Skip to main content

Want a new Lincoln Navigator? You’ll have to custom order it. The Lincoln Navigator is Lincoln’s largest and must luxurious SUV, and it’s super popular.
But last week on the official Lincoln Navigator site, the company posted the advisory: “The 2022 Lincoln Navigator is only available for custom order. Some models, trims, and features may not be available. Please contact your local Lincoln Retailer for updates and assistance.”

In other words, if your local dealer doesn’t have a selection of Navigators, you’re going to have to the official site and use the online Navigator builder.

Blame the chip shortage for the new tactic

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator uses Amazon's Alexa
The 2022 Lincoln Navigator SUV | Lincoln

Sales have been down for Navigators. But, that’s likely a function of the lack of production, not popularity. According to goodcarbadcar.net, a site that tracks sales figures of vehicles, Navigator sales are down 55% for the year. Ford has cut production of some vehicles at two plants because of the ongoing chip shortage.

The Lincoln Navigator was all-new for 2018 and refreshed for 2022. The big news for 2022 is that the Navigator has a slightly new design outside. On the inside, it now offers Ford’s ActiveGlide hands-free system. You can also order a new 13.2-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and it can receive over-the-air updates for the first time. The Reserve package is certainly one of the more popular packages, and it includes a lot of the goodies you’ll want if you’re a professional chauffeur.

Lincoln’s other SUVs aren’t effected

Black 2022 Lincoln Aviator Luxury SUV
2022 Lincoln Aviator | Lincoln

On the home pages for the company’s  other SUVs, which include the Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Nautilus, the company posts a different message that hints at scarcity of the SUVS. But, the message on the other SUV’s sites doesn’t say “only available for custom order,” like the Navigator’s site.

Instead, for example, on the official Lincoln Aviator site, it looks like some trims are also getting scarce. “Some models, trims and features may not be available. Please contact your local Lincoln Retailer for updates and assistance,” reads the Aviator site.

Ford has been pushing customers more and more to order vehicles from its websites. The company shepherded customers to the 2022 Maverick and Ford Bronco sites, for example, to order new vehicles.

How does online ordering work?

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator is one of the best family SUVs you can buy
2022 Lincoln Navigator | Lincoln

On the Navigator site, you simply click the “Build your navigator” button. The Navigator starts at $77,000 and you can choose from seven colors, and two wheels for the base Navigator. You can add another $35,000 in options, too.

The big difference in Navigators, beyond the ultra-luxury Black Label versions and the L, or long, version, is the middle row of seats. You can pick a middle three-seat bench, or two captains chairs. With the middle row bench a Navigator can seat eight.

The Navigator can be equipped with Ford’s Sync 4 infotainment system, as well as a voice activated navigation system powered by Alexa. It comes standard with the Ford twin-turbocharged 3.5 liter V6, which is the same engine that comes in many Ford trucks, and can be ordered in two-wheel-drive or four-wheel drive.

RELATED: Will the Jeep Grand Wagoneer Make the Lincoln Navigator Worry?

Best in Trucks & SUVs
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.