Thoughts on purchasing 2021 Aviator Reserve Buyback Vehicle

[Shani3me]

Hi all, I’m new here. I’ve been searching for a used Aviator. I found one for a very good price, knew there had to be a catch. I’m five hours away from the dealership so called and spoke to a salesman and he disclosed it was a manufacturer buyback vehicle that has had the issue fixed.
I asked for details on why it was bought back and after looking into it he says it was Bluetooth connection issues. Said all modules were updated.
One part of me says run another part doesn’t want to pass up on a good deal…if it truly is. Obviously, if there are still issues, good deal or not taking someone else’s headaches isn’t worth it.
I’ve asked for service records, but not sure what that will show.
Any thoughts/advice on this?
Btw, the vehicle has a little less than 30k miles.

 

[Pioneer4x4]

One thing, Lemon Laws do not apply, like all used cars. (Depending on state)

 

[bbf2530]

Hi all, I’m new here. I’ve been searching for a used Aviator. I found one for a very good price, knew there had to be a catch. I’m five hours away from the dealership so called and spoke to a salesman and he disclosed it was a manufacturer buyback vehicle that has had the issue fixed.
I asked for details on why it was bought back and after looking into it he says it was Bluetooth connection issues. Said all modules were updated.
One part of me says run another part doesn’t want to pass up on a good deal…if it truly is. Obviously, if there are still issues, good deal or not taking someone else’s headaches isn’t worth it.
I’ve asked for service records, but not sure what that will show.
Any thoughts/advice on this?
Btw, the vehicle has a little less than 30k miles.

Hi Shani3me. My opinion: Your thoughts and questions pretty much encapsulate the realities of the situation. You don't really know what the buyback issue was. And that is at least part of the reason the vehicle is priced so well.

You could contact a Lincoln or Ford Dealership with the VIN and ask for an OASIS report, which would show you all warranty and other work performed by Lincoln/Ford Dealerships (they may charge you). Or ask the Dealership that has the vehicle to provide that OASIS report to you (if they will).
However, the lingering issue will still be exactly what was the reason it was bought back/Lemon Law vehicle, and was it truly fixed.

So bottom line? All we can do is guess, and you are taking your chances.

Keep us updated and good luck.

 

[peterk9]

Hi all, I’m new here. I’ve been searching for a used Aviator. I found one for a very good price, knew there had to be a catch. I’m five hours away from the dealership so called and spoke to a salesman and he disclosed it was a manufacturer buyback vehicle that has had the issue fixed.
I asked for details on why it was bought back and after looking into it he says it was Bluetooth connection issues. Said all modules were updated.
One part of me says run another part doesn’t want to pass up on a good deal…if it truly is. Obviously, if there are still issues, good deal or not taking someone else’s headaches isn’t worth it.
I’ve asked for service records, but not sure what that will show.
Any thoughts/advice on this?
Btw, the vehicle has a little less than 30k miles.

Welcome to the Forum.
How much are they asking for it? None of the info will lessen the chances you may take by getting it but should provide a little more insight.
I don't know if they are willing to provide any kind of warranty with the vehicle but if they are, make sure that it will be honoured by a local dealership.

Peter

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[Shani3me]

Welcome to the Forum.
How much are they asking for it? None of the info will lessen the chances you may take by getting it but should provide a little more insight.
I don't know if they are willing to provide any kind of warranty with the vehicle but if they are, make sure that it will be honoured by a local dealership.

Peter

Thanks for the warm welcome. They are asking $49k, it has luxury and convenience package.
I’m likely going to pass, just not sure I want to take the risk. While you’re taking a risk with any used car, it’s a bigger risk knowing for certain this one has had prior issues.

I’ve been searching for a couple months looking for the exact one I wanted (black on black with black wheels and grill) but my beater that I’ve been driving since giving my explorer to my daughter is likely done now. The buyback one was white but did have the black interior and black wheels I was wanting.

I’m going to look at another one tomorrow that is white with sandstone interior…figure I can get aftermarket wheels and potentially replace the grill at some point if I still want that.

We’ll see how it goes.

Thanks again for the welcome and response.

 

[Shani3me]

Hi Shani3me. My opinion: Your thoughts and questions pretty much encapsulate the realities of the situation. You don't really know what the buyback issue was. And that is at lest part of the reason the vehicle is priced so well.

You could contact a Lincoln or Ford Dealership with the VIN and ask for an OASIS report, which would show you all warranty and other work performed by Lincoln/Ford Dealerships (they may charge you). Or ask the Dealership that has the vehicle to provide that OASIS report to you (if they will).
However, the lingering issue will still be exactly what was the reason it was bought back/Lemon Lawed, and was it truly fixed.

So bottom line? All we can do is guess, and you are taking your chances.

Keep us updated and good luck.

Thank so much for the advice. I’m thinking I’m going to pass on this one, just not sure I want to take the risk. I’m not a gambling gal, ha!

Thanks again, hopefully soon I’ll be able to update my profile with my ride details!

 

[Shani3me]

One thing, Lemon Laws do not apply, like all used cars. (Depending on state)

Very true and that was definitely one of my thoughts. Thank you.

 

[tgara]

Thank so much for the advice. I’m thinking I’m going to pass on this one, just not sure I want to take the risk. I’m not a gambling gal, ha!

Thanks again, hopefully soon I’ll be able to update my profile with my ride details!

All the products made in Ford’s Chicago plant have had major issues for several year now, including the Aviator and Explorer. Just read some of the threads here. It’s sad, but those are the facts.

imho, a buyback vehicle is just a headache waiting to happen, and I’m close to saying the same thing on NEW Vehicles made in the Chicago plant. If it was me, I’d steer clear of all Aviators made in the last 2-3 years (and especially the GT model), much less a buyback vehicle.

