Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. While shifting into reverse, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, several months after the repair, the contact was made aware of the federal safety agency campaign number: 02v313000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.
2003 Lincoln Aviator transmission complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 55, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My husband and I were driving our 2003 lincoln aviator when it basically stopped going and wouldn't change gear or speed up. (this is the second time it's gotten stuck in gear, the 1st time was when it was parked and wouldn't move but the gear shift moved freely). We got it back home and realized again the transmission shift cable had come dislodged. Lincoln had a recall on 25 vehicle regarding this problem, when I called I was told my vehicle wasn't one of them and wasn't included in the recall even thought I'm having the exact same issue. I've complained about the one here one time before and nothing happened. This is crazy. I could've been in a serious accident behind this.
Our 2003 lincoln aviator continues to experience the same problem - once in park, you cannot move the gear shift to any other gear - it's stuck. Occasionally, my husband can wiggle a wire underneath the brake and gas pedals so we can shift into reverse or drive but this continues to happen. I have been stuck, alone and with our small children. Is there a permanent correction for this issue?
I was sitting in park. Just had stopped to make a deposit. Put my foot on the brake & my 2003 aviator would not shift from park. Called the dealer, got their tow service. The tow guy told me to put my feet on the brakes, my brake lights did not come on. He said that's why it will not shift from park. It is not getting the signal that the brakes were mashed. Got it towed. Dealer replaced the shifter, that they said had gone out that was the issue. Out of $1306.00 & less than one week later, at the store, got in my aviator.. Can't get out of park. Same issue.. Same tow guy called.. He works to get it out of park with a screw driver.. Towed back to the dealer. No brake lights indicated=no shift from park to. Is the new shifter for $950 now out? Not!!! Has to be another issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into reverse, the gear lever detached unexpectedly. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician informed the contact that the gear shift assembly would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was a recall associated with the federal safety agency campaign id number 02v313000 (power train); however the recall had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000. .... Updated 10-17-13 *bf updated 10/23/2013
I was backing out of my driveway into the street. Once I was in the street, I put the car into drive and stepped on the gas. The car went the opposite direction- reverse. I double checked the gear shift ( in the center of the vehicle), it was "d" for drive. I made sure it was in the d, and stepped slowly on the gas, and it went into reverse. I tried to apply the brakes, but they didn't engage. I quickly stepped on the emergency brake, and that stopped the car. Fortunately, I was in a cul-de-sac with out other pedestrians or vehicles at the time. It was extremely dangerous to have a car where the shift isn't engaged at all. The vehicle has been always maintained by the lincoln dealer, and it is being towed to that dealership at this time. It's too dangerous to drive.
Last week my 03 lincoln aviator transmission shift cable came a loose, it was fixed. Today on my way from work the transmission acted as if is didn't want to shift into the next gear and them the "check transmission" light and "overdrive" light came on. I made it home safely but now will be unable to drive it, until further notice. Will call to check to see if my vehicle was included in the recall. Something really needs to be done regarding the transmission problems regarding this vehicle, before it causes an accident.
I had just got home with my vehicle from the repair shop, had a vacuum hose replaced. I could not get my key out of the ignition. I kept trying & was finally successful at removing the key. Now the gear shifter is stuck in park and will not go into any other gear. I just got it back from the shop & still can't drive it due to getting it in gear. This really does need to be looked into & they need to do a recall. I have seen a lot of complaints about this problem. I have 2 more years to pay it off & then it is gone.
The differential and transfer case both need to be replaced. I have had 2 mechanics look at it and they are both saying that the differential and transfer case both need to be replaced.
The shifter knob on my 2003 lincoln aviator broke off. The shifter was locked in place in drive and you are unable to shift into any other gear except the gear you're in. It seems that a very cheap plastic piece broke under the shifter knob and the dealer quoted me $1200 dollars to replace the entire shifter assembly. I have checked online and seen that this is a very-very common problem among owners. There is no recall for this issue, but this is surely a severe safety issue. I am not sure how many complaints it takes but this is a horrible safety issue. Also, this vehicle has a whole array of front and rear differential issues along with a severe clunking noise when the vehicle is 1st put into reverse, drive or downshifts after acceleration.
