NHTSA complaint #11720221

Owner complaint summary

On May 26, 2024, I entered into a lease agreement for a Lincoln Navigator vehicle manufactured and warranted by Lincoln Motor Company. This vehicle subsequently developed multiple serious and dangerous safety defects, including uncontrolled and spontaneous seat inflation, failure of seat pump systems, infotainment system failure including loss of backup camera and safety display systems, unexpected closure of side mirrors while driving, and continued seat movement and mechanical activation after the vehicle was powered off. These defects presented a direct and substantial risk to occupant safety. On multiple occasions, uncontrolled seat inflation physically restrained and trapped an occupant, including a minor child, by causing the seat structure to expand while the seatbelt locking mechanism engaged, restricting the occupant’s ability to exit the seat. These events occurred while the vehicle was in operation, including while traveling on a public freeway, creating an immediate and dangerous safety hazard. Lincoln Motor Company and Galpin Ford were repeatedly notified of these safety defects. On January 6, 2025, the vehicle was delivered to Galpin Lincoln, an authorized Lincoln Motor Company repair facility, for emergency repair due to these ongoing and escalating safety failures. Lincoln Motor Company retained possession of the vehicle for approximately eighty-three (83) days. During this time, Lincoln Motor Company admitted in writing that critical seat systems and associated pump mechanisms were not functioning as designed. Lincoln Motor Company further admitted that no repair remedy existed for certain infotainment and software-related system failures due to lack of available corrective software or engineering solution. Despite these admissions & despite exceeding statutory repair period thresholds, Lincoln Motor Company failed to repair myriad safety hazards on our Navigator leaving us with an inoperable vehicle.