Anyone moving on from 2020 or newer Aviator?

[icemantx]

So we are on our second Aviator and have had a checkered history with the Aviator. Our 2020 Aviator AWD Reserve was bought back by Lincoln under the lemon law and we then moved to a 2023 model in hopes our experience would improve. While the recalls are fewer and the last year and half has been relatively trouble free, the first year was problematic and now gremlins are starting to show up such as: 1) Driver door latch does not always engage leaving the door not latching closed 2) Two open recalls recently announced 3) Map lights going on and off intermittently 4) Occasional rattles

The issues with our 2nd Aviator date back to the first year of ownership led to Lincoln providing the Lincoln Premium Care extended warranty until 100k miles or October 2028. Even though I have time with extended warranty coverage, my confidence in its reliability is simply gone.

All that said, for those who are considering or have moved away from the Aviator, what did you or will you consider moving to?

For everyone who is enjoying their Aviators, I am very happy for you and wish we experienced the same as we have had a rough ride with the Aviator over the last 5 years.

 

[moose66]

Howdy. How ironic you posted this. I just bought a 2026 Cadillac Vistiq Premium Luxury last Friday. I will be unloading my Aviator before the end of the month. It was a decent ride. I had some issues. Would I buy again? Maybe if they still offered the PHEV.

I am sitting on two recalls (2nd row seat and the body trim coming off). Neither of which have caused me any issues. I too have the map light that turns on when it wants to.

In the end, I enjoyed the Avi, but probably will not miss it when it is gone.

 

[Vikingstaff]

So far, so good, with our ‘22 BL Aviator. We have the extended warranty until 2030 or 2031. We will ride that out at this point.

Prior to getting it I was strongly leaning into an Audi Q7 or maybe a CPO Audi SQ7. If I were going to look at other options, probably that. The Audi rides better than a BMW X5, and comfort is our main thing due to me having a very bad back and hip issues. So the BMW’s would be out. I don’t think the mid-size Cadillac’s compare favorably, so unless going up into a better line like Moose, I would probably rule those out too. I’d take a good look at a couple lines of Lexus perhaps as well. I am not enamored with the Genesis, but I know some like to compare the Aviator with their mid-size offering. Just not my cup of tea, and I frankly don’t trust the Genesis either.

 

[sspradley]

Good timing. I just contacted a lawyer about the 'lemon' law and if it applies to our 2022 GT Aviator. I really like the car but we've gotten 17 recall notices and every time we take it in, they keep it for almost a week - not enough mechanics - and never have a loaner. I'm going back to Mercedes. They always gave a loaner and never kept the car for a week for a couple of minor adustments. Oh, and they had to replace the transmission - that was kind of the kicker. What else - the display screen never appears if the phone is plugged in prior to starting car, Apple play detects the phone sporadically. Had to replace the usb port once. Husband says not to get a MBZ because it's expensive to maintain. I've had 4 MBZ and none were in the shop as much as this Aviator and their costs were actually comparable to his Prius. Sigh. The Aviator is a good idea - I don't know what they need to do to fix all the issues ...

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[tvanhall]

Howdy. How ironic you posted this. I just bought a 2026 Cadillac Vistiq Premium Luxury last Friday. I will be unloading my Aviator before the end of the month. It was a decent ride. I had some issues. Would I buy again? Maybe if they still offered the PHEV.

I am sitting on two recalls (2nd row seat and the body trim coming off). Neither of which have caused me any issues. I too have the map light that turns on when it wants to.

In the end, I enjoyed the Avi, but probably will not miss it when it is gone.

Moose, are you on a forum for the Lyriq/Vistiq or can you post some observations of both the 24 and 26 Cadillac models here?

 

[FordLincoln]

Sorry to hear about your Aviator problems. We traded our 2020 Aviator on a 2025 Aviator. Only problem we had with the 2020 was with the key fobs and the radio station presets - they would NEVER save. Lincoln FINALLY got it fixed and the car ran great.

Currently no issues with the 2025 - we are 7 months in. A couple of generic recalls that had ZERO impact on anything. Also have a 2021 Nautilus that runs great as well. Don't know if we are lucky with ours or you are just unlucky with yours!! Good luck with your next purchase!!!

 

[peterk9]

I lease my vehicles. Had a 2020, 2023 and now a 2025 Aviator. No issues with any of them, although they were/are all low mileage. The 2025 will be going in tomorrow to have 2 recalls completed.

Peter

 

[Vin0770]

Traded a 2023 Aviator BL with 24,000 on it, one warranty rattle from the Chicago assembly forgetting some underneath hardware that connects plastic/metal parts at the frame and transmitted a rattle all the way up the passenger B pillar. My dealer new it right away as I wasn’t the first with this poor assembly issue. Also the driver side R leg extender motor needed replacement. All fixed at first service interval and that was it for 18 months.

