is extremely important. The bolt torque procedure can be found in the crankshaft front seal removal and installation procedure or in the engine assembly procedure. |
| 10251455 | This TSB supersedes TSB 23-2049 to update the parts list. Some 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a ticking/tapping or rattle type noise from the top front cover area of the engine on initial start-up after a cold soak of 6 hours or more that may last for 2-5 seconds. This may be due to stuck internal components of the variable cam timing (VCT) unit. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the VCT units. |
| 10247526 | Various 2021-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with the rear camera on demand feature may exhibit a Please Check Surroundings For Safety or Full View Not Available message when the rear camera button is pressed and the vehicle is not in reverse. Inform customers this condition is considered normal operation and does not affect vehicle durability because the full rear view camera image can only be shown when the vehicle is in reverse. No additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition. |
| 10245389 | Some 2019-2021 Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with all wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit a noise from the rear of the vehicle while approaching the vehicle or prior to starting engine. This may be due to the rear drive unit (RDU) actuator learning process. Reprogram the software in the AWD module to minimize the noise using the latest software level of the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. If no other concerns or symptoms are present, further diagnosis or repairs are not recommended. For claiming, use causal part 4000 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time St |
| 10245384 | Some 2019-2021 Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit a noise/vibration/chatter/shudder/grind/bind from the rear of the vehicle during low speed turning events. To correct the condition, reprogram the AWD module using the latest software level of the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. For claiming use casual part RECAL and applicable labor times in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual. |
| 10245357 | Some 2021-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may exhibit the navigation feature in the center display screen only displaying imperial (feet and miles) units and not being able to change to metric (meters and kilometers) units. This may be due to the software level of the SYNC module (APIM). To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to update the APIM to the latest software level via a coordinated flash. NOTE: The APIM software update that addresses the symptom listed in this article may have been sent via Ford Power-Up software updates delivered over-the-air (OTA |
| 10245258 | Some 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with all wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit chatter/shudder during low speed turning events. This may be due to fluid contamination in the rear drive unit (RDU). Drain and refill the RDU, refer to Workshop Manual Section (WSM) 205-02. Drive for 5 miles (8 km) in stop and go conditions with right and left turns and re-evaluate. If the issue is still present, continue with normal WSM diagnostics. For claiming, use causal part 4000. |
| 10243471 | Some 2019-2022 Nautilus vehicles may exhibit the rubber seal between the spoiler support and the liftgate coming loose. This may be due to poor adhesion between the spoiler and the rubber seal. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace spoiler support rubber seal. |
| 10241982 | "Software Update 4 P4 for 2021- 2023 Nautilus vehicles is now available. Quality Improvements include: - Increase number of times the Backup startup password set-up pop-up is displayed after creating a Phone as a Key. - Improved Telematics Control Unit functionality. " |
| 10241627 | In various 2017-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, customers may receive a message in the FordPass or LincolnWay App stating Feature Unavailable. Since this is a fleet vehicle, it cannot access the (SYNC Connect) FordPass or LincolnWay app through the TCU Embedded Modem. If this message appears, the vehicle may be equipped with a fleet telematics module. Replacement of the TCU or TCU related repairs will not prevent this message from appearing. Refer the customer to in app FordPass Guides or LincolnWay Concierge Teams to aid with fleet telematics removal. Open app, select Account > Help > CHAT or |
| 10240577 | Some 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus, 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair, 2021-2023 Bronco Sport, 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with all wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit chatter/shudder during low speed turning events. This may be due to fluid contamination in the rear drive unit (RDU). Drain and refill the RDU, refer to Workshop Manual Section (WSM) 205-02. Drive for 5 miles (8 km) in stop and go conditions with right and left turns and re-evaluate. If the issue is still present, continue with normal WSM diagnostics. For claiming, use base (4000) causal part. |
| 10238726 | Software Update 4 P3 for 2021- 2022 Nautilus vehicles is now available. Quality improvements include: - Key fob access to vehicle during update. - Pre-conditioning pop up alerts. |
| 10238461 | Some 2021-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may exhibit the navigation feature in the center display screen only displaying imperial units and not being able to change to metric. This may be due to the software level of the SYNC module (APIM). This issue does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. Inform customers that engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition and will be released via Ford Power-Up software updates delivered over-the-air (OTA) expected in September 2023. Softwar |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
EA23002 · Engineopened 29 Sept 2023 · closed 31 Oct 2024
Loss of Motive Power
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation