Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. An unoccupied driver's seat may recline unintentionally during certain scenarios, such as remote unlock or remote start.
2003-2027 · 11 model years
Lincoln Aviator Problems by year
Owners have filed 494 complaints about the Lincoln Aviator across 11 model years, and it has 51 recalls. The 2025 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (18), while 2005 has far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain, followed by the electrical system.
- Complaints
- 494
- Recalls
- 51
- Crashes
- 18
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 17
- Deaths
- 0
Aviator complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common Aviator problems
Lincoln Aviator recalls 51
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience multiple unexpected resets, resulting in loss of the...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The windshield glass may have visible air bubbles, which can obscure the driver's visibility. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. When towing a trailer, the tail lights on the trailer may fail to illuminate due to an improperly manufactured body control module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. When closing the windows with the global closing feature, the side rear windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before they automatically reverse. As such...
Latest Aviator complaints
The driver's side door latch assembly (Part Number LC5Z-54219A65-H) on my 2021 Lincoln Aviator with approximately 79,300 miles has begun intermittently failing to latch when the door is closed. This issue first started approximately three weeks ago. The driver's door often requires multiple attempts to close before the latch finally engages. When it does latch properly, a distinct loud click can be heard. Prior to that click, the door may appear closed but is not securely latched. This is a major safety concern...
Read the full complaint
because there is no reliable way to know whether the driver's door will remain closed while the vehicle is being operated. I am concerned that the door could unexpectedly open while driving, creating a serious risk of injury to the driver, passengers, and other motorists. I contacted my Lincoln dealership and was informed that the replacement door latch was on backorder. The dealership advised that there were approximately 80 other requests for the same part. This raises concerns that the issue may be more widespread than an isolated failure. The vehicle is scheduled for repair on November 6, 2026. I have been advised the repair will require the vehicle to remain at the dealership for more than one day. The vehicle was previously involved in a front-end collision; however, the damage was limited to the front bumper and related electronic components. There was no damage to the driver's door, door frame, latch assembly, or surrounding door structure. The current door latch failure developed long after the front-end repairs and appears unrelated to that accident. Because the driver's door latch is a critical safety component, I believe this condition warrants investigation. A door that does not consistently latch and remain secured during vehicle operation presents a significant safety hazard.
The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while driving or while reversing, the steering wheel intermittently seized while turning left or right. The messages "Service Advance Track," "Drive Control Malfunction, Service Required," "Pre-Collision Assistance not Available," "Check Headlamp System, See Manual," and "Adaptive Steering not Available" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed steering gear assembly and rack and pinion system, and the...
Read the full complaint
parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where the rack and pinion was cleaned, and the steering wiring harness was cleaned of corrosion and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle received no additional repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the panoramic sunroof gasket deteriorated with chunks of the gasket missing. The contact inspect the gasket and became aware that the part was damaged by the elements. The contact was concerned that the gasket would allow water to leak into the vehicle. A dealer inspection appointment was scheduled. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Drivers side seat controls (drivers side door), light which illuminates controls, started flickering incontrollably at +/- 33,000 miles, causing significant distraction to the driver as is within drivers' peripheral vision, during nightime driving. Reported to dealership McDavid Lincoln Frisco, states there is a failure in the seat control unit, causing the light flicker, and recommended a replacement of the whole seat control unit. 10/23/26, Repair has not yet been authorised, as vehicle is just out of the 4 year warranty period.
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available.
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle after an extended road trip, the contact noticed that the driver's side and passenger's side rear doors window bars and C-pillar trims had detached. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V407000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed but the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Questions about the Lincoln Aviator
Which Lincoln Aviator years have the most problems?
Which Lincoln Aviator years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Lincoln Aviator problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the transmission & drivetrain (120), electrical system (91), body, doors & structure (88) most often.
How many recalls does the Lincoln Aviator have?
NHTSA lists 51 recalls across all Lincoln Aviator model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data