LincolnNavigator2020Overview/lincoln/navigator/2020/base/

2020 Lincoln Navigator

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2020 Navigator.

Transmission Automatic (S10)

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator is defined by a ten-speed automatic transmission, EPA fuel economy ratings of 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined, and a 6.0-quart oil system running 5W-30 viscosity. Reliability data for this model year tallies 28 owner complaints, with the powertrain as the leading concern and 13 recalls issued to date. Within the broader Navigator complaint history spanning 1997 to 2027—bookended by a 1998 peak of 209 complaints and a 2023 low of just 6—the 2020 lands comfortably in the middle of the pack, neither a standout trouble spot nor a paragon of dependability.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182017

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque150.0 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/22/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI HB · 850 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI HB · 850 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnPWMOEM · verified
Tire size275/55R20/113HOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S10)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length209.8 in
Overall width79.9 in
Overall height76.4 in
Wheelbase122.4 in
Curb weight5855 lb
Track (front / rear)67.7 / 67.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)50/50

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 22 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Navigator of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.90 sec — 2020 Black Label
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2020Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.90 sec14.50 sec450 hp4x4
2020Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.90 sec14.50 sec450 hp4x4
2021Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.20 sec13.80 sec450 hp4x4
2018Reserve 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.40 sec14.00 sec450 hp4x4
2018L Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.50 sec14.20 sec450 hp4x4
2018Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.90 sec14.50 sec450 hp4x4
2018Reserve 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.90 sec14.50 sec450 hp4x4
2018Black Label 3.5L Twin-Turbo V66.80 sec15.20 sec450 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, SAE 75W · Synthetic · SAE 75W in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 150.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidMERCON® ULV Automatic Transmission Fluid
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity13.0
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · Synthetic · SAE 75W
Engine OilSAE 5W · Synthetic
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Power Steering FluidEPS

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)5.1 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)6.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)35.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)14.75 ft-lbs
Flex or Driveplate Bolts59.0 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts59.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head BoltsStuds: 13.0 ft-lbs, Nuts: 18.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Driveshaft Flange to Transmission76.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts150.0 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts76.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug11.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug11.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub Bearing Housing Bolts129.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Type12405
Spark Plug Gap0.030 in
Spark Plug Torque11.08 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity2.3125 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeYN-35
Oil Capacity6.1 oz
Standard BCI Group NumberHB
Standard BCI Cranking Performance850 cca
Standard BCI Group Number49 Must use a AGM VRLA Battery

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum44–73 psi Engine running psi
Engine Oil Pressure30.0

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 27.0; Rear: 26.0
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 184.0; Rear: 258.0
ABS Sensor TorqueFront: 12.5; Rear: 12.5
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.260; Rear: 0.886
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationStamped on rotor
Maximum Rotor RunoutStamped on rotor

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
16.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 45°6 ft. lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
171.0 inch lbs., Step 2: 45°71 in
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
130.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: Loosen 360° Step 3: 18.0 ft. lbs. Step 4: 150°30 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
117.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 32.0 ft. lbs. Step 3: 90°17 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
117.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 32.0 ft. lbs., Step 3: 90°17 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Center Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 90° Step 3: 60°37 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
114.75 ft. lbs. Step 2: 33.0 ft. lbs. Step 3: 90° Step 4: 90° Step 5: 90°14.75 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
145°

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 200,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 200,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Drive Belt (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 200,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator sits near the middle of a generation that has seen a gradual rise in recall activity after a low‑point around 2009‑2014, climbing from 0‑4 recalls per year to a peak of 13 recalls in 2020 and remaining above eight through 2023. Complaints, however, dropped sharply in 2020 to 28 after a modest increase to 69 in 2019, making 2020 an outlier low in consumer‑reported issues despite the higher recall count. Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) peaked in 2020 at 191, reflecting a concentration of manufacturer‑issued fixes even as investigations stayed at zero. The top complaint categories for 2020 were power‑train (15 reports), engine (3), electrical system (2) and exterior lighting (1), with only two crash‑related and two fire‑related complaints recorded. Overall, the data suggests 2020 benefits from fewer owner complaints but a higher recall volume, indicating proactive safety work rather than chronic defects; this makes the year a relatively safe buy, provided the recall remedies have been completed.

13
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
191
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
28
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 28 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train15
Engine3
Electrical System2
Exterior Lighting1
Electrical System,Lane Departure,Forward Collision Avoidance1
Seat Belts1
Power Train,Vehicle Speed Control1
Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 13 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V366000Seats:Mid/Rear AssemblyReported 23/06/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The attachment bracket for the driver's side second-row seat headrest may not have been sufficiently welded to the seat… Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began July 8, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer…

20V262000Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/PanelReported 08/05/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with camera-only Pre-Collision Assist feature. Vehicles built with the optional radar-plus-camera Pre-Collision… Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram software for the Body Control Module, Antilock Braking System, Instrument Panel Cluster and Headlamp Control Modules, and reset…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 191 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 545892026-02-17Electrical SystemSome 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various…
TSB 26-20012026-02-06Unknown Or OtherSome of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a broken floor…
SSM 545552026-02-06Electrical SystemSome 2020-2022-Corsair, 2021-2023 Nautilus, 2020-2024 Navigator/Aviator, and 2021-2024…
25L022025-12-02Unknown Or OtherSpecial Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified…
SSM 543662025-11-11Power TrainSome 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Navigator. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2020 Navigator take?

6.0 qt of SAE 5W-30 Premium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil, per the factory manual.

Does the 2020 Navigator have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 13 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Navigator get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 19 combined mpg.