Lincoln Aviator Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 214 NHTSA complaints, the Lincoln Aviator years to avoid are 2020 and 2022 — the worst logged up to 2.1× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by electrical failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 97 | 31 | 29 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 35 | 17 | 27 | CAUTION |
| 2022 | 43 | 18 | 20 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 21 | 9 | 15 | CAUTION |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 7 | N/A |
| 2025 | 13 | 7 | 13 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Lincoln Aviator. Full methodology.
Common Lincoln Aviator problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Lincoln Aviator are electrical, body, fuel. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Backup camera image not displaying properly
· Lincoln Aviator 2021–2022Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 18 electrical complaints across 2021–2022.
Third-row seat folding switch malfunction
· Lincoln Aviator 2021–2025Corroborated by 3 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 18 body complaints across 2021–2025.
Vehicle stalling with loss of fuel pressure
· Lincoln Aviator 2021–2022Corroborated by 3 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 12 fuel complaints across 2021–2022, typically 47,000–50,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2020 Lincoln Aviator: 97 owner complaints on federal record, 31 of them severe, plus 29 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Lincoln Aviator.
2022 Lincoln Aviator: 43 owner complaints on federal record, 18 of them severe, plus 20 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Lincoln Aviator.
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FAQ
What years of the Lincoln Aviator should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Lincoln Aviator years to avoid are 2020 and 2022 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by electrical issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Lincoln Aviator?
No single Lincoln Aviator year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Lincoln Aviator verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Lincoln Aviator's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Lincoln Aviator before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Lincoln Aviator reliable?
The Lincoln Aviator's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 214 NHTSA owner complaints, 2020 and 2022 rate "avoid" — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Lincoln Aviator?
The most-reported problem area for the Lincoln Aviator is electrical, followed by body and fuel. Confirmed failures include backup camera image not displaying properly, third-row seat folding switch malfunction, vehicle stalling with loss of fuel pressure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Lincoln Aviator across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Lincoln Aviator, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.