Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Lincoln Aviator, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train21
- Engine and engine cooling15
- Structure15
- Electrical system8
- Air bags7
- Steering6
- Visibility6
- Engine5
- Suspension5
- Unknown or other5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 16 2004 Aviator vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 11 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Lincoln Aviator failed the safety check 1.77% of the time — 20% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 141,832 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 17.5 L/100 km (about 13 mpg US), CO₂ 403 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviator 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 20.0 | 14.5 | 17.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2004 Lincoln Aviator.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lincoln told its dealers about the 2004 Lincoln Aviator: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10028736 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT OIL SEPARATION FROM THE INTERNAL LUBE FOUND IN THE UNITIZED CARTRIDGE SEAL. OIL SEPARATION APPEARS TO BE AND IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED, AS AN AXLE LUBE LEAK. *PE |
| 10021944 | EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE ON IGNITION COIL ASSEMBLIES. *KB |
| 10019912 | ENGINE MISFIRE WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) PEWEE, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, P0306, P0307, P0308, AND P0316. *TT |
| 10019384 | LOW TIRE INDICATOR ON - TPMS SYSTEM SENSOR WAKE UP. *TT |
| 10019379 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH PCM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0463 AND/OR IC DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B1201 - FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO EMPTY OR SLOW TO UPDATE AFTER REFUELING. *TT |
| 10018745 | WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT |
| 10018064 | NOISE FROM REAR WHEEL HUB BEARINGS. *TT |
| 10017929 | BATTERY DRAINED CONDITION. *TT |
| 10017902 | LOW SPEED STEERING SHUDDER DURING LOW-SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. *TT |
| 10017898 | DELAYED OR HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENTS - 5R55S TRANSMISSION - VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 09/23/2004. *TT |
| 10017892 | REAR AXLE NOISE REPAIR. *TT |
| 10017876 | DRIVER WINDOW INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE. DRIVER WINDOW WILL NOT TRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN, OR MAY BOUNCE BACK WHEN REACHING IT'S UPPER TRAVEL LIMIT. *TT |
| 10016832 | BACKGLASS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND AN INTERMITTENT DOOR AJAR LAMP. *TT |
| 10014668 | AXLE SEAL LEAKS. *EH |
| 10014664 | FRONT SEAT(S) SLIGHT MOVEMENT WHEN ACCELERATING AND/OR DECELERATING. *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013369 | GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10013322 | POPPING OR QUAVERING FROM RADIO ON THE AM BAND. *TT |
| 10013306 | IMPROPERLY FORMULATED TRANSMISSION FLUID THAT, OVER TIME, MAY CAUSE DELAYED/HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENTS. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 04B22. 5R55S/E & 5R44E TRANSMISSION FLUID ADDITIVE. *TT SUPPLEMENT #1. *TT SUPPLEMENT #2. *TT SUPPLEMENT #3. *TT |
| 10013303 | REAR POWER WINDOW(S) INOPERATIVE. *TT |
| 10013121 | FRONT AXLE TUBE LEAK. *EH |
| 10013116 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation