2005 Lincoln Aviator recalls & problems

Recent owner complaints

• Oct 20, 2020 · 142,600 milesSuspension
  I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY 55 MPH WHEN PASSENGER REAR TOE LINK FAILED AND I LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CRASHING. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT GARAGE NEARBY.
• Jan 9, 2020Structure › Body
  A 6 INCH CRACK DEVELOPED AT REAR CENTER TAILGATE BODY PANEL MADE OUT OF PLASTIC BELOW THE REAR WINDOW. THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS THAT THE REAR WINDOW COULD FALL OUT AND INTERNAL TAILGATE COMPONENTS COULD BE DAMAGED DUE TO WATER ENTRY FROM THE CRACK. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FROM MY RESEARCH.
• Jan 22, 2020 · 180,000 miles · 1 injuryAir bags
  DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH NO IMPACT OF ANY KIND. CAR WAS STARTED AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED.
• Dec 23, 2019 · 66,300 milesStructure › Body
  REAR PLASTIC LITIGATE APPLIQUE BROKE OFF HITTING A PASSENGER CAR'S WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THIS THE THIRD PIECE FAILURE. THE LINCOLN WAS TRAVELING WEST ON THE DULLES GREENWAY.
• Oct 15, 2016 · 133,400 milesStructure › Body
  WHILE PARKED AT THE GAS STATION GETTING READY TO PUMP GAS THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED, GLASS SHATTERED EVERYWHERE, LEFT HINGE CRACKED AND FRAME AROUND LIFTGATE BEND AND CURLED UP. MY REAR LIFTGATE HAS THE SAME CRACKED AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. I REPLACED THE ENTIRE LIFTGATE IN 2011 & ON THE NEW LIFTGATE THE SAME CRACK CAME BACK
• May 6, 2015Structure › Body
  I HAVE THE SAME CRACKING PROBLEM WITH THE BACK GATE WHICH RESULTED IN THE BREAKING OF HINGES. ALSO A KNOWN DEFECT IN USING DEFECTIVE PARTS IN THE ENGINE SUCH AS TIMING CHAIN CASSETTES AND TENSIONER. FORD KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ISSUED AN TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON IT BUT NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME HE REPAIRED THIS VERY FREQUENTLY FOR THIS ENGINE
• Jul 21, 2015 · 86,000 milesPower train
  OWNER OF 2005 LINCOLN AVIATOR. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE GEAR SHIFT OUT OF PARK. I HAD THE AVIATOR TOWED TO A FAMILY MEMBER'S AUTOMOTIVE GARAGE AND WAS TOLD THAT I WILL NEED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE GEAR SHIFT REPLACED. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. I HAVE READ ENDLESS TESTIMONIES FROM OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS WITH THE EXACT DISPUTE. THE PART AND LABOR WILL COST ME APPROXIMATELY $1100.00 AT MY FAMILY'S GARAGE, ONE CAN ONLY GUESS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WILL DOUBLE AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. MY CAR IS DRIVEABLE, HOWEVER, WHEN IN PARK, I WILL HAVE TO PUT MY EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT, IF BUMPED, MAY MOVE OUT…
• Aug 24, 2007 · 36,000 milesStructure › Body
  WHEN PURCHASED USED 2 YRS OLD [XXX], I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LIFTGATE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 7YRS AND HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF IT, BUT I NOW HAVE 3 CRACKS IN THE LIFTGATE. IT SEEMS TO BE VERY THIN ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE BACK WINDOW AND EVERY TIME YOU OPEN AND CLOSE THE WINDOW, IT PUTS STRESS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF IT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DEFECT!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 4/19/2016 *JS

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• EA09013 · opened Aug 18, 2009 · closed Feb 12, 2013Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
  This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information…