New 2025 Aviator BL SE with 3,200 has had no warranty issues thus far. But the dealer prep guy put 9 nice deep razor blade cuts in the second row passenger glass getting decals off and a big gouge out of the passenger side black plastic outside mirror shell. Both being repaired next Wednesday. And I got the 2025 bubbles in the windshield recall notice that I’ll be taking advantage of. Maybe some small spot bubbles noticed, but during assembly again an issue. It was not properly centered in the frame with a tight fit on the driver side and huge filled in gap on the passenger side. I don’t get how they don’t correct this $hit at final inspection. They think the buyer of their listed $97,250 product is going to roll with that?

Last four vehicles, 2022 GV70 3.5 Sport Advanced, 2023 G80 2.5 Sport Prestige, 2024 Acura MDX Advanced and 2025 GV3.5 Sport Prestige all NEVER had early factory warranty issues which maybe dumb luck. As the new dream car a 2021 BMW 430x was traded after seven months of outrageous electrical gremlins, so maybe everything evens out in the wash.

I will tell you the dude pricing these Lincoln products is clearly on psychedelics. I got $10,000 off the 2023 BL in March of 2024 and $10,000 discount off the 2025 BL SE in September and zero % interest and still felt like that’s way to much $ for the domestic product coming out of Chicago. Just disappointed, it seems that our US production isn’t buttoned up as tight as some of these foreign mfg. I’m hoping to keep both our 2025 vehicles well through retirement starting next year and keep them for a long time. I’m hopeful that once you clean up the assembly flaws that it’s just oil changes from here on out.

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[moose66]

Moose, are you on a forum for the Lyriq/Vistiq or can you post some observations of both the 24 and 26 Cadillac models here?

Hey tvanhall,
Yes, I have joined Cadillacforums.com with the same username and have made a few post there. The Lyric forum is heavily used, the Vistiq, not so much. I can provide some feedback/observations here. However, it'll take me a minute or two. I at least wanted to acknowledge your post and your request. Stay tuned!

 

[moose66]

PART 1

Moving on from my Aviator was something I had thought about for some time. Although I had an extended warranty, I really started to think hard about it once the originally warranty ran out. Another thing that moved the needle was it seemed like every time I went to my mailbox there was a recall notification in it. Now I know I may be exaggerating, but you get my drift.

I purchased a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 AWD for my wife as a replacement for a 2024 Mazda PHEX Premium Plus. Yeah, it seems like I buy a lot of cars. Not really. Just a few. The Mazda looked great, was a great value for what you got, but just lacked something. I had my eye on going totally electric for some time. I had really researched Rivian, and came super close to pulling the trigger on a R1S. Something kept that from happening. I think the main thing was the lack of local service options just in case there was an issue. I know they do mobile service, but that wasn't enough for me. In June of '24, I crunched some numbers and with the $7500 tax credit, got what I thought was a great trade-in value on the Mazda, and a decent deal on the Lyriq.

The Lyriq is smooth. It is super quiet and quick. Sort of reminds me of a station wagon as opposed to an SUV as they try to push it off as. You don't sit low like in a car, and not as high as in an SUV, but somewhere right in the middle. At first, I thought the steering was loose. Especially when I compared it to my Aviator or my Tacoma. The interior is roomy. Although I think the back seats sit a little straight up for my liking. Good thing I never have to sit back there. Being over 6-feet tall and having to sit back there isn't bad with decent leg room, but it is not something I would be comfortable with on a long trip. The controls are decent, with real button for the climate control. Love that. The wide display is fantastic with lots of room for customization. Love the Google maps with voice activated navigation.

Visibility is somewhat limited in the rear due to the pillars. Making the electronic rear-view mirror a must option. Seeing a clear video of the rear of your car is weird at first, but once you get used to it, it is a must. The headlights are just average in my opinion. Decent light, but could be brighter and maybe aimed more down on the road. What is missing are fogs lights to help with that. The do have cornering lamps, a nod to the old Caddies, which help when turning.

The seats are comfortable and heated and ventilated. We opted for real leather as opposed to the vegan stuff. Headroom is good as well. We have the sunroof package as opposed to the full glass roof.

Love the SUPERCRUISE. Have used it once or twice. It works well. Just hard to wrap my head around taking my hands completely off the steering wheel to allow the vehicle to do its own thing. What I do like is that is has a monitor. If you take you eyes of the road, you get an audible and visual alert to pay attention. That is cool. So even though you are hands free, you still need to pay attention. Technology is just crazy in cars these days.

We received the complimentary EVgo charging for 2 years with our purchase. That has been a nice to have. I probably have charged at home maybe a dozen times since I have had the vehicle. We usually get decent range. Up in the 320'ish miles in optimal conditions. With a slight drop-off to around 300 to 315 miles when it is cooler out. Running the heat seems to be a bigger drain than running the AC. We haven't taken long road trips. But have done a couple of Raleigh to Myrtle Beach and Raleigh to Newport News, VA without issue. Was able to use EVgo in Newport News (and Hampton), but none to be found in Myrtle Beach. There we hooked up to the Shell branded chargers and just paid through the app. Not a problem. I usually keep it charged up to 85% and let it run down to about 10% before recharging. For long trips I charge up to 100%.

Have had one recall to reprogram the car. Can't even remember what that was for. Have had many over the air updates. Love that. Simple process with the built in WI-FI. You get a notification, you accept the update, and it runs. It may change a couple of your settings when complete, but nothing major.

Tire wear seems to be good for such a heavy car. I did have one tire replaced that had a nail in it. It was not loosing air, but when I had the tires rotated at 7500 miles, the tech found it. I was told the tires can't be plugged. They aren't run flats, so go figure. Fortunately, I buy the tire and wheel package, especially for the Mrs. daily driver. So the tire was covered by that warranty. Those puppies run about $600 a piece I was told.

Alright, that is enough for now. And that was all about the Lyriq. I'll get around to the Aviator replacement, the Vistiq in Part 2. Ask questions if you have anything specific I may have left out. And my apologies for the long post. Blame tvanhall who asked for it!

 

[tvanhall]

Moose66,
Thanks for the review. Been thinking about an electric vehicle for PNW summer home when we decide driving cross country is no longer fun. Still haven't run out of sites to see and places to visit so it may be a couple years yet. The Aviator is serving us well for those 3500 mile trips, Spring and Fall, at this point.
Looking forward to your Vistiq review!

 

[KevinT]

So far, so good, with our ‘22 BL Aviator. We have the extended warranty until 2030 or 2031. We will ride that out at this point.

Prior to getting it I was strongly leaning into an Audi Q7 or maybe a CPO Audi SQ7. If I were going to look at other options, probably that. The Audi rides better than a BMW X5, and comfort is our main thing due to me having a very bad back and hip issues. So the BMW’s would be out. I don’t think the mid-size Cadillac’s compare favorably, so unless going up into a better line like Moose, I would probably rule those out too. I’d take a good look at a couple lines of Lexus perhaps as well. I am not enamored with the Genesis, but I know some like to compare the Aviator with their mid-size offering. Just not my cup of tea, and I frankly don’t trust the Genesis either.

First post here, commenting because I just t finished comparison shopping all of the Aviator’s competition before putting a deposit down on a used Aviator.

I’ve just shopped all of what I consider the Aviator’s competitors, and we just chose to buy a used ‘22 Black Label Grand Touring this week, in Flight Blue with Ebony interior.

We are coming from three GLS Class Mercedes in a row as my wife’s daily driver. We lost the most recent, a ‘23 GLS 450, in an accident three weeks ago. When we bought that car last summer, it had come down to an Aviator and the GLS, and we chose the Mercedes in a split decision—my wife’s vote trumped mine since it was to be her car. This time, while we considered another GLS, we decided on the Aviator, partly because the Mercedes dealership in our city is difficult to deal with, and never seems to have a loaner available when we need one.

Other cars we tried:

Cadillac MID-sized three row crossover’s seats are too firm and lack adjustability. Didn’t even get to a test drive

Genesis GV80’s third row seemed even smaller than the Aviator. My Daily is a ‘26 GV70, so I’m no stranger to the brand, but it just seemed to small in the way back.

Volvo XC90 was nice, but the ride was harsh and the infotainment system seemed dated and awkward. As a prior owner of five Volvos, this made me sad.

Lexus TX and GX didn’t feel comfortable. I really hoped the TX Hybrid we looked at would work for us, but the seats just weren’t comfy enough.

Audi Q7 is too stiff riding for Midwest potholes. We actually have one right now as a loaner while we wait for the dealership to fix two small cosmetic flaws in “our” Aviator prior to delivery. (We’re buying the Aviator from the Audi used inventory, where it was a local trade for a used Navigator, of all things.

A highly optioned BMW X7 was one of my favorites, but my wife was less comfortable in it. We weee unable to figure out how to lay the second row seats down, and neither could the salesman at the Bentley dealership where we were shopping. (Not for a Bentley, but they have some nice cars in their used inventory)

Range Rover’s reliability reputation took it out of the running.

The Navigator, Escalade, Tahoe, Yukon, and Wagoneer are larger than we’d like. We want to downside at the moment, rather than the opposite.

