"How reliable is the 2003 Lincoln Aviator?"

"Based on 167 NHTSA complaints, the 2003 Lincoln Aviator has a median complaint mileage of 62000 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2003 Lincoln Aviator?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2003 Lincoln Aviator is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 167 total complaints filed."

2003 Lincoln Aviator: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 167 complaints

167

Total Complaints

62,000mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

18,841 25th Percentile

62,000 Median Mileage

98,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling

Body

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Differential Unit

Tires

Column Shift

Rear

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DEFECTIVE AND POSSIBLY DEADLY 2003 LINCOLN AVIATOR MADE BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY 1.CAR PURCHASED ON 2/15/03. PICKED UP SAME DAY ON 2/15/03. 2.GAS PEDAL SNAPS AND BREAKS ALMOST CAUSING A HIGH SPEED COLLISION! ON 03/30/03 - ON SUNDAY, 03/30/03 I AM TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO ICE SKATING PRACTICE WITH T..."

"CHILD SAFETY SEAT QUESTIONNAIRE MODEL NUMBER : 22-625-MGN/OG2C. MR SCC *JB"

"POWER STEERING RACK HAS FAILED AFTER ONLY 4,500 MILES, AC SEAT FAILED, DOOR JAM CLEARANCE BETWEEN DRIVER'S DOOR AND REAR DOOR, WHISTLING NOISE AT 60 MPH. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 24 complaints

25th: 90,000 mi Median: 110,000 mi 75th: 137,135 mi

Automatic Transmission 16 complaints

25th: 20,332 mi Median: 50,016 mi 75th: 66,500 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 12 complaints

25th: 77,500 mi Median: 81,500 mi 75th: 96,500 mi

Body 9 complaints

25th: 56,052 mi Median: 75,000 mi 75th: 92,500 mi

Electrical System 7 complaints

25th: 31,398 mi Median: 83,500 mi 75th: 141,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

GA: 40 CA: 15 FL: 13 NY: 9 NJ: 9 MI: 8 IN: 6 TX: 5 MD: 5 SC: 5

Who Files Complaints?

29.9%

Original Owners

70.1%

Second+ Owners

Lincoln Aviator — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2004	115	72,614	Automatic Transmission	2
2005	62	70,226	Body	4
2020	152	4,800	Electrical System	2
2021	53	41,500	Electrical System	0
2022	64	31,000	Electrical System	7
2023	30	20,990	Electrical System	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28