2020 Lincoln Aviator Reliability Report

Panoramic sunroofs shatter at highway speed with no road debris involved, and glass sprays into the cabin. Door problems keep coming up. A rear door flies open while driving, and inside release buttons fail with no mechanical backup on any door except the driver's. Exterior pieces come loose, including C-pillar trim and the glass from a side mirror. Water leaks in from under the overhead light near the rearview mirror and comes back after repeated dealer repairs. Backup camera blue screens are reported in this category too.

Backup camera screens turn blue, green, or blank, or the image flips, when the car is shifted into reverse. Most complaints are about recall repairs. Some owners say the repair did not fix the fault. Others could not get it done because parts were unavailable, so they are left without a working camera while they wait. Several owners say the problem returns after image processing module software updates and multiple dealer visits. Rear brake assist that works only some of the time is also reported.

Power steering assist cuts out, sometimes along with the engine and brakes, and drivers have to wrestle the vehicle to a stop. In one low-speed failure the vehicle veered off a driveway into rocks and bushes while showing a Steering Assist Fault message. Other reports describe warnings for drive control, AWD, adaptive cruise control, and collision assist that keep coming on at freeway speeds. Dealers have not fixed them after several visits, even after replacing sensors.

Vehicles move after the driver puts them in Park and walks away. One rolled through a garage door, the only crash-related report in this category. Other complaints describe a brief loss of power on turns or slight inclines. The pedal stops responding for a few seconds, then the car lurches forward with a clunk. Hard starting after refueling is also reported, with several presses of the start button needed before the engine turns over.

Brakes fail to hold or stop the vehicle. Drivers report the car creeping forward in Drive with the brake pressed until they pump the pedal. One describes a complete brake loss at 50 mph that forced a run through an intersection and a stop using the parking brake. In another report, at about 89,635 miles, the car would not move while the engine revved, and warnings appeared for the park brake, the braking system, and AdvanceTrac.

The air suspension leaks and loses pressure. The front end drops below the rear with a loud hiss and a service warning, and the car is unsafe to drive until it is repaired. Other reports describe a tapping from the front passenger side that grows louder over time. It is later joined by squeaks over bumps, while turning, and when people get in or out. One complaint lists repeated suspension service alongside camera and electrical problems.

Front seatbacks stop reclining partway, well short of their full range. On the driver's side the fault returned less than a month after a warranty repair, and one owner suspects an automatic system update caused it. The third-row headrest also stops staying in the raised position, which owners see as a risk in a crash, and it has failed again after being repaired once.