LincolnAviator2023Overview/lincoln/aviator/2023/base/

2023 Lincoln Aviator

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2023 Aviator.

Transmission Automatic (S10)

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator is equipped with a powertrain that calls for 6.0 qt of engine oil using either 5W‑30 or 0W‑30 viscosity and is paired with a 10‑speed automatic transmission, delivering EPA‑rated fuel economy of 17/24/20 mpg. In terms of reliability, the model year logged 21 owner complaints and was subject to 16 recalls, with the most frequent issue area identified as Back Over Prevention. Compared with the broader Lincoln Aviator history spanning 2003‑2027—where complaint counts peaked at 111 in 2003 and fell to a low of 5 in 2024—the 2023 edition occupies a middle‑ground position, showing improvement over the earliest years but still above the model’s best‑recorded reliability.

Model year202520242023202220212020200520042003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 0W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque150.0 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

Tire size255/60R19 109HOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S10)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200 in
Overall width78.7 in
Overall height67.7 in
Wheelbase119.3 in
Curb weight4863 lb
Track (front / rear)66.5 / 66.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)51/49

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 24 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainPart-time 4-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Aviator of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.0–6.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.00 sec — 2020 Black Label Grand Touring PHEV
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2025Reserve II 3.0L Twin-Turbo V65.60 sec14.20 sec400 hpAWD
2020Black Label Grand Touring PHEV 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 + Elec 13.6-kWh5.00 sec13.60 sec494 hpAWD
2020Grand Touring PHEV 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 + Elec 13.6-kWh5.40 sec13.80 sec494 hpAWD
2020Reserve 3.0L Twin-Turbo V65.40 sec14.00 sec400 hpRWD
2020Reserve 3.0L Twin-Turbo V65.40 sec14.10 sec400 hpAWD
2020Black Label 3.0L Twin-Turbo V66.00 sec14.60 sec400 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 / 0W-30 engine oil, SAE 75W · Synthetic in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 150.0 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to Hand Tighten Clockwise 120°.. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity12.6 qt
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · Synthetic
Differential Gear Oil Capacity0.6 qt
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · Synthetic
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.9 qt
Engine Coolant Capacity4.5 Gallons

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)8.1 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)8.1 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)35.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)8.1 ft-lbs
Flex or Driveplate Bolts59.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain PlugHand Tighten Clockwise 120°.
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill Plug25.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain Plug25.0 ft-lbs
Differential Fill Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain Plug30.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts150.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts150.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug11.8 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug11.8 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug TypeSP-594
Spark Plug Gap0.028-0.031" in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant CapacityYN-33-A
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeYN-35
Oil Capacity5.92 oz

Service checks

Engine Oil Pressure16.0-24.7 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM1500 rpm

Brakes

Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque129.0
Minimum Pad Thickness0.059" in
Solid Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.201; Rear: 320mm
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: 0.0003; Rear: 0.001
Maximum Rotor RunoutInstalled: 0.002"

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Install the front mega cap and bolts., Step 3: Tighten all bolts 7.4
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
124.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Loosen 180°, Step 3: 24.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 90°24 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
114.75 ft. lbs., Step 2: Loosen 2 turns., Step 3: 37.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 180°14.75 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Loosen 360°, Step 3: 26.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 180°; Main Bearing Cap Support Bolts: Step 1: 18.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Loosen 360°, Step 3: 22.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 40°30 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 200,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 200,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 200,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator generated 21 complaints, 16 recalls and 120 TSBs, which is a decrease from the 43 complaints and 21 recalls recorded in 2022 but still higher than the 5 complaints and 8 recalls seen in 2024. Complaint volume has fallen steadily from a peak of 98 in 2020 to 21 in 2023, while recall counts have similarly declined from 29 in 2020 to 16 in 2023. The 2023 model’s top complaint areas are Back‑Over Prevention and Electrical System, each accounting for three reports, with a single crash complaint and no fire complaints. Compared with the subsequent 2024 and 2025 years, 2023 shows a moderate level of reported issues that is expected to continue trending downward. Consequently, the 2023 Aviator remains a viable purchase, though buyers should verify that all recall remedies have been completed.

16
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
120
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
21
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 21 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Back Over Prevention3
Electrical System3
Engine2
Fuel/Propulsion System1
Suspension,Power Train,Service Brakes1
Unknown Or Other,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Engine & Engine Cooling,Power Train,Electrical System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 16 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

22V953000Seat Belts:Front:Warning Light/DevicesReported 23/12/2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a Revel Audio System. When the driver's seat belt is not buckled and the vehicle is started… Remedy: Dealers will update the audio control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…

23V022000Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: CameraReported 23/01/2023

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera… Remedy: Dealers will update the image processing module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 25, 2023…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 120 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TSB 26-23092026-07-02Power TrainThis bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the…
TSB 26-22872026-06-18Power TrainThis article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for…
SSM 549022026-06-05Power TrainFor 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch…
TSB 26-22412026-05-18Power TrainThis bulletin supersedes 25-2587. Reason For Update: update the Parts list to add the…
SSM 548272026-05-14Power TrainSome 2020-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility/Aviator vehicles may require…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Aviator. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2023 Aviator take?

6.0 qt of Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil XO-5W30-Q1SP, XO-5W30-Q1FS; Temperatures below -22°F many use SAE 0W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 2023 Aviator have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 16 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Aviator get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.