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What 43 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Lincoln Aviator

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (43)Crash / fire / injury (5)Backup camera & sensors (8)Body & structure (8)Electrical system (8)Fuel system (8)Visibility & wipers (7)Engine (6)Airbags (3)Driver assistance (3)Lights (3)Brakes (2)

5 of 43 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 19, 2025Electrical system1 injury

My Aviator was parked with trunk open to load groceries from shopping cart. Must have stepped under bumper such that it triggered the kick sensor to close the tailgate. The problem is, it did NOT detect spouse’s body, did NOT stop the tailgate from closing & as a result, hit him on the head. He jolted out of the way & the tailgate continued to close all the way. This is serious safety issue!

NHTSA ODI 11688306

Mar 10, 2025AirbagsDriver assistanceCrash

Driving and slowing down accident brakes and frontal collision and airbags didn't go off

NHTSA ODI 11647320

Nov 4, 2024Speed controlDriver assistanceCrash

The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while her husband parked during a car wash, the contact who was seated in the front passenger seat exited the vehicle when it unintendedly accelerated and crashed into a pole. The contact confirmed that the vehicle was still in the park position when it suddenly lunched forward crashing into the pole a second time. In addition, the contact stated that the pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking system failed to engage. No warning light was illuminated. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause for the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,873.

NHTSA ODI 11623452

Jul 19, 2024Backup camera & sensorsCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that after switching to the reverse position, the backup camera image failed to display, and while driving approximately five MPH in reverse the vehicle crashed into the front end of a second vehicle. During the crash, the occupant in the second vehicle sustained an unspecified injury that did not require immediate medical attention. No further information was available. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the backup camera was previously replaced due to inoperability. The failure mileage was 28,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603414

Aug 2, 2022AirbagsCrashFire

On 6/9/22 I ran off the road and down a ravine. I hit a large tree head on and hit some smaller trees on the right side of the vehicle. After the head on collision with the large tree, it broke the frame in two places. The car had severe damage on the front and right side as you will notice in the pictures I am sending. No airbags deployed during this collision. I was shocked that none of them deployed after such a hard impact with the front of the car and the right side. The local police and fire department that arrived on the scene were very concerned that the air bags didn’t deploy. The towing company and body shop owner was also very concerned that the airbags didn’t deploy after he examined the car after the accident. I just want everyone to be aware of this safety feature that failed me after I paid $70k for a car with five star safety ratings.

NHTSA ODI 11477249

Working with the data? Download all 43 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2022 Lincoln Aviator verdict →