2023 Lincoln Aviator problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Lincoln Aviator, alongside 16 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 29% |
| Back Over Prevention | 5 | 21% |
| Engine | 4 | 17% |
| Unknown / Other | 4 | 17% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Seats | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 2 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 19 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Date of Incident:XXX (or your first observed date). Approximate Mileage: 26,955. Speed at Failure: 55 mph. Did a Crash or Injury Occur? No. Did a Fire Occur? No. "The vehicle is equipped with Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (camera sign recognition integrated with navigation map data). On [XXX] between Bath and…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Sep 15, 2026
“I bought this car in march 2026. It is a 2023 Lincoln aviator black label, it was a CPO. Within days of me having it, I noticed there were electrical issues. The interior light kept popping on for no reason. The cooling seat feature was also not working. The adaptive cruise control was also not working correctly. When…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Sep 14, 2026
“When driving at night the driver side map light will turn on randomly momentarily blinding the driver only way to turn off is to turn on interior lights and turn off may happen again with in seconds or can be minutes but does it 8-10 times in a 30 minute driving time dealership says it’s not covered under warranty…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 22, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
123 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 Lincoln Aviator. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, and correct the part number LIMZ-4A015-B to L1MZ-4A015-B. Some of the vehicles…
TSB 26-2395 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2026
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost hybrid engine…
SSM55059 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2026
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…
26E04 · Emissions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B from 3 to 6. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit…
TSB 26-2309 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2026
This article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for F-150 vehicles, update the Parts list to replace the part number W716979-S439 with W721084-S439, and add a note for LV fluids…
TSB 26-2287 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026
For 2020 2026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). This test utilizes the pressure and vacuum…
SSM 54902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 5, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2587. Reason For Update: update the Parts list to add the F-clutch friction plates HL3Z-7B164-D and the F-clutch steel plates PR3Z-7B164-A for the proper vehicle lines, replace the transfer…
TSB 26-2241 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
Some 2020-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility/Aviator vehicles may require replacement of the front drive halfshaft inner/outer CV joint boot for various reasons. If Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 205-04 >…
SSM 54827 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2026
Some 2020-2023 Aviator and 2025-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after installing a replacement fuel filler…
SSM 54787 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 2026
Customer Satisfaction Program 23B64 Certain 2020-2024 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Equipped with High Voltage Batteries Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) Software Update
23B64 · Other · issued Apr 8, 2026
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 2023 Lincoln Aviator has 16 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2023 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.