The Lincoln With the Highest Annual Maintenance Costs Is Exactly What You’d Expect It to Be
Maintenance costs are a vital consideration when shopping for a new or used car, particularly when purchasing a luxury vehicle, which often comes with higher repair costs from the outset. So, how does Lincoln fair? According to RepairPal, one Lincoln model stands out as having the higher annual maintenance costs among the brand’s models, and it’s likely the exact model you’d expect.
Lincoln is one of the least reliable automakers but middling among luxury brands
Lincoln was noted as being the most-improved brand in Consumer Reports’ latest reliability survey. Though this shows marked improvement, it also underscores Lincoln’s somewhat questionable reliability beforehand. RepairPal’s data effectively backs this up.
RepairPal ranks 32 major automakers for overall reliability among all its models based on the average annual maintenance costs and the frequency and severity of repairs across all offerings. Historically, Lincoln doesn’t score too well in these regards.
Lincoln is ranked at No. 24 out of 32 automakers for overall reliability. RepairPal notes the average maintenance cost for Lincoln models is $879 per year, $227 more than the average across all brands and models. The website states that Lincoln models require a trip to a repair shop 0.4 times per year, and there is a 15% probability such repairs will be considered “severe.”
However, Lincoln’s rating is better than some of its fellow luxury automakers. For instance, Cadillac models require $783 per year in annual maintenance costs, lower than Lincoln, but they need the same amount of trips to a repair shop per year and have a higher cost of “severe” repairs. Lincoln’s $879 per year in maintenance costs is lower than that of Land Rover ($1,174), Jaguar ($1,123), BMW ($968), and Mercedes-Benz ($908). Other luxury brands like Lexus ($551 per year) and Infiniti ($638) have notably lower annual repair costs.
The Navigator, as expected, has the highest maintenance cost among Lincoln models
It should come as no surprise the Navigator, Lincoln’s behemoth and luxuriously appointed full-size SUV, has the highest annual maintenance cost among the brand’s models. The average repair bills for a Navigator are $1,089 per year, nearly double the average of $652 across all automakers and models.
A Navigator will require 0.4 trips to a shop per year, and there is an 18% probability repairs will be considered “severe.” Surprisingly, these figures are below average among full-size luxury SUVs, according to the website.
The most commonly reported mechanical issue among Navigator models is battery end corrosion, problems with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, coolant smell with no visible leaks, and overheating. However, it should be noted many of the common issues among the Navigator impact earlier models. The full-sized SUV was introduced for the 1998 model year and has been on sale since.
More affordable Lincoln SUVs still have high maintenance costs
Other Lincoln SUVs have lower annual maintenance costs versus the Navigator, but none come with low average repair bills.
The now-defunct and questionably styled MKT, a full-sized alternative to the Navigator, comes with an average annual repair cost of $996. The compact MKC, now developed under the Corsair nameplate, costs $853 annually in repairs. The MKX/Nautilus is slightly lower at $811 annually.
So, the Navigator may require the buyers to dish out the most money for repairs on average, but such costs are still high no matter the Lincoln model these shoppers decide to put in their garage.
