2026 Lincoln Aviator

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seats. It has been recalled 6 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats2
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch1
000

6 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust26V470000
Filed Jul 21, 202676,748 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. An unoccupied driver's seat may recline unintentionally during certain scenarios, such as remote unlock or remote start.

Risk. Unexpected movement of the driver’s seat back may trap a second-row occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Dealers will disable the driver seat module (DSM) feature until parts are available. Once available, the motor will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S53.

Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly26V451000
Filed Jul 14, 2026387,911 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly.

Risk. A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters explaining the safety risk were mailed August 19, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Lincoln Aviator owner notification letters were mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S52. This recall expands Recall 25V393. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Fan/Motor26V202000
Filed Mar 31, 202655 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.

Risk. An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and secure the instrument panel joints as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S22. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 3, 2026.

Seat Belts26V159000
Filed Mar 17, 2026561 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.

Risk. A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.

Visibility › Windshield25V730000
Filed Oct 24, 202556,841 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The windshield glass may have visible air bubbles, which can obscure the driver's visibility. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."

Risk. Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 6, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C60. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 27, 2025.

Trailer Hitches25V687000
Filed Oct 10, 20251,412 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.

Risk. While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seats
Filed Sep 8, 2026OK

Ford's remedy is to disable the memory seatback in recall 26S53. This is not a remedy. This is disabling a feature that I paid for on this vehicle. Not sure why Ford / Lincoln think this is ok. I understand that this could put a child or person at harm in the back seat. But the recall shows a complete disable. Not a temporary disable while we find a solution to the issues. I have also filed a formal complaint with Lincoln Client Relationships Center, with the help of the Lincoln recall phone number on the letter I received in the mail.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch
Filed Sep 2, 20263,000 milesNM

The contact owns a 2026 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the hood unlatched unexpectedly and raised up towards the windshield. The view ahead of the vehicle was blocked due to the failure. The dealer was contacted by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Seats
Filed Aug 11, 2026WI

When unlocking the vehicle, the driver seat slides backwards and reclines to the maximum unexpectedly. If there is a passenger in the rear seat, the seat will trap the occupant and not stop when it meets resistance. This is similar to an already identified recall, but my vehicle was not on that list. I believe the recall should be expanded to more vehicles.

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20270200Routine
2026 — this page3600Routine
2025161500Routine
20246800Routine
2023241600Routine
2022452110Routine
2021392810Routine
20201083010Routine
200551000Routine
200481010Routine
2003111100Routine

Compare every Aviator year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 21, 2026. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.