Lincoln Aviator vs Lexus Gx

Head-to-head reliability comparison from 882real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.

Lincoln Aviator wins·22

Which is more reliable, Lincoln Aviator or Lexus Gx?

Verdict from 882 NHTSA complaints

Lincoln Aviator wins this comparison overall. Lincoln Aviator comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 35% lower complaint rate. The Lexus Gx edges ahead on fire-involvement rate and overall severity score.

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
Lexus Gx51.2/1K

Lincoln Aviator wins by 35%

Crash-involvement rateLower is better
Lincoln Aviator3.0%
Lexus Gx8.1%

Lincoln Aviator wins by 170%

Fire-involvement rateLower is better
Lincoln Aviator0.60%
Lexus Gx0.50%

Lexus Gx wins by 20%

Overall severity scoreLower is better
Lincoln Aviator541.1
Lexus Gx8.6

Lexus Gx wins by 6221%

Total complaints
Aviator672
Gx210
US units sold
Aviator
Gx462,561
Injuries
Aviator21
Gx13
Fatalities
Aviator
Gx

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

Lexus Gx

2025 model year

Not yet rated by NHTSA NCAP.

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
Lexus Gx

Most Reported Problems

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

Lincoln Aviator
Lexus Gx
Electrical Faults7415Transmission / Drivetrain608Body Structure5925Automatic Transmission320Engine Problems2814Airbags1517Suspension Failures016

Year-by-Year Head-to-Head

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

YearLincoln AviatorLexus GxBetter
20031687Gx
200411528Gx
2005624Gx
20201523Gx
20227010Gx
2023335Gx
2024619Aviator
20251313tie

Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln Aviator vs Lexus Gx — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.

Which is more reliable, the Lincoln Aviator or the Lexus Gx?

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Lincoln Aviator wins this comparison overall. Lincoln Aviator comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 35% lower complaint rate. The Lexus Gx edges ahead on fire-involvement rate and overall severity score. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.

Should I buy a Lincoln Aviator or a Lexus Gx?

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On reliability data alone, the Lincoln Aviator 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 Lexus Gx share?

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Top complaints for the Lincoln Aviator: Electrical Faults, Transmission / Drivetrain, Body Structure. Top complaints for the Lexus Gx: Body Structure, Airbags, Suspension Failures. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Lincoln Aviator or the Lexus Gx?

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Across all model years, the Lincoln Aviator has 672 NHTSA complaints and the Lexus Gx has 210. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Lexus Gx 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/lexus/gx

Which is safer in a crash, the Lincoln Aviator or the Lexus Gx?

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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Lincoln Aviator 3.0% vs Lexus Gx 8.1% — the Lincoln Aviator 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 Lexus Gx have more fires?

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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Lincoln Aviator 0.60% vs Lexus Gx 0.50%. The Lexus Gx 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/lexus/gx

What years of the Lincoln Aviator are worse than the Lexus Gx?

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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/lexus/gx/{year}.

Where does this Lincoln Aviator vs Lexus Gx 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 Gx 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 Lincoln Aviator has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).