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[Pete@STAP]

I'd want all service record printed out and go from there. If they took it back and put it up for sale right away, i'd stay away from it, but if they fixed all the issues, it might be a good deal. I have a 2021 F150 Plat that has been a nightmare with 17 visits to the dealer and wanted to get rid of it before the first year was up, but kept driving it and decided to order a 2023 F250 7.3L Plat Tremor back in early February (no VIN yet). Since then wonders happened and my 150 is actually starting to behave now, after 2 years of hating it, through a bunch of updates. What you need to do is, attempt to find out that the Aviator you're considering has been worked on and fixed.

 

[inmanlanier]

I'd want all service record printed out and go from there. If they took it back and put it up for sale right away, i'd stay away from it, but if they fixed all the issues, it might be a good deal. ... What you need to do is, attempt to find out that the Aviator you're considering has been worked on and fixed.

And the other option is to negotiate a 'trial' time period where you return no charge (other than perhaps some nominal cost per mile used). It appears that you still have factory warranty left for quite some time and mileage, so that gives you further assurance. If they don't bite - then walk away. If however, on the first option - they give you a reasonable period of time (30 days or 60 days) to bring it back w/o penalty (other than the mileage charge) - you have a low risk option to try it out.

I'm not sure the data supports how bad some of the commenters infer the quality of the vehicle is. I realize many of the folks come here to express their angst because they HAVE experienced potentially big problems. I think the reality is, however that a large percentage of folks who have bought the cars and DON'T have issues don't come here and post. It's the nature of these types of forums. There are industry stats that state Lincoln (I've not seen the Aviator broken out) is not that bad at all (I posted some data some time back). Definitely there appear to be some pretty bad issues with the hybrids (hard to get a representative percentage of those bad vs. all hybrids manufactured defective, however).

Our Reserve has been awesome. We have a 2022 and are delighted. We just got back from another of our 2,000 mile trips to NC from Florida. The car is a dream to drive - super smooth, super quiet, handles well, and our luggage and 2 standard poodles ride in the rear with plenty of room! On a price note, however I'm surprised to hear that 49K is a 'good price' for a 2021 with less than 30K miles. Ours was just under $62K after rebate and X-plan credits out the door (tax, tag fees, etc). For a 2021 I would have expected higher depreciation than that coming up on 30K miles. I guess these cars are holding their value!

 

[tgara]

And the other option is to negotiate a 'trial' time period where you return no charge (other than perhaps some nominal cost per mile used). It appears that you still have factory warranty left for quite some time and mileage, so that gives you further assurance. If they don't bite - then walk away. If however, on the first option - they give you a reasonable period of time (30 days or 60 days) to bring it back w/o penalty (other than the mileage charge) - you have a low risk option to try it out.

Assuming a dealer is willing to do this “trial period” (I doubt many dealers would consider this), what does she do when the car craps out after the trial period? She’s stuck with major issues like backup camera faults, engines stopping running at 70 mph on the highway, and engine fires. Yes, many are fixable under warranty but they are still a hassle to deal with. Your Aviator might be working fine but, sadly, an unacceptable percentage have major issues, enough for many to advise other potential buyers to steer clear of them.

 

[Shani3me]

And the other option is to negotiate a 'trial' time period where you return no charge (other than perhaps some nominal cost per mile used). It appears that you still have factory warranty left for quite some time and mileage, so that gives you further assurance. If they don't bite - then walk away. If however, on the first option - they give you a reasonable period of time (30 days or 60 days) to bring it back w/o penalty (other than the mileage charge) - you have a low risk option to try it out.

I'm not sure the data supports how bad some of the commenters infer the quality of the vehicle is. I realize many of the folks come here to express their angst because they HAVE experienced potentially big problems. I think the reality is, however that a large percentage of folks who have bought the cars and DON'T have issues don't come here and post. It's the nature of these types of forums. There are industry stats that state Lincoln (I've not seen the Aviator broken out) is not that bad at all (I posted some data some time back). Definitely there appear to be some pretty bad issues with the hybrids (hard to get a representative percentage of those bad vs. all hybrids manufactured defective, however).

Our Reserve has been awesome. We have a 2022 and are delighted. We just got back from another of our 2,000 mile trips to NC from Florida. The car is a dream to drive - super smooth, super quiet, handles well, and our luggage and 2 standard poodles ride in the rear with plenty of room! On a price note, however I'm surprised to hear that 49K is a 'good price' for a 2021 with less than 30K miles. Ours was just under $62K after rebate and X-plan credits out the door (tax, tag fees, etc). For a 2021 I would have expected higher depreciation than that coming up on 30K miles. I guess these cars are holding their value!

Thanks, yeah similar vehicles that I’ve searched with the same trim and options were about 5-8k more. You may be able to make a nice profit if you were looking to sell, ha!

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[Shani3me]

I'd want all service record printed out and go from there. If they took it back and put it up for sale right away, i'd stay away from it, but if they fixed all the issues, it might be a good deal. I have a 2021 F150 Plat that has been a nightmare with 17 visits to the dealer and wanted to get rid of it before the first year was up, but kept driving it and decided to order a 2023 F250 7.3L Plat Tremor back in early February (no VIN yet). Since then wonders happened and my 150 is actually starting to behave now, after 2 years of hating it, through a bunch of updates. What you need to do is, attempt to find out that the Aviator you're considering has been worked on and fixed.

While I have already made my decision against buying it, the salesperson must not be wanting to sell it very badly as after I asked for service records he’s ghosted me.
Again, no biggie because I had already made the decision against it. Maybe I dodged a bullet.
Happy to hear your 150 turned around, good luck with the 250. My husband has an older F250 Super Duty, he loves that thing.