$70K Aviator up for a top automotive honor — but some buyers have horror stories
$70K Aviator up for a top automotive honor — but some buyers have horror stories ·USA TODAY
Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press
Laurel Spencer doesn't have a broken 2020 Lincoln Aviator anymore.
Ford Motor Co. replaced her $70,000 luxury SUV, which began to have problems within 48 hours of ownership that included a leaky sunroof, nonworking seat belts, computer malfunctions that gave false crash warnings, unexpected parking brake resistance and transmission alarms.
Now, 10 weeks later, all is well — she has a new Aviator.
“Lincoln showed a tremendous amount of responsiveness,” said the 46-year-old manufacturing executive from Glencoe, Illinois. “My issue was resolved.”
Spencer's troubles, though, are just one example of problems with the new Aviator and Ford Explorer, built at the retooled Chicago Assembly Plant. The Aviator, a finalist for the 2020 North American Car Utility and Truck of the Year award, ranges in price from $52,195 to $90,000, including delivery charges.
The high-profile Aviator was the focus of two recalls in August, one related to “unintended vehicle movement” while parked; the other involving seats that "may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash." In addition, consumer safely alerts from the company noted vehicles may have instrument clusters that disable warning alerts and fail to display gear positions — drive, reverse, park, neutral. Federal safety regulations require gear positions to be displayed when a vehicle is not in park.
Ford in October acknowledged problems with the Chicago plant, which was retooled last year and is building the Explorer, Aviator and Police Interceptor. In discussing its third-quarter earnings, Ford acknowledged "we took on too much” with the overhaul of the old plant combined with launching three fully redesigned models at once.
Meanwhile, nursing instructor Bette Bogdan, 60, of Chichester, New Hampshire, has been pleading with Lincoln to resolve her Aviator issues, which led to more than three weeks in the shop. She took ownership of her vehicle Sept. 28.
"I traded a 2006 Chrysler 300C with a Hemi engine that I bought new and never had a lick of problems," she said. "I bought the Aviator off the lot. And I was having problems driving home from the dealership. Weird lights were going on and off, warning lights. The system said people were in the back seat, and there weren't. It came to a complete and sudden stop while I was going in reverse, when I was backing up in my driveway. That hurt like the dickens. The rearview mirrors were flapping like wings. I thought, 'Oh, sweet baby Jesus. This is awful. It was like a demon.' "
At this point, Bogdan isn't sure she wants an Aviator anymore.
"I'm gun-shy," she said. "Maybe a Continental? Or maybe they'd just sell me a Ford. We were raised on Fords. A Lincoln was always something you aspired to. But I don't trust it."
Don Mass, repurchase coordinator at Lincoln Reacquired Vehicle Headquarters, emailed Bogdan on Nov. 20 saying she could choose between repurchase or replacement.
"This correspondence serves as a confirmation that Lincoln Motor Company will offer to repurchase or replace your vehicle under the terms of NH lemon law," the email said.
"If you are even considering replacement, I suggest finding the vehicle you want to get into, but DO NOT sign any documentation with the dealership. Sometimes they will encourage you to do so, or try to contract you, but that is not consistent with a manufacturer buyback ... What I need from you once you have pinpointed a vehicle is the VIN, as well as the name of the sales manager that you speak with at the dealership," the email said. "I am looking forward to working with you in order to resolve this situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me ... though email is preferred."
"Lincoln will always do what is right to ensure that we provide our clients with a top-quality vehicle and a great luxury experience," said Angie Kozleski, Lincoln spokeswoman. "There is a strong demand for Lincoln Aviator and we will continue to take every necessary action to ensure that the Aviator is built with the levels of quality and craftsmanship that our luxury customers expect."
The company declined to provide specific data on Aviator replacement but said Lincoln works to address individual concerns as they arise.
John Fischetti, 51, a digital marketing director from New York City, bought his Aviator on Oct. 10 and discovered a roof leak. Now he has climate control issues.
"The console reached a peak temp of 109 degrees on my Saturday drive from the end of Long Island to New York City," he said. "Auto was set to 68 in the front and 63 in the back. The console gets hot to the touch and I can't put my phone into the console or else it overheats and shuts down."
John Fischetti is struggling with heating issues in his 2020 Lincoln Navigator. "The console reached a peak temp of 109 degrees on my Saturday drive from the end of Long Island to NYC," he said.
When he had the car in the shop, even his Aviator loaner showed signs of leakage with a moist interior, Fischetti said. He planned to take his vehicle into the shop again Thanksgiving week.
