Lincoln Aviator vs Cadillac Xt6

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

Cadillac Xt6 wins·03(1 tied)

Which is more reliable, Lincoln Aviator or Cadillac Xt6?

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
Lincoln Aviator37.8/1K
Cadillac Xt66.0/1K

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 530%

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

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 100%

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

Within 5% — statistical tie

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

Cadillac Xt6 wins by 4307%

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

NHTSA Crash Test Ratings

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

Top Safety Pick

Lincoln Aviator

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

Cadillac Xt6

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.

Lincoln Aviator
Cadillac Xt6

Most Reported Problems

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

Lincoln Aviator
Cadillac Xt6
Electrical Faults7421Transmission / Drivetrain6020Body Structure590Automatic Transmission320Engine Problems2810Fuel System07Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking07

Year-by-Year Head-to-Head

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

YearLincoln AviatorCadillac Xt6Better
202015249Xt6
20215323Xt6
20227015Xt6
20233316Xt6
2024621Aviator
2025137Xt6

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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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 Lincoln Aviator or a Cadillac Xt6?

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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 Lincoln Aviator and Cadillac Xt6 share?

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

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

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Across all model years, the Lincoln Aviator has 672 NHTSA complaints and the Cadillac Xt6 has 131. 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/lincoln/aviator/vs/cadillac/xt6

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

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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Lincoln Aviator 3.0% vs Cadillac Xt6 1.5% — 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 Lincoln Aviator or the Cadillac Xt6 have more fires?

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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Lincoln Aviator 0.60% vs Cadillac Xt6 0.00%. 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/lincoln/aviator and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/xt6

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

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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/lincoln/aviator/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/xt6/{year}.

Where does this Lincoln Aviator vs Cadillac Xt6 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 Aviator or Xt6 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).

Lincoln Aviator vs Cadillac Xt6 Reliability: Which Car Is Better? | VinItel