Is the Cadillac XT6 more reliable than the Lincoln Aviator?

Yes, the XT6 has a clear edge. It drew 103 owner complaints, or 0.9 per 10,000 sold, against 219 and 15.7 per 10,000 for the Aviator. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the XT6. Both models still rate as good.

Which has more recalls, the XT6 or the Aviator?

The Aviator has far more. Federal recall records show 116 recalls across six model years for the Aviator and 14 across seven model years for the XT6. Check any VIN for open recalls before buying either one.

Which costs less to repair, the XT6 or the Aviator?

The XT6 costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $783 a year for the XT6 and $807 for the Aviator. Over five years that is about $120, a small gap that should not drive your choice.

What goes wrong with the Lincoln Aviator?

Electrical faults lead, mainly a rear backup camera that flickers or blanks out. Power train complaints include plug-in hybrids going dead after short trips. Engine complaints include seizures at 4,181 and 5,400 miles. Some owners also reported a rear window trim piece falling off at highway speed.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Cadillac XT6

Good

Lincoln Aviator

Good

Reliability favors the Cadillac XT6 over the Lincoln Aviator, and the lead is clear. Owners filed far fewer complaints per car sold, and federal recall records show far fewer recalls. Annual repair costs are nearly the same, so the complaint record decides it.

How Do the Cadillac XT6 and Lincoln Aviator Generations Compare?

Neither car is near a redesign right now, but they sit at different points in their cycles. The XT6 is still on its first generation, which covers 2020 through 2025, and records also include a 2026 model year. A second generation is expected for 2028. Anything you buy before then is a first-generation car, and the early years, 2020 and 2022, are the weakest. The Aviator is in its second generation. That generation began in 2020 and ran through 2023, and a facelift arrived for 2025. Shoppers will mostly see pre-facelift cars from 2020 to 2023, which include the weakest years, 2020 and 2021. Facelifted 2025 cars are newer, so their complaint history is still short.

Verdict

The Cadillac XT6 is more reliable than the Lincoln Aviator, scoring 73/100 vs 64/100.

The more reliable pick is the Cadillac XT6, and the edge is clear. Owners filed far fewer complaints about it relative to sales, and federal recall records show many fewer recalls. Both cars rate well and their yearly repair costs sit close together, so the gap comes from how often things go wrong. The Aviator draws more complaints, including engine failures on nearly new cars and electrical faults that dealers failed to fix.

Key Differences

1Cadillac XT6 has 102 fewer total recalls
2Cadillac XT6 costs $24 less per year to repair
3Cadillac XT6 has 14.8 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

4Cadillac XT6

—

0Lincoln Aviator

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair Cost

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator: Which Is More Reliable?

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Cadillac XT6	Lincoln Aviator
Reliability Score	73/100	64/100
Years Tracked	7	6
Total Recalls	14	116
Complaints per 10k Sold	0.9	15.7
Annual Repair Cost	$783/yr	$807/yr
Year Wins	6	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Cadillac XT6 and Lincoln Aviator?

Camera trouble hits both. The XT6 has screens cutting to black and silent rear parking alerts. The Aviator has a flickering or blue rear camera, and its electrical complaints are the largest group. Beyond that, the Aviator's list gets heavier. Engines seized at 4,181 and 5,400 miles, plug-in hybrids went dead after short trips, and cars dropped into neutral at intersections. The XT6's worst reports involve a failed fuel pump control module that stalled cars in traffic, plus rolling forward after shifting into reverse. Back over prevention has crash-linked complaints on both. Only the Aviator also has a crash-linked engine complaint.

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator common problem areas comparison
Component	Cadillac XT6	Lincoln Aviator
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	3.9Average
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.1Very Low	2Low
POWER TRAIN	0.2Very Low	1.5Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	1.2Low
STRUCTURE	—None	1.1Low
ENGINE	—None	0.9Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.4Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.4Very Low
SEATS	—None	0.4Very Low
STEERING	—None	0.3Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.2Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Cadillac XT6 or Lincoln Aviator?

Independent repair-cost data puts the XT6 at $783 a year and the Aviator at $807. That is a $24 difference, or about $120 over five years, so cost alone should not decide this. The Aviator is listed at 0.6 unscheduled shop visits a year. No matching visit figure was given for the XT6. The bigger money risk is the Aviator's engine complaints, where dealers called for full engine replacement, and its much larger recall count.

How Does Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator Reliability Compare by Year?

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Cadillac XT6	Lincoln Aviator	Edge
2025	74/1001R / 8C	68/10014R / 13C	Cadillac XT6
2024	73/1002R / 14C	70/1008R / 5C	Cadillac XT6
2023	73/1002R / 13C	66/10016R / 21C	Cadillac XT6
2022	72/1003R / 14C	63/10021R / 43C	Cadillac XT6
2021	73/1002R / 18C	62/10028R / 38C	Cadillac XT6
2020	72/1004R / 36C	57/10029R / 99C	Cadillac XT6

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Cadillac XT6 scored 73/100 and the 2024 Lincoln Aviator scored 70/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Cadillac XT6 vs the Lincoln Aviator?

Pick the XT6 if you want the lower chance of trouble. It has fewer complaints and fewer recalls, and repair costs run a little lower. Target 2025 or 2026 if your budget allows, but remember those years have had less time to collect complaints, so a clean record there is partly a matter of age. Avoid 2020 and 2022, the weakest years. Whatever year you shop, test the backup camera and rear parking alerts, and ask whether any fuel pump control module work has been done. Pick the Aviator only if its styling or features matter more to you than the record. Lean toward 2024 and 2025, and treat 2020 and 2021 as the years to skip. Be careful with plug-in hybrid versions, since some went dead after short trips. Have the engine inspected before you buy. Check every open recall too, because owners reported waiting on camera repair parts with no date given.

Cadillac XT6 vs Lincoln Aviator: Common Questions

Is the Cadillac XT6 more reliable than the Lincoln Aviator?: Yes, the XT6 has a clear edge. It drew 103 owner complaints, or 0.9 per 10,000 sold, against 219 and 15.7 per 10,000 for the Aviator. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the XT6. Both models still rate as good.
Which has more recalls, the XT6 or the Aviator?: The Aviator has far more. Federal recall records show 116 recalls across six model years for the Aviator and 14 across seven model years for the XT6. Check any VIN for open recalls before buying either one.
Which costs less to repair, the XT6 or the Aviator?: The XT6 costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $783 a year for the XT6 and $807 for the Aviator. Over five years that is about $120, a small gap that should not drive your choice.
What goes wrong with the Lincoln Aviator?: Electrical faults lead, mainly a rear backup camera that flickers or blanks out. Power train complaints include plug-in hybrids going dead after short trips. Engine complaints include seizures at 4,181 and 5,400 miles. Some owners also reported a rear window trim piece falling off at highway speed.
What are the common problems with the Cadillac XT6?: Power train and electrical complaints lead. Owners reported the car rolling forward after shifting into reverse and camera screens cutting to black. Rear parking alerts also stayed silent in some cars. A few reports describe stalling from a failed fuel pump control module, which is a crash risk.

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How we score the Cadillac XT6 and Lincoln Aviator

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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