2023 LINCOLN Nautilus

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

3RecallsNHTSA Verified6ComplaintsNHTSA Data1InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
⚠️Elevated Concerns

The 2023 Lincoln Nautilus faces notable safety concerns due to multiple recalls affecting critical systems, particularly involving child seat anchors and back-over prevention features. With issues emerging primarily within the first 20,000 miles, immediate attention is essential for current owners.

Key Factor:Child seat anchor defects

📋Why This Matters

The safety of children in vehicles is paramount, especially when it comes to the proper installation and use of child safety seats. The recalls related to insufficient tether welds could severely compromise a child's protection during a collision, underscoring the importance of adhering strictly to recall notifications. Additionally, the malfunctioning back-over prevention software raises alarms about potential injuries while reversing, which could disproportionately affect young passengers who may be difficult to see from the driver's perspective.

Focus Area:Safety Profile
📊

Expert Analysis

  • 📈
    Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
  • ⚠️
    Primary Risk Area:Noise
  • ⚖️
    Vs Brand: Better than avg (6.2)
    📝
    Summary: Year-over-year trends indicate that while Lincoln has strived for substantial engineering advancements in safety features, this model's recalls present a deviation from expected reliability norms. Given the nature and severity of these defects, particularly those impacting child safety mechanisms, this raises significant concerns about occupant protection in everyday driving scenarios.
Critical Component: Noise

Safety & Reliability Score

71/100
Good

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-24
Complaint Impact-0.3
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2023 LINCOLN Nautilus

Model Year2023
MakeLINCOLN
ModelNautilus
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more →
Jan23
NEWProduction
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Aug23
ISSUEFirst Report

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

2 complaints (33% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
✅

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 6 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
1(17%)
🟡Medium
2(33%)
🟢Low
3(50%)

Mileage Failure Analysis

⚙️Engineering Insight

With a peak failure range occurring between 0-20k miles and an average failure noted at just 1500 miles, owners should be particularly vigilant in monitoring their vehicles early on. This trend suggests that any underlying issues might manifest shortly after purchase or lease, making proactive checks critical for ensuring passenger safety.

📊 Mileage data extracted from 1 of 6 complaints (17% coverage)
0-20k
1 reports (100%)
20k-40k
0 reports (0%)
40k-60k
0 reports (0%)
60k-80k
0 reports (0%)
80k-100k
0 reports (0%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

CHILD SEATSUSPENSIONBACK OVER PREVENTION

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Child Seat Tether Anchor

Issue: Insufficient welds may prevent proper restraint during a crash.

✅

Verify recall status immediately and arrange for repairs at an authorized dealer.

🔍

Ensure that any used Nautilus has had the tether anchor recall resolved before purchasing.

Campaign:23V226000
2

Back Over Prevention Software

Issue: Delays or failures in rearview camera functionality can lead to accidents while reversing.

✅

Check if software updates have been applied to resolve the issue.

🔍

Inquire about software updates related to back over prevention before finalizing any purchase.

Campaign:23V227000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your LINCOLN dealer to verify recall completion status.

Official Safety Recalls (3)

Campaign: 23V198000

CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE TETHER ANCHOR

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Edge and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. The child seat tether wire welds on the second-row left-side seat back frame may be insufficient, which can reduce the seat's ability to properly restrain a child during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

Consequence

A child that is not properly restrained during a crash can have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the left-side second-row seat back frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C09.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

Campaign: 23V439000

SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. The rear shock absorbers may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in damage to the rear brake hose, rear axle half shaft, wheel speed sensor, and/or stabilizer bar end links.

Consequence

A damaged brake hose can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the rear shocks, rear brake hoses, rear wheel speed sensor, and rear half shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S32.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

Campaign: 25V315000

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Summary

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.

Consequence

A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2023 Nautilus.

INV-2023-1000🟢 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding Nautilus performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 26,823

Consumer Complaints

6 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2023 Nautilus.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Noise33%
Warning33%
Battery33%
Grind17%
Blank17%
Burn17%
Smell17%
Acceleration Issues17%
Check Engine Light17%
Display17%
Brakes🔶 Medium
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

During an emergency break, when applying full force to the break, and the vehicle is traveling at 20 or less mph, the vehicle cannot come to a full stop. Automatic Emergency Braking and pre-collision warning failed to engage. When pressing the break with full force, loud noise of all the break pads grinding can be heard. Under the same condition, pre-collision warning would sometimes be activated and sometimes doesn't. When using the car's auto parking feature, multiple sensors would have delayed warnings, and the car will not break when getting dangerously close to objects. The vehicle has been examed multiple times by the dealer regarding increased break distance and occasion grinding noise when breaking (regardless of the speed), no problem was found and the vehicle is therefore determined to be safe to drive.