Non-luxury brand Japanese cars don’t seem to offer lumbar adjustment in the passenger seat, for whatever reasons. At our age, comfortable seats are a must have, and Lincoln is doing well in that area.

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[peterk9]

First post here, commenting because I just t finished comparison shopping all of the Aviator’s competition before putting a deposit down on a used Aviator.

I’ve just shopped all of what I consider the Aviator’s competitors, and we just chose to buy a used ‘22 Black Label Grand Touring this week, in Flight Blue with Ebony interior.

Welcome to the Forum, Kevin.

Peter

 

[KevinT]

Welcome to the Forum, Kevin.

Peter

Thank you, Peter

We’re really looking forward to taking delivery of the Aviator.

It’s a GT, so I have lots to learn about charging and drive mode strategies.

 

[moose66]

PART 2

On to the Vistiq . . . . . As mentioned in my previous post, I had been lurking around the EV market for some time. Landed on a Lyriq back in '24 to replace a bad Mazda purchase for my wife. After driving around in the Lyriq, I then started to have some thoughts of getting the Escalade IQ. That was until I actually put my hands on one. Albeit one sweet ride from top to bottom, it was just too big and way too pricey for me. I had also been looking hard at a Rivian S1. What scared me away from those were the lack of a service network. Now granted I shouldn't require service all that frequently. But you never know.

Fast forward and I started to hear about the Vistiq. I had no idea what that was. Had the Lyriq in for a routine checkup and saw one in the showroom. I was like a kid in a toy store. Couldn't stop opening and closing doors. Sitting in it, etc. Of course the sales folks were on my every move. No chance I was going to buy one new. Not with a sticker well over 90K and no 7500 tax break. So I hoped on the internet, found a handful of pre-owned options and landed on one with super low miles at an unbelievable price. I promptly sold the Aviator to someone who works on my team. I knew he wanted it as every time I would drive it into the office, he would drool over it. I could have made more money elsewhere. But I sold it to him for a couple of grand more than Carmax and Carvana were offering. He's happy and so am I.

The Vistiq! Pretty much optioned out very similar to the Aviator. What is it missing? Not much. With the exception of fog lights, I can't think of what it is missing. What was better on the Aviator I believe were the seats. They just sat better and wrapped around you. Granted I am a shade under 6'2" @ 185 pounds. Both have massage, heat/ventilation/extended thigh support. I have the captains chair second row, and power third row. Space seems about the same. Head, leg, and hip room are about the same and cargo space also is comparable. There is no frunk in the Vistiq, but appears to be room for one. Not sure why Cadillac/GM opted to go without the frunk. Would have provided additional space for when you are using all three rows.

Controls are slightly different as expected. Climate control in the Vistiq has its own screen for the main controls and another display for the second row. Lots of touch controls. Also the main display is cool. Google architecture configurable in many ways. The Vistiq also has head up display with augmented reality. Basically when using the guidance feature, you get the instructions (turns, etc.) at eye level on the front glass. Nice feature. Also like that it has the video rearview mirror. Helps to see out the back since it is a large SUV with limited rear visibility.

The Vistiq has air suspension just as the Aviator (at least in the trim I have (Premium Luxury). It raises and lowers based on driving conditions and lowers for easy exit. The Vistiq also has the hands free lift gate. You can just stand behind it with the key fob on your person and it will open. The ride quality is on par with Aviator, even with 23" wheels. It is smooth, quiet, and handles well. I think the handling is improved by the presence of 4 wheel steering. The back wheels turn slightly to support tight maneuvers. I probably don't need to mention acceleration in an EV. You've all seen the numbers and they are legit. For a 6000 pound vehicle, the launch capabilities are mindblowing. It does have towing capabilities, but that is not something I ever plan to do, so I have no further comments on that. You also have auto parking. Something else I have not tried.

What I have tried is Super Cruise. That was not on the Aviator. If you ever get a chance to try it, you will be hooked. Fantastic option. Easy to use and basically allows you to sit back and relax. It does not allows you to take your eyes off the road. There is a camara that is watching and as soon as you look up, down, right or left from center you will get an alert to take control of the vehicle. Pretty cool.

Overall, I am happy. I will miss the Aviator, some. Had it for 3+ years. It was a very nice ride. Probably would have maintained interest had they kept the GT version, or come would with an EV.

If anyone has specifics, just ping me. I'll continue to check on things here every so often. Since one of my direct reports drive the Aviator in the office, I get to see it all the time which keeps it in my thoughts! Safe travels all!

 

[Vikingstaff]

I really enjoyed reading your write ups Kevin and Moose. I am into cars in general, so I always appreciate thoughtful individuals observations and opinions. Thanks for sharing!

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