Best tires for the Lincoln Navigator
Top picks across four categories for the Lincoln Navigator, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 275/50R22. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Bridgestone
Alenza A/S 02
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Alenza A/S 02 275/50R22
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Alenza AS ultra
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Alenza AS ultra 275/50R22
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Falken
Ziex CT60 A/S
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Toyo
Open country H/T II
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Continental
TerrainContact H/T
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02 | Best budget Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|
|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | - | 800 |
| Mileage warranty | - | - |
| Cabin noise | - | - |
| Season class | - | - |
| Type | - | - |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the lincoln navigator use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–1999 | 245/75R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2000–2002 | 255/75R17 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2003–2014 | 255/70R18 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2015–2017 | 275/55R20 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2018 | 285/45R22 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2019–2024 | 275/55R20 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2025–2026 | 275/50R22 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the lincoln navigator
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 275/50R22; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches SUV segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
SUV-specific tire models (CrossClimate, CrossContact, Defender LTX) have reinforced sidewalls designed for the chassis mass and often a wider tread for better wet traction at higher curb weight. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for lincoln navigator
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (79) · Tread / Belt (65) · Sidewall (17) · Spare Tire (6) · TPMS (6)
Reported across: 1998 – 2020 (15 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation appears in 21% of these reports; about 1.6× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 113 reports covering every model year of the Lincoln Navigator that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 21% | 13% | 1.6× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 20% | 20% | 1.0× |
| Sidewall failure | 17% | 15% | 1.1× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 10% | 8% | 1.2× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 4% | 9% | 0.5× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 3% | 6% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
30 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 22,500 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 12,000 and 88,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Lincoln Navigator. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 NORTHBOUND AROUND WOOLBRIGHT ROAD, I RAN OVER TIRE DEBRIS AND CAUSED PART OF MY TIRE TO COME OFF. THE TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT AMAZINGLY, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY NEED A NEW TIRE. I HAVE A NAVIGATOR, SO LUCKILY IT DIDN'T CAUSE ANY MORE DAMAGE LIKE AN ACCIDENT.
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED 4 BLOW OUTS WITH ALL 4 TIRES, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE 5TH BLOWOUT OFTHE TIRE, CAUSED THE HUB AND TIRE TO FALL OUT, ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. TIRE DEALER CLAIMS THAT IT IS THE WRONG TIRE SIZE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURERCLAIMS ITS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE OTHER DETAILS.
3 tires developed sidewall 'tears'. All were on the right side of the car, 2 had less than 25000 miles and one had less than 500 miles (it was a replacement that I bought from the Ford dealer). Two exploded at low speed. Tire size 285/45R 22 114H
TREAD SEPARATION ON RIGHT FRONT TIRE, VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROX. 70 MPH, POSTED SPEED 70 MPH, ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF CAR WITH VEHICLE INSTABILITY. TIRE PURCHASED 10/18/1999, ONLY 13,000 MILES ON TIRE. VERY LUCKY NO INJURIES, BUT WHY DID TREAD SEPARATE? NOT A BLOW OUT, AS TIRE WAS INFLATED WITH AIR HISSING OUT WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO STOP. ON INTERSTATE 95, AND ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, BUT AGAIN, VERY LUCKY NOT TO BE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE OR ON A BRIDGE WHEN TIRE FAILURE OCCURRED. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL FOR THESE TIRES TOO? JUST BECAUSE NO INJURIES AND MINOR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE FROM FLAILING TREAD WOUND AROUND AXLE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A SAFE TIRE.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Lincoln Navigator →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Lincoln Navigator?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Lincoln Navigator?
Does the Lincoln Navigator need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Lincoln Navigator?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.