May 19, 2025Under Review
Electrical🔵 Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When vehicle is started, intermittently, rear view camera does not come on for approximately 45-60 seconds later. The screen remains completely black then appears to reboot The camera issue happens about once every two weeks

Mar 21, 2025Under Review
Safety Systems🔵 Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION

The backup camera freezes to a single still frame and does not show the accurate view of the rear of the vehicle while backing. Since the camera is frozen to a still frame, any moving object that moves to the rear of the backing vehicle would not be visible in the image that the driver sees on screen. This is extremely dangerous in parking lots where both pedestrian and vehicle traffic are present. This vehicle's rear back up camera can not be trusted in the mall or school parking lot. The entire infotainment screen, where many of the safety features can be found, also goes blank with a black or blue screen. This has been to the Lincoln dealership multiple time and no fix has been found. This is a KNOWN DANGER that has not been addressed and now in the NHTSA hands.

Dec 27, 2024Resolved
Other🔵 Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

when connected to apple carPlay GPS is very unreliable and sometimes it stops following the car in seconds sending changing directions in seconds which sometimes if am not careful makes my driving very unsafe when traveling to an address i dont know since the GPS not working properly with the car SYNc4.0 infotainment system.

Jan 2, 2024Resolved
Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

Purchased vehicle 7/29/23 While driving 8/19, vehicle auto-shifted from drive into neutral and the check engine light appeared. I was in the process of accelerating from the on ramp & moving to the left lane. Attempts to return the vehicle to drive were unsuccessful & I coasted to the right shoulder of the highway. The brakes were functional. Once stopped, the vehicle functioned as if it were in accessory mode (radio & power windows working). I was unable to move the vehicle out of neutral to park gear. More lights & error messages flashed on the driver display (I have a video). The on/off button & the light at the neutral gear were flashing. I was able to engage the parking brake & remained in the vehicle on the narrow shoulder on the side of the highway. Tow operator arrived & was able to engage the park gear; however, it would not move back into neutral for him to begin the process to move it onto the rollback for the tow. Attempts were made to disconnect/reconnect the battery & to use the vehicle procedures for a low battery which were unsuccessful. There is an emergency release up under the dash; however, to reach the compartment it's in, the driver's door must be completely open & the operator must be on or near the ground. Due to the speed of the vehicles passing (est 60-70mph, most did not move over to the other lane), it was not safe for him to get into the position necessary to get to the compartment. He therefore had to pull the vehicle up on the rollback without being able to get the vehicle into neutral. At times during his attempts, the engine made a clicking noise and smelled as if something was burning. Fortunately, he was able to deliver it to the dealer where service staff were able to release the emergency cord to move the vehicle to neutral to get it off the rollback. As it was being moved, the engine started clicking again. The dealer's service team plans to look at it 8/21/23.

Aug 20, 2023Resolved
Electrical🔶 Medium
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My 2023 Nautilus is currently at the dealership I purchased from.Shults Lincoln. Steering column, tilt and telescopic adjustments. While driving vehicle the tilt and telescopic moves on its on. This has happened mulitudes of times. The most danderous event occured while my wife was driving and the telescopic feature pinned my wife in the seat. She had no control of steering the vehicle when the this happened. She was in a S turn and it could of been a bad accident, thank God there was no oncoming traffic. She had no control of steering when it telescoped all the way out. She came ever so close of rolling the vehicle. Yesterday 8/16/2023 it happened at the dealership with the salesman and service manager driving the vehicle. This was at the dealership where I purchsed. On 8/14/23 it had a new top steering column cover replaced at Family Ford/Lincoln dealership. They are in Marietta Ohio. I purchased at Shults Lincoln in Wexford PA.. There is no warning lights or caution before this steering column moves on its own. This has been going on sine July 20, 2023. Within the last week the battery has drained completely on 3 different times. 1500 miles registered and I had to jump start the vehicle. Shults Lincoln picked up the vehicle yesterday. This problem is going to get someone seriouly hurt. Its happened well over a dozen times. Its done it twice in one drive.

Aug 17, 2023Resolved

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most critical recalls for the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus?

The most significant recalls involve issues with child seat tether anchors that could fail during a crash, as well as software problems with back-over prevention systems that may not display rearview images reliably when reversing. These defects directly impact passenger safety, especially for children positioned in car seats.

How does the performance of the Lincoln Nautilus compare regarding child safety?

'While Lincoln generally has an admirable engineering reputation in terms of luxury and comfort features, these recent recalls reveal vulnerabilities specifically affecting child safety systems. Parents should be particularly cautious regarding tether anchorage integrity as it plays a vital role in protecting younger passengers during an accident.'

📊Year-over-Year Context

➡️Stable Pattern

Compared to earlier years, the 2023 model shows stable reliability patterns. No meaningful structural change detected in recall frequency between adjacent model years.

🧭What This Means for You

Families with young passengers, pregnant drivers, or those with frequent highway commutes should prioritize this information.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Safety Check: Cross-reference your VIN with official LINCOLN records to ensure no 3 recalls remain open.
  • Unaddressed recalls pose real-world risks. Prioritize scheduling any pending repairs to maintain vehicle integrity.
  • Proactive tip: Enroll in LINCOLN's owner notification program for real-time safety updates.
🛒

If You're Buying Used

  • Obtain proof of recall completion for all 3 campaigns before purchase.
  • Account for potential service downtime when calculating your initial ownership budget.
⚖️

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Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: February 23, 2026.