Wiper Problems of Lincoln Aviator

1. ) exhaust system failure (flex pipe / catalytic converter) the vehicle’s exhaust system—specifically the flex pipe connected to the catalytic converter—cracked and malfunctioned. This component is available for inspection upon request. As a result of the failure, exhaust fumes entered the cabin, creating a significant safety risk due to potential exposure to carbon monoxide. Prior to the failure, I noticed a persistent rattling noise at low speeds and while the vehicle was idling. The issue was inspected and confirmed by the dealership; however, I was informed that the repair falls outside of warranty coverage. I would like to know if this falls under safety hazard for emissions. 2. ) sunroof glass shattering incident while driving, the sunroof glass suddenly shattered and appeared to implode outward. According to the dealership technicians, this may have been caused by thermal stress or frame-related tension. The glass is no longer intact but the remaining components and frame can be inspected upon request. The incident posed an immediate safety hazard to both myself and other road users due to the sudden loss of glass and the potential for debris. I did not observe any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. After researching the issue, I found that similar sunroof glass failures have been reported across various Ford/Lincoln models, suggesting this may be a known manufacturer defect. The dealership has confirmed the damage but no inspection by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives has been conducted at this time.

See all problems of the 2021 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.

My vehicle’s camera system, including the backup camera, is experiencing an issue where the passenger-side camera fails to display properly, showing only a blank black area. I have reported this issue to my dealership for future inspection. It is not yet clear whether the problem persists during daylight hours; however, it poses a significant safety risk at night when visibility is already limited. The loss of the passenger-side camera view creates a blind spot that could increase the likelihood of an accident or injury.

The driver-side front window regulator failed and was replaced on October 4, 2025. The passenger-side window regulator also failed and was removed and replaced on November 21, 2025. At the time each incident, the window would not raise using the car controls and remained stuck in the down position. Two window regulator failures on opposite sides of this vehicle just seven weeks and within roughly 2,400 miles apart does not indicate typical wear. It reflects a pattern failure consistent with a component defect. At the time of the October incident, I was actively driving the vehicle and the November incident when was while the car was parked, when the window failed and would not raise. After parking and then restarting my vehicle, the window remained fully or partially down and could not be returned to a closed and secured position. This created multiple safety and security risks, including: • inability to secure the vehicle against theft or intrusion • exposure to weather, rain, or debris • increased cabin noise due to broken window • risk of vehicle damage while parked without protection. The vehicle was left parked and unsecured solely due to the window malfunction. No police or insurance inspection occurred, as the incident did not involve a collision or theft, though the vehicle was left unsecured. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by the manufacturer, Lincoln and independent service center firestone complete auto care, who completed the repair. There was no warning lamps or dashboard messages that appeared prior to or during the failure. Both window regulator failed suddenly and without warning. In my research, numerous Aviator owners have publicly reported identical regulator failures, (reddit and youtube) which further reinforces that this is a systemic issue, not an isolated event.

The "auto" mode on my sync screen on my 2021 Lincoln Aviator does not always automatically switch between day and night based on ambient light levels. This is a blinding experience at night when the screen doesn't switch to night mode and the brightness is intense. This blinding screen makes it hard to see outside when it is dark which could lead to an accident. My dealer says I have the most up to date version of sync for my vehicle and there is no fix for this problem.

Reference my NHTSA complaint # 11681607 dtd 8/19/25 regarding the problem with autosense wipers that I’ve had since I bought my Aviator 2. 5 yrs ago. As I previously reported, problem was finally resolved in April when dealer replaced the autosense sensor. I have come to learn that the plastic covering dealer found on the sensor (see attached pic) is actually a protective film for part shipment & should have been removed by the assembly plant prior to installing the sensor but was not. There are other owners that have this same ‘wipers gone wild’ condition with autosense wiping in which the windshield does not clear enough for safe driving & you need to switch to manual wiper operation to clear the windshield. This plant assembly error should trigger a recall with all manufacturers that use this part, not just Lincoln.

See all problems of the 2022 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.

