Reliability & cost of ownership
Lincoln Aviator Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Lincoln Aviator? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Lincoln Aviator problems by model year
119 recall entries and 484 owner complaints on file across 10 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Aviator | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2025 Aviator | 15 | 16 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Aviator | 8 | 6 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Aviator | 16 | 24 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2022 Aviator | 21 | 45 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2021 Aviator | 28 | 39 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2020 Aviator | 30 | 108 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Aviator | 0 | 51 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2004 Aviator | 0 | 81 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2003 Aviator | 1 | 111 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Lincoln Aviator, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train119 complaints
- electrical system90 complaints
- structure81 complaints
- unknown or other52 complaints
- engine and engine cooling34 complaints
- engine33 complaints
- back over prevention32 complaints
- service brakes31 complaints