2003 Lincoln Aviator problems & reliability
111 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Lincoln Aviator, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Lincoln Aviator vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 55 | 50% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 14% |
| Structure | 15 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 6% |
| Visibility | 6 | 5% |
| Steering | 5 | 5% |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 64,500 miles (middle 50% between 35,250 and 99,500 miles), based on 90 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2003 Lincoln Aviator equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Hercules HTS-Terra-Trac, Tire Size 245/65/R17, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front tire sidewall separated in the center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The…”
Tires · filed Nov 18, 2022
“A year ago noticed when shifting and up to date my shifter gear indicator not shift to correct gear indicator and fail to work properly, I believed the transmission shift cable may become dislodged from the shift cable bracket. I take my truck to an transmission shop and the technician recommended the shift cable must…”
Power Train · filed Jul 5, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. The contact stated that the gear shift lever position was not in alignment with the transmission. The contact stated that the indicator did not display the correct gear that was being utilized. Antelope valley ford (located at 1155 auto mall dr, lancaster, ca 93534, (888)…”
Power Train · filed Sep 6, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
Engineering Analysis EA09013 · opened Aug 18, 2009 · closed Feb 12, 2013
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
73 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Lincoln Aviator. The 10 most recent:
Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. Oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe
TSB-08-19-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Extended warranty coverage on ignition coil assemblies. *kb
0706 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2007
Engine misfire with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) pewee, p0302, p0303, p0304, p0305, p0306, p0307, p0308, and p0316. *tt
06513 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Low tire indicator on - tpms system sensor wake up. *tt
0637 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Malfunction indicator lamp on with pcm diagnostic trouble code p0463 and/or ic diagnostic trouble code b1201 - fuel gauge drops to empty or slow to update after refueling. *tt
05213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Noise from rear wheel hub bearings. *tt
051710 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Driveline 1st order vibration/boom/drone. *tt
0537 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Axle seal leaks. Leaks from rear halfshaft axle seal. Service tips. *tt
04105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Lincoln Aviator has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Lincoln Aviator?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 64,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.