2024 Lincoln Aviator problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (1) · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System (1) · Electrical System (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Lincoln Aviator model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (8)
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2026-07-14 · campaign 26V451000 · 387,911 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters explaining the safety risk were mailed August 19, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Lincoln Aviator owner notification letters were mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7
Seat Belts 2026-03-17 · campaign 26V159000 · 561 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Back Over Prevention:software 2026-03-03 · campaign 26V123000 · 889,950 vehicles
Defect: 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 placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An incorrectly displayed rearview image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C11. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Trailer Hitches 2025-10-10 · campaign 25V687000 · 1,412 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Risk: While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2025-06-13 · campaign 25V393000 · 304,662 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, folding, or sliding unexpectedly while driving.
Risk: A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the second-row seat switch, and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S67.
Structure:body 2025-06-13 · campaign 25V407000 · 132,914 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator vehicles. The rear door window bars and C-pillar trim may have insufficient adhesive bonding, which can allow the trim to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: Detached trim may cause a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will repair or replace C-pillar appliques and window division bars, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S66.
Equipment:other:labels 2024-11-08 · campaign 24V852000 · 27,678 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Back Over Prevention:display Function 2024-05-24 · campaign 24V368000 · 109,283 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The accessory protocol image module (APIM) can be affected by electromagnetic interference with a cell phone in the vehicle, causing the rearview camera image to flicker or become distorted.
Risk: A flickering or distorted rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to use their cell phones while reversing until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install shielding on the accessory protocol image module (APIM), free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S35.
Service bulletins (56)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-08 · SSM 55228 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2020-2026 aviator/explorer/f-150/bronco/ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7l or 3.0l (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cover removed and reinstalled for various reasons. the workshop manual (wsm), section 303-01 engine > removal and installation > engine front cover service procedur
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-07 · SSM 55226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2020-2026 aviator/corsair and 2018-2026 navigator vehicles, if diagnostics in workshop manual (wsm) section 501-10a > front seats > diagnosis and testing lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion extension adjuster, a lower-level part is now available (14c720). it is not necessary to rep
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-06 · SSM 55217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2020-2024 explorer/aviator vehicles equipped with 3.0l ecoboost/hybrid engine may exhibit blue or black exhaust smoke on startup for the first 5 minutes after an overnight cold soak with no illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (mil) or powertrain diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) present. this
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-30 · TSB 26-2325 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit a front courtesy lamp that is inoperative. this may be due to a concern with the front courtesy lamp light module.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-23 · SSM 55031 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2021-2026 ford/lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "check charging system" message in the instrument panel cluster (ipc) while the charging system is operating properly with no charging related di
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-09 · 26E04 · Emissions
new vehicle delivery hold - emissions recall 26e04 certain 2021-2025 model year f-150, maverick, mustang, ranger, expedition, bronco sport, explorer, bronco, navigator, and aviator vehicles powertrain control module software update
Showing the 6 most recent of 56 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-23 · Unknown Or Other“the infotainment screen goes black on multiple occasions.…”
2026-08-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System · 62,000 mi“the contact owns a 2024 lincoln aviator. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. no warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a detached adaptive valve. the contact w…”
2025-11-18 · Structure:body“in addition to the recall for the c-pillar appliques and window division bars (nhtsa id number: 25v407000), the chrome trim piece directly below the window also suffers from insufficient adhesive bonding. see the photo below. it came lose while driving at high speeds.…”
2025-05-30 · Unknown Or Other“problem: 2024 lincoln aviator has electronic door release switches on all four doors (both front and rear). if an emergency occurs and: •the driver’s door is blocked or jammed •electrical systems fail (e.g., due to a crash, battery failure, fire, or water submersion) then all four doors can simultaneously become inoperable, trapping all passengers…”
2024-10-03 · Electrical System“the headlight control switch emits high pitch noise.when you toggle the switch to go between the different segments of the headlight switch. i've brought it to the dealer and the tech was able to determine where the noise was coming from. i had advised them.i had disconnected the battery prior and made the noise go away.so that's what they did and …”
2024-07-12 · Unknown Or Other“i took my new car through the car wash i notice water go in the car some how and i could hear this gargling i thought it was coming from the a pilar. i also notice this when it rainned would do the same thing. i took it in to the dealership and they told that it was the drain lines from the moon roof. two week later it rained again and took my car …”
2024-04-25 · Unknown Or Other“the vehicle was already in for service once for this issue and is going back a second time the rear camera when backing up randomly starts to flicker and go crazy, and sometimes blanking out. the first fix replaced the camera to no avail. it seems to happen randomly, but about 50% of the time. i have video of the rear backup camera going crazy. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.