There are 11 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2004 Lincoln Aviatorin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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. FURTHER RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS FRACTURE WAS, IN FACT, A DESIGN FLAW THAT WAS NOT ADDRESSED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. SO DISAPPOINTED. *TR
THE BACK LIFT GATE WAS CRACK WITH OUT ACCIDENT, FORD SHOULD RECALL. *TR
WITHOUT IMPACT THE TAILGATE APPLIQUE OF MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR CRACKED. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS COMMON AMONG FORD EXPLORERS MERC. MOUNTAINEERS AND AVIATORS AS REPORTED BY MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND VARIOUS BODYSHOPS AND THOUSANDS ON THE INTERNET WITH SIMILAR DEFECTS. FORD WONT FIX IF ITS OUT OF WARRANTY . THE BROKEN TAILGATE SECTION CAN DISLODGE AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO PEDESTRIANS OR MOTORISTS. PLEASE ADVISE AS THIS IS A WIDESPREAD MANUFACTURES DEFECT. THANK YOU *TR
MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR, REAR WINDOW PANEL DEVELOPED A CRACK, WHICH I PAID FOR REPAIR. NOW AT 52,000 MILES WITH A PREMIUM EXTENDED WARRANTY IT HAS DEVELOPED ANOTHER CRACK. MY LOCAL LINCOLN DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW RELATED TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AND YET LINCOLN WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. IF THE CRACK CONTINUES IT COULD BECOME A PEDESTRIAN HAZARD AND QUITE DANGEROUS. THIS IS MY 5TH. LINCOLN AND MY LAST UNLESS LINCOLN STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR
THE PANEL BELOW THE BACK WINDOW ON THE HATCH HAS CRACKED AROUND THE EMBLEM. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF AVIATOR'S THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE. WE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THIS CAR WHEN WE BOUGHT IT NEW AND HAVE KEPT IT IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. ACCORDING TO LINCOLN, THIS IS ONLY COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. I FEEL THIS HATCH WAS NOT ENGINEERED CORRECTLY AND LINCOLN SHOULD FIX IT.
WHY WASHING SUV NOTICED A STRESS CRACK ON MY REAR LIFT GATE. BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I NOTICED THIS CRACK ON OTHER LINCOLN/FORD SUV'S. *TR
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 . *TR
LIFTGATE GLASS APPLIQUE DAMAGED/CRACKED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE SIDE OF THE TAILGATE NEAR THE LINCOLN EMBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT HER EXPENSE; HOWEVER, THERE IS ANOTHER CRACK IN THE SAME LOCATION. HER MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CRACK IS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER. THE DEALER STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AGAIN AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51525. UPDATED 04/16/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/13/10.*JB
THE LIFTGATE ON THE BACK OF MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR CRACKED ON ONE SIDE OF THE LINCOLN SYMBOL. TOOK IT TO LINCOLN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS FROM THE COLD BECAUSE THERE WAS A WEAK SPOT THERE. WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW OF THE WEAK SPOT, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT. AT THE TIME I DECLINED TO FIX IT. I JUST NOTICED THE OTHER DAY THAT THERE IS NOW A CRACK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINCOLN SYMBOL. I WAS TOLD IF I DON'T HAVE IT FIXED, THAT THE BACK GLASS COULD FALL OUT. SO NOW I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE A DEFECT THAT LINCOLN IS AWARE OF FIXED. THIS IS THE SECOND LINCOLN THAT I HAVE OWNED AND I DON'T THINK I WILL BE PURCHASING ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS. *TR
2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE LIFTGATE CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR. THE CRACK IS ABOUT AS LONG AS AN INDEX FINGER. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRACK WAS STRESS AND SEVERAL PANELS HAD BEEN REPLACED IN THE PAST. *MC *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026