YearToAvoid

2025 Lincoln Aviator Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2025 Lincoln Aviator carries a complaint index of 50 and ranks 4th worst of 7 model years, earning a Caution verdict. It has 16 complaints and 15 recall campaigns, led by electrical system issues (31% of complaints).

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
50/100
#4 of 7 Aviator years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
16
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
15
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
0
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2005
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
20.5
17.5 city / 25 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2025 Lincoln Aviator problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System5 (31%)
  2. Brakes4 (25%)
  3. Engine3 (19%)
  4. Collision Avoidance & Cameras3 (19%)
  5. Structure & Body3 (19%)
  6. Visibility & Wipers3 (19%)
  7. Fuel System1 (6%)
  8. Lane Departure1 (6%)
  9. Other1 (6%)
  10. Steering1 (6%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Multiple driver-assist warning lights, including BSM, cross-traffic, front camera, and pre-collision alerts, activate together for no apparent reason.
  • Brake pedal response lags at highway speed, and dashboard messages such as antilock brake fault or pre-collision assist unavailable appear during erratic braking events.
  • Second-row seats slide up or fold unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion, sometimes because a control button sticks.
  • Steering locks up briefly during low-speed maneuvers, reportedly repeating dozens of times within a few hundred miles.
  • A new vehicle developed a scrubbing or grinding noise almost immediately, leading to replacement of the transfer case and transmission at very low mileage.
  • Cruise control has caused unintended acceleration or deceleration according to at least one owner.
2025 Lincoln Aviator complaints: complaints filed per month2Feb 2025Aug 2025Nov 2025Apr 2026Jun 2026Aug 2026
16 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2025 to Sep 2026; peak Feb 2025 (2).

2025 Lincoln Aviator recalls

15 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V470000Jul 21, 2026Structure & Body76,748 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:power adjust

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. An unoccupied driver's seat may recline unintentionally during certain scenarios, such as remote unlock or remote start.

    Risk: Unexpected movement of the driver’s seat back may trap a second-row occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will disable the driver seat module (DSM) feature until parts are available. Once available, the motor will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S53.

  2. NHTSA 26V451000Jul 14, 2026Structure & Body387,911 vehicles

    Seats:mid/rear assembly

    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.

    Remedy: 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 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S52. This recall expands Recall 25V393. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.

  3. NHTSA 26V165000Mar 18, 2026Electrical System254,640 vehiclesOver-the-air fix

    Electrical system:adas

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience multiple unexpected resets, resulting in loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features, including pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

    Risk: Loss of the rearview camera image and certain driver assistance features, can reduce the driver’s ability to detect hazards, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: The Image Processing Module A software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. This is a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2025 Aviator, 2025 Explorer, 2025 Nautilus notified owners on 4/13/2026. Phase 2 will include 2025 Navigator will notify owners on or about 4/20/2026. Phase 3 will include 2022-2024 Navigator will notify owners on or about 6/8/2026. Phase 4 will include 2024 Nautilus will notify owners on or about 6/22/2026. Owner notification letters were mailed April 13, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S21. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 25, 2026.

See all 15 recalls for the 2025 Lincoln Aviator →

2025 Lincoln Aviator fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17.5 MPG
Highway
25 MPG
Combined
20.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,175
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2025 compared with other Aviator years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005202020212022202320242025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2023Caution33241620.5
2024Caution07820.5
2025Caution50161520.5

All Lincoln Aviator years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Lincoln Aviator reliable?
NHTSA data shows a Caution verdict for the 2025 Aviator, with a complaint index of 50 and 15 recall campaigns. It ranks 4th worst among the 7 Aviator model years with data.
What are the most common problems with the 2025 Lincoln Aviator?
Electrical system issues make up 31% of complaints, followed by brakes at 25%, and engine, collision avoidance, structure/body, and visibility issues each at 19%.
Does the 2025 Lincoln Aviator have recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns for the 2025 Aviator, covering areas including seat belts, structure and body, electrical system, and visibility and wipers. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2025 Aviator compare to other model years?
The 2025 Aviator's complaint index of 50 is lower than the 2020 (100) and 2022 (83) model years, both rated Avoid, but higher than 2023 and 2024, which sit at 33 and 0 and are both rated Caution.
What is the median mileage for brake complaints on the 2025 Aviator?
NHTSA data lists a median mileage of 2,000 miles for brake-related complaints on the 2025 Aviator.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.