Amyz

I’ve read numerous times that most of the issues stem from the Chicago plant (e.g. roof leak on my first lemon aviator, as well as others). Then they send the lemons to Detroit to get repaired properly. Are there issues from other plants or are they all produced in Chicago?

Wolfepack88- just curious, with all the issues you have had, did you look into the lemon law? It's such a shame that this vehicle has so many glitches, because it has such awesome potential. The more I read the current blogs about continuing issues, the more I am getting cold feet about trying a third Aviator! Besides, it sounds like it will be a 6-12 month wait for a 2022. Good luck with yours.

Well, personally I liked the ride of the Aviator over the MB GLE…in addition, you’re lucky if you don’t have the mold issue in your AC, as it isn’t pleasant!! (by the way, we do have a third row in the GLE- for little kids)

I have to say that is hilarious twintornados!!!?

I’m probably the only person that had back to back 2020 Aviators that were lemons. Working with Lincoln concierge and the dealership, we were able to get a full refund and walk away (see my posts last year). Despite the quality issues with the Aviator, I absolutely loved the look, the drive, the comfort (30 way seats), and all the amenities. It was the perfect 3 row SUV for our needs - not too big and not too small. I ended up getting a 2020 MB GLE 350. Unbeknownst to me, there was a known class action suit involving this model and many other MB models. The suit involved mold/mildew in the AC unit, resulting in a foul smell when the AC is turned on . Of course the dealer didn’t inform me of this. The odor is bad enough that I don’t want the vehicle any more! I seem to have great luck trying to get into a new vehicle! So now I am at the point wondering if I wait to order a 2022 Aviator, maybe most of the kinks (roof leaks, rear camera, electrical issues in dash, etc will have been worked out 2 years later? Does anyone have any thoughts or advice about taking the Aviator plunge again? Are there still a lot of quality issues? I don’t see too many comments on the 2021 problems. Also, when will the 2022s be out?

Holy cow!! That sounds worse than our experience. Believe it or not, we lemon lawed the first Aviator, only to do the same with the second one!! Have you ever heard of such a thing? We were offered a third Aviator or all our money back... we took the latter option. Can’t you lemon law yours? The fact is that’s it’s a beautiful vehicle and very comfortable, with all the amenities one could want. It’s a darn shame they can’t get their quality right! Good luck.

Absolutely ridiculous and inexcusable to have this recurrent defect! Good luck with the repair.

Check out topics: defective heads up display and Lincoln aviator roof leak under Lincoln aviator forum.

Interestingly we had 2 brand new Aviators that were lemons (Towards the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020)- received full refund and, in fact, got a Mercedes GLE! To be honest, we liked the Aviator a lot more and it was much more plush. Will reconsider the Aviator in a few years when they work out the kinks. Glad you have had good luck with yours- enjoy it!

Unfortunately I went through this experience last year. The cause was a pinched PVC drainage pipe in the rear left pillar. Isn’t that amazing how poor the quality control? When I went to the service department and saw how they tore the insides of my vehicle apart, including the headliner, I told them I didn’t want the vehicle back. The Lincoln concierge service obliged and let us exchange for a new vehicle- unfortunately, that was also a lemon for other reasons! They ended up giving us all our money back and we walked. Good luck with your vehicle- I’m not sure they could ever make the headliner like it was when it first came from the factory?

You would have to be crazy! Just read my posts on not one but TWO Aviator lemons I had!

We were offered a third Aviator vs full refund (including mileage) and opted for the latter. Although we really loved the vehicle, we suspect it will take a few years to work out the kinks. We lost faith and were not willing to take a chance a third time!

See our response under the defective heads up display topic. To make a long story short, the general manager gave us the option of a third Aviator or a full refund of everything we spent at their dealership. We opted to take the refund and walk away from Lincoln products. They did the right thing, and I hope for their sake, they rectify all the issues they are having with this vehicle in the future. It's a beautiful, well handling SUV with excellent amenities. They just need to work the bugs out.

Latest update! We spent over 30 minutes meeting with the general manager of the Gettel Lincoln dealership in Punta Gorda, Fl. He was the nicest, most understanding person anyone could ask for. He offered us the option of a third Aviator or a total refund of ALL monies we paid. We elected to take the latter option and walk away from the Aviator, with hopes that it will improve in the future. This manager was such a gentleman that hopefully we will be able to do business at one of the other 2 dealerships he manages or one of the 19 that are in the Gettel corporation. We are renting a vehicle for now until we find an SUV with 3 rows that meets our standards and is not a first edition model!

Lincoln was generous enough to let us replace our first "lemon" Aviator with an identical one built in 12/19. Supposedly all of the problems they experienced earlier were worked out. We received the second vehicle one week ago. Well, our heads up display is completely defective (see my topic on this). In addition, we developed multiple spontaneous warning signs in the dashboard today: Pre-collision assist not available, Drive control malfunction service required, Service advanceTrac, to name a few. Is anyone else experiencing these problems or are we just unlucky twice??!!

Thanks for the information. If they make me wait for the part and don't replace it right away on my brand new second "lemon", I'm going to fight tooth and nail for a refund and walk away from Lincoln products! In addition, after owning this second vehicle for one whole week, today we began experiencing all kinds of electrical warning signs in the dash board (just like our first Aviator)! We have a meeting with the service manager and general manager of the dealership tomorrow. Not sure how it will go but we have lost all faith in the Aviator. It's a darn shame!

