NHTSA complaint #11769448

Owner complaint summary

Vehicle: 2019 Lincoln Navigator (equipped with 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission). Incident Description: While operating the vehicle in normal traffic conditions, the transmission experiences severe internal hydraulic failure, resulting in a violent jolt/jerk. Immediately following this event, the vehicle’s Powertrain Malfunction Indicator (Wrench Light) illuminates, and the vehicle enters a fail-safe "limp mode." Once in this state, the transmission suffers a complete loss of gear engagement, effectively locking the driver out of acceleration. The vehicle actively resists or completely refuses to engage Drive (D) or Reverse (R), causing an unexpected loss of propulsion while navigating heavy public roadways. To temporarily regain vehicle control, the ignition must be cycled completely off and on. A certified franchise dealership diagnostic scan confirmed severe internal mechanical degradation with heavy metal debris suspended in the transmission fluid, destroying the transmission assembly and damaging the Transmission Control Module (TCM). Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) Present: P0868:00 (Transmission Fluid Pressure Low), P2701:00 / P2703:00 (Clutch Friction Element Apply Time Faults), P07E6:00 (Transmission Park Valve Circuit Stuck), and P1674:00 (Control Module Software Corrupted). Safety Hazard: The sudden and unpredictable loss of forward propulsion and gear engagement forces the vehicle into an immobilized state without warning, creating an imminent risk of a rear-end collision or leaving the driver stranded in live, high-speed traffic. This is a known systemic component defect (addressed in Ford TSB 23-2120) that poses a severe, active safety hazard to occupants and surrounding motorists. The vehicle has experienced intermittent jerking for over a year, but experienced a complete powertrain failure and loss of gear engagement on 10/6/2026.