Cadillac Xt6 vs Lincoln Aviator

Head-to-head reliability comparison from 803real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.

Cadillac Xt6 wins·30(1 tied)

Which is more reliable, Cadillac Xt6 or Lincoln Aviator?

Verdict from 803 NHTSA complaints

Cadillac Xt6 wins this comparison overall. Cadillac Xt6 comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 530% lower complaint rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: electrical faults.

Head-to-Head Metrics

Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.

Complaints per 1K vehiclesLower is better
Cadillac Xt66.0/1K
Lincoln Aviator37.8/1K

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 530%

Crash-involvement rateLower is better
Cadillac Xt61.5%
Lincoln Aviator3.0%

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 100%

Fire-involvement rateLower is better
Cadillac Xt60.00%
Lincoln Aviator0.60%

Within 5% — statistical tie

Overall severity scoreLower is better
Cadillac Xt612.3
Lincoln Aviator541.1

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 4307%

Total complaints
Xt6131
Aviator672
US units sold
Xt6119,730
Aviator
Injuries
Xt61
Aviator21
Fatalities
Xt6
Aviator

NHTSA Crash Test Ratings

Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.

Top Safety Pick

Cadillac Xt6

2025 model year
OverallEXCELLENT
5 / 5
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Lincoln Aviator

2025 model year
OverallEXCELLENT
5 / 5
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.

Complaint Volume — Year by Year

Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.

Cadillac Xt6
Lincoln Aviator

Most Reported Problems

Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.

Cadillac Xt6
Lincoln Aviator
Electrical Faults2174Transmission / Drivetrain2060Engine Problems1028Fuel System70Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking70Body Structure059Automatic Transmission032

Year-by-Year Head-to-Head

Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.

YearCadillac Xt6Lincoln AviatorBetter
202049152Xt6
20212353Xt6
20221570Xt6
20231633Xt6
2024216Aviator
2025713Xt6

Frequently Asked Questions

Cadillac Xt6 vs Lincoln Aviator — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.

Which is more reliable, the Cadillac Xt6 or the Lincoln Aviator?

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Cadillac Xt6 wins this comparison overall. Cadillac Xt6 comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 530% lower complaint rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: electrical faults. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.

Should I buy a Cadillac Xt6 or a Lincoln Aviator?

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On reliability data alone, the Cadillac Xt6 is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.

What problems do the Cadillac Xt6 and Lincoln Aviator share?

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Top complaints for the Cadillac Xt6: Electrical Faults, Transmission / Drivetrain, Engine Problems. Top complaints for the Lincoln Aviator: Electrical Faults, Transmission / Drivetrain, Body Structure. Both models share electrical faults as their top reported issue. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Cadillac Xt6 or the Lincoln Aviator?

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Across all model years, the Cadillac Xt6 has 131 NHTSA complaints and the Lincoln Aviator has 672. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Cadillac Xt6 has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/cadillac/xt6/vs/lincoln/aviator

Which is safer in a crash, the Cadillac Xt6 or the Lincoln Aviator?

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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Cadillac Xt6 1.5% vs Lincoln Aviator 3.0% — the Cadillac Xt6 has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.

Does the Cadillac Xt6 or the Lincoln Aviator have more fires?

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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Cadillac Xt6 0.00% vs Lincoln Aviator 0.60%. The Cadillac Xt6 has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/xt6 and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/lincoln/aviator

What years of the Cadillac Xt6 are worse than the Lincoln Aviator?

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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/xt6/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/lincoln/aviator/{year}.

Where does this Cadillac Xt6 vs Lincoln Aviator comparison data come from?

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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Xt6 or Aviator also look at:

Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI

Picked your model? Now check the actual VIN.

A model average can't see the car you're buying.

Even the Cadillac Xt6 has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).