Problems · NHTSA complaints
2020 Lincoln Corsair problems
Owners filed 61 complaints about the 2020 Lincoln Corsair with NHTSA between Apr 2020 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is back over prevention (18).
Complaints
61
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Back over prevention18
- Electrical system12
- Service brakes6
- Engine6
- Exterior lighting6
- Forward collision avoidance6
- Structure4
- Power train4
- Visibility2
- Lane departure2
- Visibility/wiper2
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Air bags2
- Suspension2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
9
9
4
8
2
11
18
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 | 18 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Back over prevention
18 reports1 crash9 related recalls
“I was going forward in drive maybe 5 mph, came to a stop and opened my driver door , My car has the safety feature when you open your door, it automatically goes into park, it did, and so I proceeded to get out. I noticed my car kind of made a jerk, and the next thing I know it was going in reverse. I tried to jump in to stop it so it wouldn’t hit my house and it ran me over on the ankle. Only thing that stopped my car was a tree and another vehicle”
Electrical system
12 reports1 fire
“I have a 2020 Lincoln Corsair with an active recall on the infotainment system. My screen freezes constantly, and I’m unable to complete system updates at all—it just spins or crashes & my rearview camera glitches out. This is a huge safety issue!!! This makes the vehicle difficult and unsafe to use, especially since it affects visibility and system controls. I understand a fix isn’t available yet, but my system is essentially unusable. Since the system won’t update, I can’t even apply the future recall fix when it becomes available. This seems like a hardware failure related to the recall issue.”
Service brakes
6 reports2 crashes
“While driving with cruise control set, an pre-collision assist not available warning showed on the dashboard. Cruise control automatically switched off and the immediately slowed even when pressing the gas pedal. The vehicle began to jerk as if the brakes were automatically activated. When able to safely pull over and stop the vehicle, it would not go into park nor would it turn off. The vehicle would only turn off and start when the emergency parking brake had been applied. After inspection at a certified dealership and maintenance shop, the vehicle was diagnosed with major transmission malfunction. The transmission fluid had been completely burned out and metal shavings were present. I asked how could this happen, especially when the necessary maintenance service checks and procedures were in order. The technician said he didn't know. I checked the manufacturer's recall listing and there is a recall on the transmission but that particular recall did not affect my particular VIN. Now the manufacturer refuses to discuss this issue with me, stating that due to proprietary reasons they could not offer me any further assistance or information. Total repair cost =…”
Engine
6 reports1 crash1 fire
“On the transmission the endcap was missing a bolt that caused the transmission to leak that caused the transmission to fail. The second incident this that Lincoln corsair had a electrical blackout in the middle of driving on the highway. There were no warning signs, and both occasions was a dangerous due to the transmission had a little fire.”
Exterior lighting
6 reports
“Hello. I recently had to pay CarMax $1,083 to replace my right rear (tailgate mounted) turn signal assembly. CarMax said the issue was due to a seal failing on the light assembly which allowed water to enter the unit and short out the LED unit. The same issue occured for 2024-25 Corsairs and was addressed by the NHTSA Campaign 25V688 / Ford Recall 25C53 and Lincoln. Can the NHTSA force a recall on earlier models since my 2020 Corsair has the exact same issue? It's unbeleivable that I was faced with an $1,100 bill for my tail lights not working when the problem was due to poor engineering. Can the NHTSA help me with recovering any of my expenses for this repair? Thank you.”
Forward collision avoidance
6 reports1 crash
“While driving, received AWD, Traction Control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Alert/Malfunction lights on instrument panel and notification that none of them were working. Happened consistently after starting vehicle while driving a few minutes. Had vehicle taken in to dealership to discover a new AWD module was needed and not covered by warranty. After further research, determined that there was a recall for the same part on the same model of our vehicle one year later but did not include our year model.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.