Your vehicle report
2003 Lincoln Aviator
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 111
- Received Apr 2003 to Nov 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips18 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps9 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Gear shifter fails to register Park9 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V313000On certain sport utility vehicles, the transmission shift cable can become dislodged from the shift cable bracket.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 0 fires, 7 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 12 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 14 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 111 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 16% | – | NHTSA recall #02V313000 |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 9 | 8.1% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 9 | 8.1% | – | NHTSA recall #02V313000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 6.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 4.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 3.6% | – | |
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 2.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #02V313000November 21, 200225 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
On certain sport utility vehicles, the transmission shift cable Can become dislodged from the shift cable bracket.
This could result resulting in incorrect gear indication.
Remedy
Dealers will add a strap to the shift cable adjuster to prevent the shift cable from becoming dislodged. Ford has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Lincoln Aviator.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN