2023 Lincoln Aviator
midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV
Award applies only to vehicles with specific headlights
Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2020-25 models built after May 2020
Tested vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2020 model year and the Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the same model year.
Two tests of a 2020 Explorer were conducted. In the first test, forces recorded on the dummy's left lower leg were high, leading to a poor lower leg/foot injury rating and an overall acceptable rating. In response, Ford modified the left and right front subframe structure to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes beginning with cars manufactured after May 2020 (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).
In the second test of an Explorer built after the structural modifications were in place, the lower leg/foot rating improved to acceptable and the overall rating improved to good.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the second driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the second crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.
Forces during the second crash contributed to a moderate risk of injury to the dummy's lower leg/foot.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEN2006 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 3 |
| Footrest (cm) | 21 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 17 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 15 |
| Parking brake (cm) | |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 0 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Steering column | 0 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 3 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 5 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 7 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEN2006 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 97 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 5 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.17 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 23 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.9 |
| Right | 1.8 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 4 |
| Right | 3 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.60 |
| Right | 0.64 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 2.7 |
| Right | 4.9 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 83 |
| Right | 105 |
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2020-25 models built after May 2020
Tested vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2020 model year and the Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the same model year. Beginning with vehicles manufactured after May 2020 modifications were made to the left and right subframe structure to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).
Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| Test ID | VTP2009 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 2 |
| Footrest (cm) | 9 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 8 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 8 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 0 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 1 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 2 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 2 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 2 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTP2009 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 220 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.3 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 14 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.26 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 24 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.2 |
| Right | 1.9 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.47 |
| Right | 0.59 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.0 |
| Right | 2.2 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 106 |
| Right | 121 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTP2009 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 95 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.5 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 7 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.16 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 22 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.3 |
| Right | 0.3 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 1 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.34 |
| Right | 0.24 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 0.7 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 56 |
| Right | 31 |
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2020-23 models
Tested vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2020 model year and the Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the same model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTF1914 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 2 |
| Left (cm) | 3 |
| Center (cm) | 4 |
| Right (cm) | 2 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 2 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -4 |
| Rearward (cm) | -9 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTF1914 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 109 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 13 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.21 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 21 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.4 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 0.4 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.53 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.31 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.2 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 1.7 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 56 |
| Right | 49 |
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Rating applies to 2023-25 models
Tested vehicle: 2023 Lincoln Aviator Reserve 4-door 4wd
The Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the 2020 model year. These ratings do not apply to the Ford Explorer.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Thigh/hip | |
| Leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Thigh | |
|
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
| |
View of the vehicle after the crash showing the airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
The rear passenger dummy's head approached the front seatback, which increases the risk of head injuries.
Rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a low risk of injury to the head or neck and chest. During the crash, the shoulder belt remained in an ideal position on the dummy’s chest.
The rear passenger dummy's lap belt remained in the ideal position on the pelvis.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF2326 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 4 |
| Center (cm) | 7 |
| Right (cm) | 7 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 3 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -4 |
| Rearward (cm) | -9 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF2326 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 160 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.3 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 16 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.28 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 27 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.1 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 1 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.39 |
| Right | 0.27 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.6 |
| Right | 2.2 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 48 |
| Right | 53 |
Rear passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CEF2326 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 for head contact during forward excursion |
no contact
|
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.7 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Maximum Nij for head contact during forward excursion |
no contact
|
| Chest | |
| Chest index | 29 |
| Shoulder belt tension (kN) | 4.7 |
| Thigh (kN) | |
| Left femur compression | 0.1 |
| Right femur compression | 0.1 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2020-23 models
Tested vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2020 model year and the Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the same model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTS1916 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -22.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTS1916 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 74 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.7 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 30 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.10 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.34 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.8 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.3 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.1 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.6 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 72 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -22 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTS1916 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 74 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.2 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.2 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 12 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 14 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 10 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 1.86 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.12 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 2.0 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.0 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.5 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 55 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 15 |
Side: updated test
Rating applies to 2020-25 models
Tested vehicle: 2022 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2020 model year and the Lincoln Aviator was introduced in the same model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES2209 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -24.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES2209 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 86 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.5 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 23 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 24 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.19 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.26 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 4.4 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES2209 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 168 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.1 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 25 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.7 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 34 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 25 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.02 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.69 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.7 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2020-23 models
Tested vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to both the Ford Explorer (tested) and the structurally similar Lincoln Aviator.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 4,395 lbs |
| Peak force | 24,237 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.51 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leather seat built after 1/31/2022
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Power leather seat built after 1/31/2022 |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 14 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 14 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 13.3 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 60 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 4 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 719 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.
Headlights
Ratings are given for 3 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.
Trim level(s)
- Reserve trim equipped with Illumination package
- Reserve trim equipped with Reserve 2 package
- Grand Touring trim equipped with Illumination package
- Grand Touring trim equipped with Grand Touring 1 package
- Grand Touring trim equipped with Grand Touring 2 package
- Black Label trim
- Black Label Grand Touring trim
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | Yes |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the sharp left and both right curves and fair on the gradual left curve.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on both left curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | Yes |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2020-24 models |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 100.7 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 61.6 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 85.4 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, right edge | 63.9 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 67.6 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, right edge | 55.2 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 157.6 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 150.9 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 98.3 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 98.3 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 71.1 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 72.1 m |
Trim level(s)
- Standard trim; built after October 2022
- Reserve trim; built after October 2022
- Grand Touring trim; built after October 2022
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the left side of the road and inadequate on the right side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left and both right curves and inadequate on the gradual left curve.
The low beams created some glare.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair in all 4 tests.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2023-24 models built after October 2022 |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 75.7 m | 9.9% |
| Straightaway left edge | 51.1 m | 9.9% |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 56.6 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, right edge | 50.1 m | 26.7% |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 47.5 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 49.4 m | 13.4% |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 137.9 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 133.1 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 69.6 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 70.8 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 55.0 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 60.3 m |
Trim level(s)
- Standard trim; built before November 2022
- Reserve trim; built before November 2022
- Grand Touring trim; built before November 2022
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the left side of the road and inadequate on the right side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left and sharp right curves and inadequate on the gradual right and gradual left curves.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual left curve and inadequate on the sharp left and both right curves.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2020-23 models built before November 2022 |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 71.2 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 51.3 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 54.5 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, right edge | 49.3 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 45.7 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 50.3 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 145.6 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 134.9 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 59.9 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 68.0 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 49.1 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 54.1 m |
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Ratings are given for 2 different trim variations available on this vehicle.
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Ratings are given for 2 different systems available on this vehicle.
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (night)
Seat belt reminders
Rating applies to 2023-24 models
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Front row | |
| Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual) | |
| Initiation time | |
| Duration | Negligible (under 8 seconds) |
| Volume | |
| Audio frequency | |
| Second row | |
| Startup status alert (visual) | |
| Initiation time | |
| Duration at least 60 seconds | |
| Belt disengaged alert (audible & visual) | |
| Initiation time | |
| Duration at least 30 seconds | |
| Volume | |
| Audio frequency |
| Background cabin sound pressure level at 24 km/h | 50 dB |
| Audible signal sound pressure level at 24 km/h | 57 dB |
| Difference between background and signal | 7.1 dB |
| Background cabin sound pressure level at 40 km/h | 53 dB |
| Audible signal sound pressure level at 40 km/h | 58 dB |
| Difference between background and signal | 5.3 dB |
| Dominant audio frequency | 552 Hz |