2004 Lincoln Aviator problems & reliability
81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Lincoln Aviator. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Lincoln Aviator vehicles were involved in 16 fatal crashes with 11 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 | 21 | 26% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 19% |
| Structure | 15 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 9% |
| Steering | 6 | 7% |
| Visibility | 6 | 7% |
| Engine | 5 | 6% |
| Suspension | 5 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 6% |
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 71,500 miles (middle 50% between 36,250 and 96,844 miles), based on 66 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My suv misfires, slips in and out of gears, stalls at stop signs and lights, accelerates at stop lights. Occasionally when the ac is turned on, there is a very loud clunk sound.”
Electrical System · filed Nov 12, 2019
“Backed up vehicle stopped shifted transmission to drive pressed accelerator vehicle rocketed backward because shift cable dislodged from attachment on transmission.”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 20, 2019
“Battery keeps getting drained, I have have had six new battery's within two years. Alternator has been replaced.”
Electrical System · filed Feb 26, 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
56 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Lincoln Aviator. The 10 most recent:
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
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
Battery drained condition. *tt
05156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · 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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2004 Lincoln Aviator in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 2004 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 71,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.