VehicleVerdict

Lincoln Aviator years to avoid

The Lincoln Aviator years to avoid are 2003, 2020, 2004 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2026 is the cleanest year on record.

698

Total complaints

49

Recall campaigns

2003–2026

Years covered

3

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Lincoln Aviator NHTSA complaints by model year168 complaints2003: 168 complaints2004: 115 complaints2005: 62 complaints2020: 159 complaints2021: 57 complaints2022: 73 complaints2023: 36 complaints2024: 6 complaints2025: 22 complaints2026: 0 complaints
Lincoln Aviator NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Aviator years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2003High complaint rate168
2020High complaint rate159
2004High complaint rate115

Every Aviator year

YearComplaintsRecalls
202604
20252213
202467
20233615
20227320
20215727
2020avoid15929
2005620
2004avoid1150
2003avoid1681

Common questions

What are the worst Lincoln Aviator years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the Aviator years to avoid are 2003, 2020, 2004. The cleanest year on record is 2026.

What is the best year for the Lincoln Aviator?

By complaint volume, 2026 has the cleanest NHTSA record among Aviator years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Lincoln Aviator have?

Across all model years, the Aviator has 49 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 698 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.