Happy to wait
Jake Williamson, 30, a bank operations manager from Jacksonville, Florida, reached out to Lincoln executives on social media after preordering his Aviator.
"I obviously had my reservations keeping my order with all the issues surfacing," he said. "Lincoln was up front with the fact that demand was high and they completely overhauled the Chicago plant accompanied by producing three all new vehicles out of it. They admitted that the original focus was to meet demand but quickly realized that it was affecting quality control. I told them I’m happy to have a delayed vehicle that’s been fully vetted."
Jake, Danielle and little Luke Williamson of Jacksonville, Florida take a road trip to Disney World on November 16, 2019. They love their 2020 Lincoln Aviator.
Williamson took possession of his Aviator on Nov. 6 and praised Lincoln for going "as far as to replace a car for someone or have the (company) president have a team monitor my build. I think their priority is exactly where it needs to be and that’s the customer. Every company will face problems but it’s how you respond that resonates with people."
Inspections continue
Ford said this week that its Chicago Assembly Plant is fully up and running and Aviators and Ford Explorers are being shipped directly to dealers.
"The vehicles are great, customers love them and we are doubling down to ensure the best quality," said Kelli Felker, Ford spokeswoman.
However, she said, Ford continues "performing additional quality inspections as needed on some Ford Explorers, Lincoln Aviators and Police Interceptors at Flat Rock Assembly Plant to ensure these vehicles are built with the quality our customers expect."
The company has shipped thousands of vehicles to Flat Rock, south of Detroit, from Chicago for postproduction checks and fixes.
'It was smoking'
Both Aviator and Explorer had launch issues. Ford says Explorer-related issues appear to be resolved.
Still, Marco and Yvette Baez of North Bellmore, New York, say they've worried about their 2020 Ford Explorer since taking ownership in September, and what they see as the company's lack of concern about an incident that occurred around 2 p.m. Nov. 12 outside a Citibank.
Marco and Yvette Baez of North Bellmore, New York say repair shop paperwork that includes "invalid data" remarks for their 2020 Ford Explorer raises concerns.
"My wife is scared to death to drive that car. And they’re telling me nothing is wrong with it," said Marco Baez, 57, who oversees the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system at the Chrysler Building in New York City, said Monday.
Dealer paperwork that indicates questions remain, noting "invalid data received" and "lost communication."
"The car accelerated on its own at full throttle after I put it in drive and would not disengage to neutral or park mode," he said. "It just wanted to take off. It went berserk. It happened in a matter of seconds."
His wife, Yvette, said, "All of a sudden, the car lifted from behind and the wheels were spinning, as if it wanted to jet right off a runway. It was smoking, the car was going sideways. It scared us to death. I finally screamed at my husband to shut off the engine."
The family filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"I have been so shaken," said Yvette Baez, 52, an accountant. "I am scared out of my wits to drive."
The parents of four children say they're paying $860 a month to drive a loaner, a Ford Edge that's too small to carry their whole family. The longtime Ford customers regret trading their 2016 Ford Explorer for the new model. Yvette has been crying.
"They say it's ready to be picked up," Marco Baez said Monday.
Yvette and Marco Baez of North Bellmore, New York say problems with their 2020 Ford Explorer have left them frustrated. This photo was taken Nov. 12, 2019 in East Meadows, New York.
Buyer beware
Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing for the nonprofit Consumer Reports, said all new models carry risk. Whether it's Audi or BMW or Ford. But, he said, Ford has more challenges than most because the Dearborn automaker loads new vehicles with many new features. In addition, Ford is launching several new vehicles in a short time.
"Our data shows that when there's a lot of new stuff that's being launched, there are bugs in it. People are taking a gamble with the first model year, especially with a manufacturer like Ford. It's to be expected."
Unveiling half a dozen new designs in a single year is like a massive home remodel where someone redoes both bathrooms, the kitchen and paints the whole house all in one day.
"If you want to be the first one on your block with the new technology, which may have better safety, better features, better performance and fuel economy — you're a guinea pig. You're helping the company work out bugs," Fisher said. "It's the cost of being an early adopter. Now, no one should be without a car for 22 days. That might point to the capacity of the dealer network to fix early issues."
Other carmakers such as Toyota, Subaru and others pace new features so that repair shops can manage, and automakers replace vehicles when needed.
"Too many people assume getting rid of an old car means getting rid of problems. But when you launch a whole lot at once, you can actually have more problems. This is why Toyota, for example, slowly makes changes. You wouldn't see four SUVs in one year from them."
Since August, Ford recalls have included its 2020 Ford Expedition, 2020 Ford F-150, 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty, 2020 Ford Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator.