My aviator was shifting rough for less than 24 hours when the transfer case went out. Luckily, I had only pulled out of my driveway when it happened. The vehicle made an awful whinning and screeching noise and became impossible to drive forward. I was able to wrestle it into reverse to get it in my driveway. I live on a busy country road, this could have been dangerous for me and my 3 kids. I had it towed to the dealer and they quoted me near $1000 with no promise that the problem could be fixed. Additionally, I called a week after I put it in the shop and there is a national backorder for the part that may or may not fix my car. I will be without a car for over a month, $1000 in repairs, and that is if this will fix the transfer case. If I opt to do a whole new case, I am looking at $3000. Not happy will not buy lincoln again.
Shifter knob on 03 aviator broke off. The shifter was locked in place in drive at a greenlight. It seems that a very cheap plastic piece broke. The dealer quoted me $1200 dollars to replace the entire shifter assembly. I am checking other options but seeing the further I look the more common this problem. I am not sure how many complaints it takes but this is a horrible safety issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. The contact was attempting to park the vehicle when the gear shifter became stuck in drive. The contact stated that a cable had become dislodged from the shift cable bracket. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 02v313000 (power train: automatic transmission) and took the vehicle to the dealer where the contact was advised that the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer added a strap to the shift cable adjuster to prevent the shift cable from becoming dislodged. The failure mileage was 115,000. Updated 08/15/11 *bf updated 3/05/2012
Transmission shifter breaks and locks in place. The result is to leave the vehicle occupants stranded in a dangerous neighborhood where their personal safety is at risk. The problem is a broken $5 piece of plastic contained within the shifter knob. However, ford refuses to supply the $5 piece and instead requires the vehicle owner to purchase the entire shifter assembly (which costs almost $1000). Based on the number of backorders for this piece at any one point in time, it is apparent that ford is aware of the problem and is not taking steps to remedy. The only remedy that they offer is to force the consumer to pay $1,000 in order for consumers to gain access to the $5 piece of plastic. This happened to me when I was out of town on a trip with my family. We had pulled off the road, but left the car running. When we went to place it in gear, it refused to shift out of park. We were unable to push the vehicle or move it in any way because it was stuck in park. The sun went down and we were stranded. I am unemployed and while I could afford a small repair, I couald not afford the expensive repair (the dealership also needed to charge for their labor, so the quote was over $1500). After being stranded overnight, I convinced the dealer to just show me how to shift the car without replacing the shifter. Now I have to keep the gear shift knob removed (which subjects the mechanism to accidentally have the overdrive button pushed). With the knob removed, I can lift the rod to shift into gear and then must lower the rod (manually) to lock it into the selected location. Failure to lower the rod allows the shifter to move freely and also prevents the keys from being removed once the shifter is again in park. Fords unwillingness to provide an economic solution provides a safety hazard to consumers who trusted ford to do the right thing. Please help!
2003 lincoln aviator. Attorney writes on behalf of client in regards to problems with his vehicle such as gear shift, cruise control and rearview mirror functions *tgw the gear shift would not move out of park at times. The entire shifter mechanism, stop/brake light switch, interlock solenoid mechanism, and electronic circuitry were all replaced, but the consumer continued to experience problems.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. The transmission shift cable continuously becomes dislodged from the shift cable brackets. While driving the shifter would not go into gear. He would have to go under the vehicle and snap the cables back together. There was a recall the federal safety agency#02v313000; component: power train:automatic transmission. After contacting the dealer in regards to the failure he was told his VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and also informed him his VIN was not included in the recall and he would have to pay for the repairs. The failure mileage was 52,000. Updated 12/30/10 *bf the ABS light illuminated. The dealer replaced the brake activation switch. The power window motor was replaced. Updated 01/07/11 updated 04/07/11
Shift cable becomes dislodged on my 2003 lincoln aviator which only has 56,783 miles as of 07.09.2010.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lincoln aviator. While the vehicle was at a complete stop, the gear shift cable broke. In addition, there was an unusual noise coming from the vehicle and the drivers side power window had failed. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The manufacturer advised there was an open recall on the vehicle but did not pertain to the failure she was experiencing. The approximate failure and current mileages were 130,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. While shifting into park, the shifter lever broke. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint but the contact planned to have it towed to an authorized dealership. The failure and mileage was 127,467.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. While driving at any speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed about recall 02v313000 (powertrain: automatic transmission) which cited the same failure as the one the contact experienced. However, the contact was informed that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was approximately 73,250. The failure mileage was approximately 73,150. Updated 06/21/10 *bf updated 06/24/10.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lincoln aviator. The contact stated that while attempting to park in the drive position, the vehicle began to abnormally accelerate in the reverse position without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle without incident. Upon further inspection, he found that the shifter cable was disconnected. He was able to connect the cable and park the vehicle; however; the cable disconnected a second time while parking. The dealer advised the contact that the failure was directly related to the federal safety agency campaign id number 02v313000: power train: automatic transmission. The failure and current mileages were 62,000.
