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Model file · LincolnUpdated · 13 sources

Selling a broken or junk Lincoln Aviator

Lincoln built the Aviator twice, with a 14-year gap in between, and NHTSA's files treat them as two different trucks. Of the Aviator's 52 recall campaigns, only one lists a first-generation year. The other 51 cover the 2020 and newer model. Whichever one you have, if it's dead, broken or not worth the repair, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

A silver first-generation Lincoln Aviator SUV parked in a lot under a clear blue sky
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Generations
2003-2005 and 2020 on
First generation
4.6 L V8, 5-speed automatic, St. Louis Assembly
Second generation
3.0 L twin-turbo V6, 10-speed automatic, Chicago Assembly
Plug-in hybrid
Grand Touring, dropped for 2025
Complaints to NHTSA
524
Year with the most complaints
2020 (119)
Recall campaigns
52

Two trucks under one name

First generation, 2003-2005

The first Aviator was a rebadged third-generation Ford Explorer, built at the now-closed St. Louis Assembly plant in Hazelwood, Missouri, per Wikipedia. It had a 4.6 L Modular V8, a 5-speed 5R55S automatic, rear- or four-wheel drive, and three rows of seats for six.

These three years hold 243 complaints. The power train leads on the 2003 (47 of 111) and the 2004 (16 of 81). Engine and engine cooling has 12 on each of those years. On the 2005, structure takes over with 26 of 51 complaints. One recall campaign lists the 2003; none lists the 2004 or 2005.

Second generation, 2020 and newer

The Aviator returned for 2020, built at Chicago Assembly on Ford's CD6 platform beside the Explorer. It uses a 3.0 L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 and a 10-speed automatic. The Grand Touring was a plug-in hybrid with a 13.6 kWh battery; Lincoln dropped that trim for 2025. The car can also use the owner's phone as its key, with a keypad on the door if the phone dies.

The 2020 through 2026 hold 281 complaints. The 2020 alone has 119, and the electrical system is the top component on it (37), as it is on the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.

The recalls behind the second generation

Fifty-one campaigns is a lot to scan. These are the ones worth reading first. Most counts cover other Ford models too.

  • Park pawl, 26V402 (2020-2021). The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is moving. Dealers update software and replace damaged transmission parts. 741,195 vehicles, shared with the Navigator, Expedition, Explorer and F-150.
  • Cameras. At least seven campaigns deal with the rearview or 360-degree camera. One of them, 24V368 (2020-2024), names only the Aviator: a cell phone in the car can interfere with the module that shows the rear image. It counted 109,283 vehicles.
  • Second-row seats, 25V393 and 26V451. The easy-entry seat switch may stick, so the outer second-row seats can unlatch, fold or slide. Both are shared with the Explorer.
  • Exterior trim, 25V407 (2020-2025). Rear window bars and C-pillar trim may come loose. This one names only the Aviator; 132,914 vehicles.
  • Others: seat belt anchor bolts (25V093), a low-pressure fuel pump software fix (25V455) and windshield wiper motors (26V117).

NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns, by model year

Our count of NHTSA's records, taken October 10, 2026. The latest Aviators are the youngest on the list, so their counts are small for now. A campaign is counted on each year it lists, so the column adds to more than 52.

Model yearComplaintsRecall campaignsComponent named most
20031111Power train (47)
2004810Power train (16)
2005510Structure (26)
2006-2019not builtnonenone
202011930Electrical system (37)
20214528Electrical system (8)
20226022Electrical system (8)
20233016Electrical system (8)
202478Unknown or other (3)
20251615Electrical system and service brakes (3 each)
202646Seats (2)

Fix the Aviator, or sell it?

First get a repair quote and see what a running Aviator like yours sells for. If one gets close to the other, selling it as it sits is the cleaner choice.

  1. 2020 or newer? Run the VIN at NHTSA and ask a Lincoln dealer about anything open. Selling with an open recall covers the rest.
  2. Won't hold park, or shifting badly? Check 26V402, then see the bad transmission guide.
  3. Grand Touring battery trouble? See hybrid battery failed.
  4. A 2003-2005 with a tired V8? Our old or high-mileage guide is for trucks this age.

How to sell an Aviator whole

  1. Note your Aviator's VIN, mileage and the problem.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Give us the Aviator's location and if it rolls. One stuck in park gets loaded differently from one that moves in neutral.
  4. Keep the Aviator intact, wheels and converters included.
  5. Keys: hand over the fobs you have. If the car runs on Phone as a Key, remove your phone from it and wipe your data. Lost every key? See our no-keys guide.

Shopping the lineup? See the MKT that sat between the two Aviators, the Navigator or the MKX.

Questions people ask

What is the Aviator park pawl recall?
Recall 26V402 covers 2020-2021 Aviators. NHTSA's notice says the transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is moving. Dealers update the powertrain control module software and inspect and replace damaged transmission parts as needed. The campaign counted 741,195 vehicles, including the Navigator, Expedition, Explorer and F-150, so that number is not the Aviator's alone.
Which Aviator year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2020, with 119 as of October 10, 2026. It also lists 30 recall campaigns. Among first-generation trucks, the 2003 leads with 111. The 2024 through 2026 have been with owners only briefly, so their low counts are not the whole story.
Do the 2003-2005 Aviators have many recalls?
No. Only one of the 52 campaigns lists a first-generation year, the 2003. The rest cover the 2020 and newer Aviator.
Will you buy an Aviator that won't shift or won't move?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Say where the Aviator is, and if it's stuck in park or rolls in neutral.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 26V402: transmission park pawl, 2020-2021 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 24V368: rearview camera and cell phone interference, 2020-2024 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 23V342: 360-degree camera, 2020-2023 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 25V407: C-pillar trim, 2020-2025 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 25V393: second-row seat switch, 2020-2025 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 26V451: second-row seat switch, 2020-2027 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 25V093: seat belt anchor bolts, 2020-2021 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 25V455: low-pressure fuel pump, 2021-2023 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 26V117: windshield wiper motor, 2020-2022 Aviator nhtsa.gov
  12. EPA fuel economy data (model years, classes, plug-in hybrid) fueleconomy.gov
  13. Wikipedia: Lincoln Aviator (generations, engines, plants, Phone as a Key) en.wikipedia.org