2025 Lincoln Aviator

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

2025 Lincoln Aviator 4-door SUV
2023 Lincoln Aviator shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

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 driver-side 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.

Technical measurements for this test

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

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 passenger-side 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
Technical measurements for this test

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

About the small overlap front test

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.

Technical measurements for this test

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

About the moderate overlap front test

February 2024 adjustment to rating criteria

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.

Technical measurements for this test

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

About the side crash test