Well, as it turns out, I don't believe they gave me ANY of the $2500 discount on the second vehicle. They played a numbers game on me and it turns out the new vehicle cost exactly the same as the check Lincoln sent me. The check was the amount I paid for the first vehicle minus $1700 for mileage usage. That means they gave me no break at all from the first deal! I have no idea what the dealer actually did with the goodwill discount but I did not benefit from it. On top of everything else, today we developed new electronic problems with multiple warnings going off in our dashboard. It's like deja vu all over again! We've had the new Aviator for one week! Will see how my meeting goes with the service department and the general manager of the dealership tomorrow! Hoping they will let me walk away from second vehicle but not optimistic.

This is an update on our defective Aviator with the roof leak (we started this topic). I was impressed that Lincoln Concierge agreed to allow us to exchange the vehicle for a new one (rather than going through the state lemon law). They recommended that the new vehicle we chose had a production date after 9/19. We found the identical vehicle with the exact same price produced in 12/19. Although the national Lincoln division gave us a $2500 discount certificate, it was the local dealer's discretion as to whether we could utilize it. In fact, they only allowed a $1500 discount. The bottom line is we paid the exact same amount for the new vehicle as we did the old one, plus usage of the old vehicle ($1700 for 3000 miles we put on over 3 months). One would think that with all the aggravation we had, they would have waived the $1700. In any event, we have another defect on the new vehicle (see defective heads up display topic). We are basically besides ourselves and now have very little faith in the Lincoln Aviator. In two days we bring the vehicle back to the service department and meet with the general manager of the dealership. It will be interesting to see what they say. In retrospect , we are sorry we didn't take the reimbursement check from Lincoln and walk away!

Well, Lincoln Concierge agreed to exchange my lemon Lincoln Aviator (see Lincoln Aviator Roof Leak topic) which I was very pleased with. Unfortunately, the new one we purchased last week (exact same vehicle and price which was produced in 12/19) had some flaws when we were first inspected it. These included grease on the headliner, scuff marks on the inside of the driver's door, a marred left rear wheel well molding, a warped misaligned plastic molding in the cargo area along the left rear pillar, a slightly misaligned hood, and over 140 miles on vehicle that supposedly came right from the factory! To make a long story short, with the exception of the slight hood misalignment, all of the other problems were repaired and we accepted the vehicle as is. As we are driving home, I turned on the heads up display. Initially, it had a background that looked like stars (which I immediately reported to the dealership). We were told it was either a "setting" or simply that the area needed to be wiped due to some residual chemical. Neither of these were the case! In fact, over the past week the display has become so cloudy and white like snow that you can't even read the speed limit or other numbers (see photo). This is not only distracting but very dangerous. We are so discouraged and now have buyer's remorse. As much as we like the looks, the drive, and comfort of the vehicle, we have lost faith in the product. We now wish that we chose the option of taking the reimbursement check and walking from Lincoln products. Where is the quality control?? In two days we go back to the service department and also meet with the general manager of the dealership. I will tell them if they have to disassemble the dashboard to fix the issue, we no longer want the vehicle. I don't know what their response will be but for a $74000 vehicle we are zero for two and disgusted! Has anyone seen this problem on the Aviator??

So here is an update on my roof leak. The dealer did a hose test and could not simulate a leak! Fortunately it rained yesterday and after they took the vehicle outside, water started pouring inside. (Therefore, their hose test is flawed). They had to tear down the headliner to find out where the water was coming from. They noted one of the rear drains that is supposed to have a ninety degree bend was kinked. I still am skeptical that this is the problem, especially when water was pouring out of the front and rear roof simultaneously during a light rain this past weekend. (They also originally told me the sunroof was not seated properly and the problem was fixed). They are keeping the vehicle today to do further investigation. I am going to go by and discuss with the director of service- hopefully he will let me see the exposed roof to understand the problem. In any event, it's sad to say but we don't even want the car anymore, even if this kinked drain repair fixes the problem. The vehicle has now been compromised with water at least 3 times. This may also explain the multiple electrical problems/warnings we have had. I am wondering if jfischetti's similar problem/repair has resulted in a permanent fix? The Detroit Free Press published an article on a Chicago woman who had a leak and multiple other problems with her new Aviator- she was afforded an exchange with a new vehicle. The saga continues... will keep you posted.

Thank you- I briefly scanned the lemon law pamphlet and will definitely review the Owners Warranty Guide.

Great advice, I appreciate it. Hoping that they have improved upon their early “glitches”, I would definitely consider an exchange with a vehicle produced later off the line. Thanks again!

Thanks for the advice. That is certainly one of our major concerns. We are also wondering about the possibility of mold/mildew in Florida!

BAD NEWS!!!! We had a light rain today and water came pouring through the roof again, in front and behind the sun roof as before. We are besides ourselves and will be contacting the regional service manager this week. We have had way too many problems for a vehicle that is 3 months old. Twintornados, this is the exact reason I no longer trust or have confidence in Lincoln....live and learn (see all my other postings of problems).

Well, apparently my VIN indicates mine was one of the first cars made because it’s a low number? Perhaps we should have waited longer for them to work out the kinks? Like I said, we really enjoy the vehicle but not at the expense of multiple serious issues and recurrent trips to the dealer (I forgot to mention the initial brake noises that required adjustment of some plate in the brake mechanism that wasn’t properly set at factory!). Wolfepack88, I’m sorry I disillusioned you and I hope you find what you want. Assimulator, I hope you enjoy your Nautilus!