Despite multiple backup camera recalls & fixes, the backup camera blurs visibility & engages the backup collision avoidance system when there’s a steady rain thereby preventing me from backing car up my dw & parking in garage. The vehicle repeatedly stops & engages the rear collision avoidance system so much so that I had to turn it off in settings to back my car in. Cleaning the backup camera lense did not improve this condition. It appears the system cannot differentiate between rain & an object.

The autosense wiper function has been erratic & not working properly since my Aviator was a yr old (2022). None of the autosense wiper stalk positions worked correctly to clear the windshield enough for safe visability. I had dealer check this problem 3 times in 2023 & 2024 & they indicated no problem was found & no codes appeared. After experiencing dangerous visability issues on a 4 hr trip in which I needed to keep the regular wiper on to see (because autosense didn’t clear windshield enough to see on hwy), I left vehicle at dealer & refused to pick it up until problem was corrected once & for all. Since car is under warranty they decided to replace the sensor & found it to be defective (yellowed). Since replacing the sensor autosense now works. This leads me to believe these sensors are failing prematurely. I’m posting this in case others are experiencing a similar problem with autosense wipe.

On the 10th day of ownership (April 30, 2023), all cameras became inoperative. This is a known/continuing defect since 2020 yet Lincoln/Ford continue to sell these vehicles. My new car has been in and out of the shop on numerous occasions and it had no recalls according to the nhsta and Ford websites. They have replaced 2 modules and wiring harness and, finally they agreed it was the same 360 degree camera issue that has plagued them since 2020. As of today, my VIN is listed under the 360 degree camera recall with no solution available. I'm told it is a software issue. As repairs were attempted, I also lost rear & forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control which may have since been corrected.

See all problems of the 2023 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.

After dealer did 3 software updates for recalls I experienced 2 safety issues: 1) wiper blades now do not recline to the proper position. Right blade goes down past windshield & hits the plastic piece making an extremely loud whack. Left blade does not lower to proper position & obstructs the lower view of windshield & the washer on left blade no longer works. 2) more concerning is while driving in reverse (in rain & dark), the car came to a complete & sudden halt practically giving me whiplash & making an extremely loud crash sound. Car came to such a hard & sudden stop I thought I had hit a wall even though there was 1) no warning light displayed or sound to indicate an obstruction or pending crash 2) nothing displayed on rear camera. Got out to see what I hit & why car stopped but found nothing wrong. Proceeded to continue backing up & it happened again. The car went about 3’ more then same thing happened. Then another 3’ it happened a 3rd time. It jolted my neck 3 times leaving me in pain. This incident was extremely frightening given I’m a handicapped driver & could have been stranded somewhere alone unable to drive the car at all. I suspect these 2 safety issues are related to Lincoln’s recall remedy & software updates as nothing else was done on my vehicle during my recent service other than replacing the front grill emblem.

My Aviator doesn't start the first time I push the start engine button anytime after I fill up the tank. It takes it about 5 times of me hitting the start engine button before it finally turns over. Before then, it just sounds like wants to start, but doesn't. I am once again taking it back to the dealership to have the back up camera looked at. Before it would work sporadically, now when I put the car in reverse, it just shows a solid blue screen. And I always get an error message about rear assist not working. I've tried troubleshooting it, but still nothing works. Additionally, the presets for xm radio do not stay when set. This infotainment center does not function efficiently and has delays and no memory.

See all problems of the 2020 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.

This vehicle has been recalled at least twice for a faulty rear camera system. When vehicle is put in reverse the image on the screen flips so bad you cannot see what is behind you. The previous recalls were for this, we had it in the shop twice before the 2 recalls plus the two recalls (4 times) and cannot get a properly working rear camera. This is a safety issue because we rely on the camera for blind spots during reverse and to see behind this large vehicle. Ford cannot figure out how to fix.

