VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Lincoln Nautilus20192026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

TOP PICK
2022
Buyer Score 88/100
8
Years Analyzed
11
Total Recalls
132
Total Complaints
2
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Best Years to Buy a Lincoln Nautilus

Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.

#1 PICK4yr old
2022
Strong Buy · 88/100
Reliability90/100
Value window85/100
Recalls1
Complaints5
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
#2 PICK5yr old
2021
Strong Buy · 86/100
Reliability85/100
Value window88/100
Recalls1
Complaints10
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
#3 PICK3yr old
2023
Strong Buy · 84/100
Reliability87/100
Value window78/100
Recalls1
Complaints8
Top issue: UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Lincoln Nautilus Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2019

2 recalls · 67 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#2 WORST
2020

2 recalls · 17 complaints

1 reported injury

Top issue: POWER TRAIN

#3 WORST
2024

3 recalls · 10 complaints

1 reported injury

Top issue: UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Lincoln Nautilus — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202600
100
40
79
Excellent
2025115
80
55
71
Good
20243101
75
68
73
Good
202318
87
78
84
Good
202215
90
85
88
Good
2021110
85
88
86
Good
20202171
73
87
78
Good
2019267
60
83
68
Avoid

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Lincoln Nautilus Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

POWER TRAIN
23
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
22
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
14
ENGINE
10
SERVICE BRAKES
7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
5
STEERING
4
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
3

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the Nautilus compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2022 (Buyer Score 88).

Best: 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Nautilus to buy?+

The 2022 Lincoln Nautilus scores highest on our Buyer Score (88/100) — combining a reliability score of 90/100 with a value score of 85/100. It has 1 recall and 5 NHTSA complaints on record.

Which Nautilus years have the most problems?+

The 2019, 2020, 2024 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2019 Nautilus leads with 2 recalls and 67 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common Nautilus problems?+

The most frequently reported Lincoln Nautilus issues involve: POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

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