Is the Lincoln Aviator high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Lincoln doesn't publish service prices, so we don't put a dollar figure on the Aviator (AAA's mainstream medium SUV (4WD) average, for context, is $1,769 a year). Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance covers 4 years / 50,000 miles. NHTSA holds 214 owner complaints for the Aviator, with 2 model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis; we don't have the sales data to turn that into a per-1,000 rate.
Verdict
Not priced
no OEM prices
Per year
Not priced
5 years
—
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
214
total on file
Aviator maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
Lincoln doesn't publish service prices, and AAA's benchmark is built from top-selling mainstream models, so applying it to a Lincoln would understate the cost. We don't put a dollar figure on it. For scale only: AAA's 2025 benchmark for mainstream medium SUV (4WD) models is $1,769 a year (11.79¢ a mile), and the all-vehicle average is $1,656. The best predictors of what you'll spend are the factory schedule below, the length of any included maintenance and the complaint record.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
Aviator service schedule highlights
Oil changes
Normal service: Condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor message in the display; never exceed 1 year or 10,000 mi between oil changes. Hybrids may go farther on distance but still max 1 year.
Severe or special conditions: Same monitor; interval shortens with severe use. Severe-service items: transmission fluid at 30,000 mi and spark plugs at 60,000 mi (Corsair).
Oil: Corsair 2.0L EcoBoost: Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 meeting WSS-M2C961-A1; plug-in hybrid: SAE 0W-20 meeting WSS-M2C962-A1
Source: 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance
Included maintenance
Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance
Term: 4 years / 50,000 miles (same period as the new-vehicle limited warranty)
Covers: Scheduled maintenance (detail of covered items not stated on the page); Pickup & Delivery service is also complimentary within the 4-yr/50,000-mi warranty period
Source: 2026 Lincoln Navigator — model page (FAQ: warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance)
Lincoln factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every oil change (per monitor, max 1 yr/10,000 mi) |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 3 years |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 20,000 miles |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 30,000 miles |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 60,000 miles |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 100,000 miles |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 150,000 miles |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| At 200,000 miles or 10 years |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| No scheduled interval |
| 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance |
Common Aviator problems (NHTSA data)
NHTSA holds 214 owner complaints for the Aviator, with 2 model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis; we don't have the sales data to turn that into a per-1,000 rate.
- 214 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all Aviator model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (386), powertrain / transmission (257).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2020, 2022.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. Aviator years to avoid →
How the Aviator compares in its AAA category (medium SUV (4WD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Aviator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Toyota Highlander | $1,769 | 0.393 Above average | About average |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | $1,769 | 0.517 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | $1,769 | 0.552 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | $1,769 | 0.592 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Explorer | $1,769 | 0.918 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Honda Pilot | $1,769 | 1.07 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Jeep Wrangler | $1,769 | 1.12 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Kia Sorento | $1,769 | 1.29 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Toyota 4Runner | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Honda Odyssey | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Palisade | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Telluride | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Subaru Ascent | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Bronco | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Chevrolet Traverse | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Atlas | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Cayenne | $2,168 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Lexus RX | Not priced | 0.202 Best | Not priced |
| Acura MDX | Not priced | 1.21 Worst | Not priced |
| BMW X5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q7 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover Sport | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC90 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Genesis GV80 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Cadillac Escalade | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Nautilus | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Navigator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Aviator high maintenance?
Lincoln doesn't publish service prices, so we don't put a dollar figure on the Aviator (AAA's mainstream medium SUV (4WD) average, for context, is $1,769 a year). Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance covers 4 years / 50,000 miles. NHTSA holds 214 owner complaints for the Aviator, with 2 model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis; we don't have the sales data to turn that into a per-1,000 rate.
Is the Aviator expensive to maintain?
Lincoln doesn't publish service prices, and AAA's benchmark is built from top-selling mainstream models, so applying it to a Lincoln would understate the cost. We don't put a dollar figure on it. Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance covers 4 years / 50,000 miles.
How often does the Aviator need an oil change?
Lincoln's published oil-change interval: condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor message in the display; never exceed 1 year or 10,000 mi between oil changes. Hybrids may go farther on distance but still max 1 year. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Lincoln to maintain?
Lincoln doesn't publish service prices and none of its models are in our per-1,000-sold complaint study, so we don't name a cheapest model.
What Aviator years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2020, 2022. NHTSA holds 214 owner complaints for the Aviator, with 2 model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis; we don't have the sales data to turn that into a per-1,000 rate.
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: none — not published by the manufacturer. Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Lincoln's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2025 Lincoln Corsair Owner's Manual (edition July 2024) — Scheduled Maintenance — Lincoln (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Lincoln Navigator — model page (FAQ: warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance) — Lincoln (opened 2026-11-06)
- Lincoln — Ownership Benefits (Pickup & Delivery, Mobile Service) — Lincoln (opened 2026-11-06)