Lincoln Aviators 2020-2024 using the sync 3 radio screen. Have a issue not switching to dimmed/night mode during night time driving. This is a major safety issue because when driving a night you have a super bright display inches from your eyes creating a blinding issue at night. This issue has been reported by many folks, a simple google search will reveal this. Unless NHTSA steps if to doing something 10s of thousands Lincoln Aviators 2020-2024 are on the road with blinded drivers. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My vehicle has 4960 miles and the transmission started to slow down as if I was driving a stick shift car, then 2 or 3 days later began to kick and lose power when increasing speed after a stop sign. Dealer diagnosed an internal failure on the transmission and it needs to be replaced. A couple of times in the morning after starting the vehicle, when putting the reverse gear I had my foot on the brake but the car still moved and the brakes were very stiff, I had to release the brake and apply it again in order to stop the car from moving. The sensors on the rear brake support are extremely sensitive. The car detects a small crack on my driveway and stops abruptly causing my head to bump twice on the headrest, the dealer said it was normal, no defect found. The windshield fluid I thought it was normal in this car to throw a very small amount of liquid compared to my other Lincoln mkz, but reading the complaints from other customers I realized that it's not normal.

In reverse (both static and in motion), rearview camera flickers constantly between image and black screen making it unsafe to use car in reverse and depend on camera for visibility of obstacles. 4+ attempts to fix by Lincoln, including replacement of the rear backup camera under warranty, have not resolved this safety issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the wiper fluid failed to produce enough solution to clear the windshield. The vehicle was taken several times to robberson Ford (2100 ne 3rd st, bend, or 97701, (541) 382-4521) where it was diagnosed that the pump, line, windshield wiper blades, and a stronger reservoir pump were needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 3,000.

I purchased this vehicle as a certified used vehicle. It had an extended warranty. Once it expired I've experienced every single complaint people have stated online about this vehicle. As of today (12/02/13) it still has only 74,000 miles on it and the latest problem is the transmission needs to be replaced but they don't know why. I am a stay at home mom and wear-and-tear on it is very minimal (grocery shopping, to and from school, etc. ). I have never had so many problems on a "so called" luxury vehicle before! I've had bad coils in cylinders 3, 4, 5 (twice), and 7 replaced under Lincoln's recall. The tailgate panel cracked (just like all the other people who own this vehicle and the mountaineers have complained about), but they won't fix it. In addition, a white plastic piece fell out of the top half of the tailgate and now it will not close anymore therefore I can no longer take it through car washes. The bracket for the sun visor on my passenger side completely deteriorated and caused the visor to suddenly dangle from the roof of my car while driving. Now, I cannot flip it up and it causes a blind spot. There is also something faulty with the brake light switch which drains my battery on a regular basis and I have to have my jumped. The brake light switch has been replaced 3 times now because it is has shorted out. To complicate matters, every time I take the car to the dealership for these repairs, they insist on doing a "diagnostics check" and every time they want to charge a fee for this service. Every time the price is different. . . Some times its $50, sometimes its $100. This vehicle is a lemon and I will never buy a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury again.

See all problems of the 2004 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.

On my 2003 Aviator the door ajar light comes on at various times during the day and night. My interior lights flash and my car alarm goes off. It's been doing this for about two years, but has gotten worse this year 2016. My battery has died twice in two days. So frustrated with this vehicle. Was summoned over the intercom in a department store and at work saying that a Lincoln SUV's alarm was going off and that the lights were flashing. I knew it was mine. I hit the alarm button on the key fob which cut off the alarm for about 30 seconds and it started up again. When driving at night, the door ajar light comes on which makes my interior lights flash quickly and makes it difficult to drive because of the glare of the interior lights being on. The door ajar light comes on anytime day or night, stationary or while driving. I bought this vehicle new. It only has 67,000 miles on it now, but over the years, I've had serious issues with the transmission, had to replace 2 wheel bearings, there's a crack near the emblem on the liftgate, the stereo makes loud popping sounds in the back which sounds like a gunshot, sometimes can't get out of park, the gear shift gets stuck! I'm so frustrated with this vehicle. I complained to the Ford company several years ago when there were only 40,000 miles on the vehicle and the transmission was having serious issues, and also my water pump went bad. Their reply was: "we're sorry to hear that, please take your vehicle to one of our dealers for great service repair". I think I bought a lemon!! too many things going wrong with a vehicle that was purchased new and still have low miles!! my windshield sprayer control on the left side on the steering wheel also stopped working suddenly about 5 years ago, I almost forgot about that issue.

See all problems of the 2003 Lincoln Aviator 🔎.