Most common 2004 Lincoln Aviator problems
Share of the 81 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lincoln Aviator complaints by model year
Best Aviator years: 2024. Years to avoid: 2020, 2022, 2003. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 Lincoln Aviator:
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2004 Lincoln Aviator owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 21 →
The vehicle down shift when turning into the first as it goes into second makes in awful noise. When I parked it and tried to start it and it was dead.the mechanic figure it had something to do with the starter he got under the vehicle to applied starter told me to start it and it did and it pinned him under the vehicle.they later said the belt had popped. The vehicle had ben leaking a lite fluid they believed it to be the differential oil. Its a four wheel drive. I had it towed to bohn Ford 6/5/17they are charging 350.00 to replace the belt.city st. Later park it at walmart parking lot where the people helped push the vehicle off the mechanic.the vehicle would roll back when put in drive.
My main problem is that the car has an intermittent transmission problem. The car slips out of gear and the engine races. I have mentioned the problem to the service department on several occasions and they tell me it?s my problem till it does it for them. The other day I got a letter from Lincoln saying that the factory had put the wrong transmission fluid in the car. The service department still does not think this is my problem. The car has been in for the ac being broken; the brake rotors have been replaced. The car makes a loud noise on start up and they told me it was normal, however I have asked other people with my molded car and the said that there car makes no abnormal noise on start up. There is a problem with my steering when the car is not in motion. Other problems are minor including some small electrical problems. …
Engine & cooling all 20 →
At 13,650 miles the engine destroyed itself due to a defective crankshaft. I was driving home at night in the rain when the engine light came on and a loud banging sound was coming from the engine compartment. I immediately pulled off the highway & called roadside assistance. I waited for 3 hours for a tow truck and eventually had to call ct state police who summoned a wrecker. The lower half of the engine was completely destroyed. Manufacturer replaced the engine with a new engine assembly and engineers requested the old engine be sent to them for inspection as they had never seen this defect before. I was without my vehicle for 15 days. The first night I picked it up the engine light came on after less than 20 miles on my way home, again at night. It was not a dummy light. Another defective part had to be replaced. This time it was the EGR module. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Lincoln Aviator. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH, approaching a complete stop. While the brakes were engaged the vehicle accelerated toward the oncoming traffic. The brakes were applied repeatedly allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The contact was able to continue normal operation. The failure occurred on three different occasions. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three separate occasions for the identical failure and the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. Also, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on two different occasions for the acceleration failure which there was no resolutions. In addition, there were intermittent failures with the engine misfiring and revving without warning. …
Body & structure
As I was exiting a store and walking toward my vehicle, I noticed what looked like a black streak on the back of my liftgate. When I was closer, I saw that it was a crack in the back of the lift gate on the right side of the emblem of the vehicle from the bottom of the back window to the bottom of the lift gate. This crack was not there when I parked the vehicle to enter the grocery store because I had to walk around the back of the vehicle to make my way into the store and always look at the back end to make sure that I had pulled in far enough for others to pass. At first, I thought that someone had backed into my vehicle but there were no other marks, dents, scuffs, etc. I was curious to find out what would have caused this and found that this same crack has occurred to many other owners of Lincoln aviators and well as Ford explorers and Mercury mountaineers. …
Our 2004 Lincoln Aviator has developed a small 6 inch crack in the plastic surrounding and below the back window. When contacting the dealer we were told that this is a known problem but Ford refuses to do anything about it. We were then told to call Ford directly and were told that yes they know about it but they are not offering any help to customers. In researching this problem online there are 100's if not 1,000's of forum posts discussing this defect. A primary forum would be on the edmunds car site. My issue is that this crack could not be caused by anything but a defect and therefore Ford should be liable. The location is such that debris, etc. Could not cause this crack. Ford has quoted us over $ 1,000 to fix their problem and until we do the car is now suspect to water damage if it were to rain. Thank you .
2004 Lincoln Aviator engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Lincoln Aviator a good car?
Based on 81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Aviator rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Aviator at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Lincoln Aviator?
The transmission & drivetrain — 21 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (20) and body & structure (15).
How many recalls does the 2004 Lincoln Aviator have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Lincoln Aviator. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lincoln Aviator?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2020, 2022 and 2003. See the full Lincoln Aviator years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Lincoln Aviator problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.