2023 Lincoln Aviator PHEV Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2023 Lincoln Aviator PHEV, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance323.1%
- Electrical323.1%
- Engine323.1%
- Brakes215.4%
- Powertrain (other)17.7%
- Visibility17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was backing into my garage and the rear collision sensor beeped. I opened the door and took one foot out of car and since the driveway is up a hill, the car started rolling forward. I must of taken pressure off the brake. I tried to stop the car but was unable. The forward collision sensor did go off and my car hit my back neighbor fence and gas supply line. Thank goodness there was no one behind the fence. No one has confirmed or inspected the problem. A warning of “ car is not in park” went on when I opened the door while backing into garage.
Once again, my vehicle exhibited immediate and sudden power loss while at highway speeds. Ironically, I was in transit to my dealer for the third time for this issue within my vehicle's 3,000 miles. This is incredibly unsafe at any speed, especially at highway speeds without warning. An uncommanded slowdown without any response from the accelerator pedal, and a warning on the gauge cluster stating "vehicle is slowing down". Cruise control at this time was not operational in the vehicle (another issue) and I was using my foot to control the speed. Additionally, the Bluetooth connection was not functioning, the Navigation screen nor map would even load, and I was unable to use cruise control due to an error message "cruise unavailable". We get a separate Lincoln Aviator for a loaner, and not only does reverse park assist not work, the rear camera doesn't function, either. These cars are dangerous and need to be recalled immediately and taken off the road. We plan to sell/trade ours as the soonest possibility and incur whatever financial burden that may come with it. It's not worth my family's safety, or that of someone else.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Once again, my vehicle exhibited immediate and sudden power loss while at highway speeds. Ironically, I was in transit to my dealer for the third time for this issue within my vehicle's 3,000 miles. This is incredibly unsafe at any speed, especially at highway speeds without warning. An uncommanded slowdown without any response from the accelerator pedal, and a warning on the gauge cluster stating "vehicle is slowing down". Cruise control at this time was not operational in the vehicle (another issue) and I was using my foot to control the speed. Additionally, the Bluetooth connection was not functioning, the Navigation screen nor map would even load, and I was unable to use cruise control due to an error message "cruise unavailable". We get a separate Lincoln Aviator for a loaner, and not only does reverse park assist not work, the rear camera doesn't function, either. These cars are dangerous and need to be recalled immediately and taken off the road. We plan to sell/trade ours as the soonest possibility and incur whatever financial burden that may come with it. It's not worth my family's safety, or that of someone else.
The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the damn thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the [XXX] thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. Thankfully we were at surface street speeds of around 30-35 and I was in command of the vehicle. This issue has been reported on other GRAND TOURING models of the Lincoln Aviator where people are at higher speeds, such as the highway or expressway. That said, this is my wife's main vehicle and I am terrified, as well as she, to have her driving this at all hours of the day responding to emergencies at her hospital. PLEASE HELP US ALL that own this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Once again, my vehicle exhibited immediate and sudden power loss while at highway speeds. Ironically, I was in transit to my dealer for the third time for this issue within my vehicle's 3,000 miles. This is incredibly unsafe at any speed, especially at highway speeds without warning. An uncommanded slowdown without any response from the accelerator pedal, and a warning on the gauge cluster stating "vehicle is slowing down". Cruise control at this time was not operational in the vehicle (another issue) and I was using my foot to control the speed. Additionally, the Bluetooth connection was not functioning, the Navigation screen nor map would even load, and I was unable to use cruise control due to an error message "cruise unavailable". We get a separate Lincoln Aviator for a loaner, and not only does reverse park assist not work, the rear camera doesn't function, either. These cars are dangerous and need to be recalled immediately and taken off the road. We plan to sell/trade ours as the soonest possibility and incur whatever financial burden that may come with it. It's not worth my family's safety, or that of someone else.
The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the damn thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the [XXX] thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. Thankfully we were at surface street speeds of around 30-35 and I was in command of the vehicle. This issue has been reported on other GRAND TOURING models of the Lincoln Aviator where people are at higher speeds, such as the highway or expressway. That said, this is my wife's main vehicle and I am terrified, as well as she, to have her driving this at all hours of the day responding to emergencies at her hospital. PLEASE HELP US ALL that own this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was backing into my garage and the rear collision sensor beeped. I opened the door and took one foot out of car and since the driveway is up a hill, the car started rolling forward. I must of taken pressure off the brake. I tried to stop the car but was unable. The forward collision sensor did go off and my car hit my back neighbor fence and gas supply line. Thank goodness there was no one behind the fence. No one has confirmed or inspected the problem. A warning of “ car is not in park” went on when I opened the door while backing into garage.
Went to get in it this morning, and said no key was detected. Okay, whatever, we'll use a backup code. The screen never prompted for a backup code. We had the key inside the vehicle, so we use the Lincoln Way App to start the car and figured we can get it going from there. Nope, the car was running and everything was going, yet it won't allow us to select Drive, Reverse, or Neutral. Sat there for a bit, fumbling around and nothing worked to get the vehicle in motion. We finally hit enough buttons for the vehicle to shut off, we got out, locked the doors, plugged it in, and just allowed it a few minutes to reset. Notta. Got all this on video. I finally had to pop the hood and use the freaking 2021-2023 Explorer / Aviator Hybrid Vehicle Emergency Response Guide to kill 12v power to the thing. After all that, it allowed us to get in and drive normally. However just a few hours later... 2,600 miles on the odometer and we were driving approx 55mph and the Aviator engaged the parking brake for about half a second. Nasty noise, huge bucking from the chassis, and just a split second of extreme confusion and wondering WTF. The red "park brake" was illuminated on the dashboard, and everything seemed normal afterward. However, immediately after that incident it then disabled adaptive cruise control via a message on the dashboard (no cruise worked). We drove home without further incident, called the dealer, and they stated to call Lincoln Roadside Assistance, get it towed back to the dealer that it was just a few days ago, and they'll deliver a loaner to us. A few hours later, it's on the tow truck. This is the second time this vehicle has placed us in danger. The first issue I'll report after this is submitted. Thank you.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the damn thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. The rear camera is janky, the collision alert fires off at random times, and now, the main safety issue! Received a huge red triangle on the HUD and NAV screen stating that the "vehicle is shutting down" and then poof, the [XXX] thing shut down immediately without warning. The message was on the HUD and NAV for about a second and a half and it died. Thankfully we were at surface street speeds of around 30-35 and I was in command of the vehicle. This issue has been reported on other GRAND TOURING models of the Lincoln Aviator where people are at higher speeds, such as the highway or expressway. That said, this is my wife's main vehicle and I am terrified, as well as she, to have her driving this at all hours of the day responding to emergencies at her hospital. PLEASE HELP US ALL that own this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
On the 10th day of ownership (April 30, 2023), all cameras became inoperative. This is a known/continuing defect since 2020 yet Lincoln/Ford continue to sell these vehicles. My new car has been in and out of the shop on numerous occasions and it had no recalls according to the NHSTA and Ford websites. They have replaced 2 modules and wiring harness and, finally they agreed it was the same 360 degree camera issue that has plagued them since 2020. As of today, my VIN is listed under the 360 degree camera recall with no solution available. I'm told it is a software issue. As repairs were attempted, I also lost rear & forward collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control which may have since been corrected.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .