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2019 Lincoln Navigator gets slight price hikes, crosses six-figure mark

As of the end of June this year, all-new Lincoln Navigator sales are up by triple digits over last year. No wonder, as Lincoln's flagship has impressed us on both our initial drive and again recently on a 900-mile road trip. Even if numbers slump some between now and the end of the year, the full-sized luxury SUV should achieve sales not seen since 2007, when it sold 24,050 units. That would help explain why the Navigator's already had one price increase this year, in June, when MSRPs across the range went up $500 and the destination charge rose another $100. According to order guides, prices for the 2019 model year will go up even more. The entry-level Premiere trim gets bumped by another $650, while the Reserve trim climbs by $3,500. After the $1,295 destination fee, the 2019 Navigator Premiere starts $74,500, and the Select trim rises by $1,000 to $78,850. Neither of those trims add additional equipment to offset the additional cost. The Reserve price hike to $86,500 does capture the cost of the Technology Package, which will come standard. On the 2018 Navigator, that package, which bundles aids like adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking, is a $2,640 option, so the net price jump for the trim is $860. The Black Label price drifts upward by $2,190 to $97,690, but the 2019 models will throw in 30-way power seats as standard. Those thrones being a $1,250 option on 2018 models, the net increase is then $940. The long-wheelbase L models will all go up by the same amount as their non-L counterparts, which puts the Navigator over the $100K mark for the first time; the 2019 Black Label L will need $100,890 to put in a suitable driveway. That's just $700 less than the list price of the 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV Premium, but Cadillac incentives mean the Lincoln would actually cost thousands more. Lease prices have gone skyward, too. Cars Direct found that in the middle of this year, the average monthly cost for a 36-month lease in California was $1,023, a $131 increase compared to lease prices in February. Two months later, the average monthly cost in California has gone up another eight dollars, to $1,031. That's only $14 less per month than the lease for an Escalade Luxury, even though the Cadillac has a list price $9,500 higher. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2017 Ford Super Duty trucks recalled because the fuel tank could fall off

Bad news from Dearborn. Ford just announced a pair of recalls, including a particularly worrying flaw in the new F-Series Super Duty. According to Ford's official announcement, there are roughly 8,000 of its big trucks on the roads with a missing reinforcement bracket – if it's not there, the fuel tank could separate from the frame. Yes, Ford is basically saying the fuel tank could fall out. We don't need to explain why this would be a very bad thing. Fortunately, no owners have experienced said bad things – Ford claims it's unaware of any fires, injuries, or accidents resulting from the flaws. The Kentucky Truck Plant built the affected pickups between August 10 and September 17. The bulk of the vehicles are in the US – 7,103, to be precise. Another 964 are cruising around the frozen Canadian tundra, while two more are in "federalized territories." The other recall is smaller, but reaches across a broad swath of the Blue Oval's family vehicles. Ford says there are 1,352 Taurus sedans, Flex crossovers, Explorer SUVs – including the Police Interceptor Utility variant – and Lincoln MKTs equipped with the company's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that could catch fire. In this case, the danger isn't a detached fuel tank, but an "improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tube" that could leak and spill engine oil on the turbocharger. Again, Ford isn't aware of any fires, accidents, or injuries due to the flaw. Here's the breakdown of manufacturer dates and location: 2016 Ford Taurus vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant, Oct. 18, 2016 to Nov. 2, 2016 2016-17 Ford Flex vehicles built at Oakville Assembly Plant, Oct. 18, 2016 to Nov. 10, 2016 2017 Ford Explorer vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant, Oct. 15, 2016 to Nov. 12, 2016 2017 Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant on Nov. 2, 2016 2016-17 Lincoln MKT vehicles built at Oakville Assembly Plant, Oct. 18, 2016 to Nov. 10, 2016 As with the Super Duty recall, most of the affected cars, crossovers, and SUVs are in the US market. There are 126 units in Canada and six in the same "federalized territories" mentioned above. In the case of both recalls, dealers will inspect the affected parts and replace or add them as necessary. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ford's Jim Farley hints at Lincoln sales rebound

If you're a fan of Lincoln, get ready for "a really great story" come May 1. That's how Ford marketing boss Jim Farley, in a call with analysts, characterized the coming April sales report for the MKZ. At the moment, there are probably few things that the executive VP could want more than a happy ending for the ballyhooed sedan that has made people cry boo-hoo for the past six months.
The massive glass roof of the MKZ is trying to support a burden that would make Atlas tap out, and it hasn't shattered, but it has shown a few cracks. The car we called "a big step in the right direction," the embodiment of the reinvention of the brand and a test of Lincoln's commitment to a new rear-wheel drive offering was given an $8-million dollar Super Bowl ad spend earlier this year, then quality control issues during its assembly scuttled deliveries. Lincoln got over that and kept up the ad blitz, now it just wants the good work to take hold.
If Farley's not leading us on, April could be the month. He said the results (so far) show "the product is being very well-received," inventory is finally where it should be and the MKZ Hybrid is doing better than expected. It bears noting that Lincoln is offering some aggressive incentive programs at the moment, including 0.9-percent APR and $1,000 off for conquest buyers stepping out of competitors' vehicles.