Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln brand is recalling a small batch of its 2025 SUVs. According to documents filed on the NHTSA’s website, the affected Navigators were manufactured with taillights that may have cracked outer lenses or weld lines.
These cracks allow moisture to accumulate, causing the reverse lights to flicker or fail entirely. Consequently, the recalled vehicles may not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards for lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. The taillight assemblies were supplied by Marelli Automotive Lighting Corporation.
2025 Lincoln Navigator Faces Taillight Woes
In October 2025, during assembly, a worker at Ford Motor Company’s Kentucky Truck Plant discovered a cracked taillight assembly. This prompted the Dearborn-based automaker to launch an investigation. Shortly after, FoMoCo received a pre-delivery inspection complaint, where a dealer found water inside a brand-new 2025 Lincoln Navigator on the lot.
According to the recall documents, the taillight supplier was in bankruptcy. As a result, Marelli Automotive Lighting used disposable cardboard packaging to store and ship a large batch of taillights instead of more robust, protective packaging.
As you might expect, Ford believes many of the suspect taillights were damaged during shipping. To date, the second-largest of Detroit’s Big Three automakers has received six warranty claims and six field reports of damaged taillights.
The 1,195 affected Navigators were produced between August 2025 and December 2025. Lincoln dealers will replace the liftgate-mounted taillight assembly free of charge, and customers will be notified by January 8, 2025, via interim owner letter.
The 2025 model year marked a generational shift for the Navigator, but the changes were underwhelming in terms of powertrain options. Like its predecessor, the 2025 model is only available with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
Despite its close ties to the F-150 pickup, the Navigator and its Expedition sibling still lack a hybrid option. The six-cylinder engine produces 400 horsepower and 480 pound-feet (651 Nm) of torque in the standard version. In the high-output variant, the figures rise to 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) when using premium gasoline.
The Lincoln Navigator comes standard with the more powerful engine. Available only with four-wheel drive, the Navigator achieves a combined fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon (13.8 liters/100 km). As of December 2025, the starting price is $99,995 for the Reserve trim with the standard wheelbase.