2003 lincoln aviator has a problem with the transmission shift cable. *nj the transmission shift cable dislodged from the shift cable bracket which caused the vehicle not to shift properly or at all. The consumer found a recall for the problem, however she was informed her vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. Recall 02v313000.
2003 lincoln aviator transmission failure.
I have a low growl coming from the differential of my 03 lincoln aviator.
Rear-end whine. Lincoln refused to repair because vehicle was out of warranty .
Transmission either shifts real slow or violently jerks from one gear to another. Dealer has had in shop many times without any resolution available. This causes huge loss in fuel mileage not to mention the harshness of the driving experience.
On june 07 at 1100hrs the gearshift knob and gearshift boot disengaged from the console of my 2003 lincoln aviator; the gearshift and therefore transmission were locked in the d(rive) position could not be shifted to another position or disengaged. The lincoln-mercury dealer was a short distance from the gas station where I was so I elected to drive it there under the circumstances. Once at the lincoln-mercury dealer a technician examined the gearshift and indicated that an incident like mine "happens all the time" ... "a screw comes loose". Was advised too that likely parts would have to be ordered. Repair to the aviator is estimated at $584 since the entire "shifter assembly" had to be replaced. There was no accident or injury but it is not unreasonable to expect that such a critical component would experience such a defect that apparently is or was a "known problem", and this is certainly not the level of quality expected in a $45000 "luxury" utility vehicle.
2003 lincoln aviator warning light "emission". Found out it is a design flaw with the automatic transmission. We contacted the federal safety agency and found out there is a recall. Our VIN # is not in this recall. Ford/lincoln will only give us $850.00 off on a $3000.00. This car has 72,000 miles on it. Found out this is when these transmissions go. When we took it to the dealer there was another there with 45,000 miles same problem. The warranty on the 2003 is 4 years 50,000 miles. The diagnose is gear 2 ratio, gear 5 ratio and solenoid b.
Dt*: the contact stated a whining noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle while driving 55 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the sales/service dealer for repairs. The right rear axle and pinion were replaced as well as the c b shaft assembly and gear and pinion locking pin. This was the third time the rear end was replaced in a two year period. The manufacturer was notified and a technician was sent to inspect the vehicle.*ak the vehicle pulled to the left, the door lock switch was inoperative, the rear shock was leaking oil, the e power steering hose was replaced, there was a ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The timing chain and gasket were replaced. The door ajar light came on after all the doors were closed. The consumer stated the shifting of the gears were harsh, the dealer replaced various componets in the transmission. The right rear brake light bulb was replaced, the master cylinder was replaced. The front seat climate control was not cooling. The battery was replaced, the accelerator cable was sticking. Updated 12/05/06.
'03 aviator, since purchase felt something wasn't right with the car's transmission. Car seemed to hesitate shifting into next gear I.e. Staying in gear too long. Also at times during startup car can be extremely loud, making transmission issue more pronounced. Concerns mentioned during routine maintenance appointments but was always told the car was functioning normal. Winter '06 car began to idle very rough during stops and in neutral/park. 3/3/06 car serviced for rough idle -garage found ssm 17478 which said the PCM needed to be reprogrammed. Car still wasn't running smoothly. 4/3/06 car back in garage for major engine problem. #8 cylinder head was replaced. I expressed my concerns and was told that this could have been causing some of the issues I was complaining about. Was also told they had multiple '03 aviators come in with the same major engine problem. Of course car still did not feel right. 5/8/06 and only 2,000 miles to go on my warranty the transmission finally went. Pulled out from a red light when car wouldn't shift and bucked into next gear. Engine light and transmission light went on and overdrive off light was flashing. Transmission solenoid replaced along with many other parts. Needless to say the car's been driven 2 or 3 times since we've picked it up from the garage and it is still not right. Car is going back into the garage for shifting problem and excessive loud engine noise during startup that doesn't dissipate. Transmission problem is huge safety concern. Had cars behind me beeping and flashing their lights at me because I couldn't accelerate the car fast enough. With computers in cars makes me wonder where the voice of the consumer has gone. Felt as though my concerns didn't matter because the computer didn't register anything wrong. Now with only miles from my warranty ending I'm faced with all these major problems occurring with my car.
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