The Lemon IndexLincoln Aviator reliability.
Is it reliable? Not really. 1.6× the average car's complaints.
Worse than average · 2020–2022
20202nd generation
What owners say on YouTube
2003–2005 Aviator · 200 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
2020–2025 Aviator · 198 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
- Oil changes & service460K views
- Infotainment, battery & electrical55K views
- Heat, A/C & blend door17K views
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2023 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2023 best.
Fewest complaints
2021.
Only 4 Lincoln Aviator years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2021 drew about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average, too new (2023+: a partial score, marked “partial”) or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 6 Lincoln Aviator years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/lincoln-aviator/" title="Lincoln Aviator reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="307" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/lincoln-aviator/">Lemon Index</a> (Lincoln Aviator reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 397 YouTube videos about the Lincoln Aviator, 2003 to 2025, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2022. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Lincoln Aviator.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Lincoln Aviator reliable?
Not really. It draws 1.6× the average car's complaints, but YouTube owners sound happier with it than with most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2021.
Is the Lincoln Aviator a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2020-2022: Lemon Index 156; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2021 drew the fewest complaints since 2010 and 2020 the most.
What are the best Lincoln Aviator years to buy?
Only 4 Lincoln Aviator years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2021 drew the fewest complaints (about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car).
What Lincoln Aviator years should you stay away from?
Only 4 Lincoln Aviator years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Lincoln Aviator have?
120 safety recalls across the 9 model years we track. Most: 2020 (30), 2021 (28), 2022 (22). Each year's page lists them, and every Lincoln Aviator recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Lincoln Aviator problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, transmission & drivetrain and backup camera most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 129 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 33 | transmission & drivetrain (55%) | 1 | — | 14 |
| 2004 | – | too few complaints to score | 19 | visibility (26%) | 0 | — | 13–14 |
| 2005 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 7 | visibility (43%) | 0 | — | 13 |
| 2020 | 184 | about twice the average car's complaints | 56 | electrical (38%) | 30 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
| 2021 | 76 | about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car | 18 | engine (22%) | 28 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
| 2022 | 176 | about twice the average car's complaints | 48 | electrical (27%) | 22 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
| 2023 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 30 | electrical (33%) | 16 | ★★★★★ | 19–23 |
| 2024 | – | too few complaints to score | 7 | electrical (29%) | 8 | ★★★★★ | 20–21 |
| 2025 | – | too few complaints to score | 18 | automatic emergency braking (39%) | 15 | ★★★★★ | 20–21 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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