2020 Lincoln Aviator Electrical Problems

My fiance went out to start the car. The car wouldn't start, but the starter kept clicking for around 5 minutes even when she was out of the vehicle with the door shut. During that 5 minutes the car started to smoke really bad and you could smell an electrical fire. She ran in the house to get me. We started moving our other cars away from the Lincoln. As I was getting ready to call 911 the starter stopped clicking and the smoke from underneath the car went away. It has currently been at a Ford/Lincoln dealership for the past 2 weeks. They said that the starter fried that battery. This was really traumatic for my fiance because she constantly drives our kids around in the car. Now she's terrified that the car will catch fire again. We have video but it will not let me upload.

NHTSA ID

11754312

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

I own a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. After starting the vehicle, I exited without intentionally placing the vehicle in gear. The vehicle began rolling backward unexpectedly after I exited. I was struck and injured by the vehicle, resulting in a laceration to my shin requiring eight stitches. At no point did I intentionally place the vehicle in a position that would allow it to move. The vehicle did not adequately engage Park or activate any automatic safety features to prevent movement when the driver exited. This incident raises serious concerns about the reliability of the electronic shifter system and automatic park/braking safety features. This failure created a dangerous condition and resulted in physical injury. The dealership states it cannot reproduce the problem nor can they determine what caused the vehicle to roll back. There were no warnings prior to the failure.

NHTSA ID

11741638

Incident

Apr 26, 2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] involving recurring safety-related electrical and visibility concerns. The vehicle has experienced repeated service-related issues involving suspension systems, electrical inspections, camera/display concerns, and manufacturer customer satisfaction programs. Most significantly, the vehicle is subject to an active manufacturer safety recall involving the SYNC/rearview camera display system. The recall states that the rearview camera image and display may become inverted or flipped, impairing rear visibility and increasing crash risk. This defect directly impacts driver visibility and safe vehicle operation while reversing. The vehicle has undergone repeated dealership servicing and diagnostic evaluations, yet the broader operational and safety concerns remain unresolved. The vehicle was also sold as a Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned vehicle, creating reasonable reliance that the vehicle met enhanced inspection and safety standards. I believe the recurring nature of these defects, combined with the active recall and repeated repair activity, demonstrates a broader safety-related defect pattern warranting regulatory review and investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11736924

Incident

May 17, 2022

To Whom It May Concern, Please see attached formal notice regarding recurring defects, safety-related recall issues, Certified Pre-Owned representations, and financing concerns associated with my 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] . This matter involves: • recurring suspension and electrical concerns; • safety-related rearview camera/SYNC recall issues; • repeated dealership repair activity; • diminished reliability and value; • Certified Pre-Owned reliance; • and unresolved manufacturer-level concerns despite extensive servicing history. Please escalate this matter immediately to executive customer relations and manufacturer review. I am requesting: • a formal manufacturer investigation, • preservation of all records associated with this VIN, • and review for buyback, goodwill compensation, warranty relief, or other global resolution options. Please confirm receipt and provide a case number immediately. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11736923

Incident

May 17, 2023

Backup camera is not working properly and the lane departure system doesn’t work

NHTSA ID

11721228

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

On January 29, 2026, at approximately 4:00 PM, the vehicle experienced unintended movement while in PARK and powered off. The vehicle had been placed in Park, the engine was turned off, and the driver exited. Shortly afterward, the vehicle rolled unexpectedly while unattended. The vehicle remained parked and was not driven due to safety concerns. Wheel blocks were placed behind the tires until the scheduled dealer appointment on February 4, 2026. The dealer inspected the vehicle and was able to replicate the condition. The failure was diagnosed as a malfunctioning parking pawl solenoid within the transmission system. The dealer confirmed the vehicle could be physically rolled after being placed in Park and powered off. This condition presents a serious safety risk, including risk of injury or death if a person, child, or object were behind the vehicle. There were no prior warning messages or alerts before the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11717852

Incident

Jan 29, 2026

We purchase car on [XXX]. On [XXX] there is a significant leak in the panoramic sunroof that completely floods the trunk (unsure if this is related to the next problem). Our car is at the dealer for repairs 12/12/25 - 1/8/26 and is "fixed" as per the dealer. On [XXX] it starts running independently in the driveway when we are not home and both keys are untouched inside our locked home. We return a call from a concerned neighbor to enter our home, get the key, and turn off the car. After this incident the car is nearly undriveable because so many error messages begin to populate the screen. With the unpredictable nature of the car starting it is extremely frightening to depend on this car and know if it is going to suddenly start running (or driving!) unsupervised which could lead to all different kinds of compromised safety situations, especially since our driveway has easy access to the main street where kids often play. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11710596

Incident

Jan 9, 2026

Upon starting the vehicle around 7p on Friday, 10/31/25, the following errors flooded the screen: Hill start assist not available Service advancetrac 4WD Malfunction service required Pre-collision assist not available Rear sense breaking not available Additionally, cruise control could not be turned on and utilized. There was no incident to trigger these. The car had been sitting parked and off for ~2 hours prior to being turned on. No issues or errors prior to this date and time of turning on the vehicle. The warnings detailed describe how our safety was put at risk. All of these safety and basic features no longer functioned and our children’s safety was put at risk due to this electronic issue causing major functionality breaks/discontinuation of functions. Reproduced and confirmed by Capital Mazda of Cary (NC). Quoted to repair at our expense and “remove and throw out the electronic and replace with a manual.” Furthermore we’ve been informed verbally by our service associate that Ford (parent company) is aware of this safety issue. A TSB was located with a summer 2023 date. Lincoln customer service has stated this would’ve been covered under warranted “if it had come up while under warranty.” This dealership is the only place that has reviewed the vehicle and conditions and provided the explanation and information.

NHTSA ID

11697895

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

Axle shaft Seal no warning besides loud grinding noise. Electrical issues- causing speakers to not work and the lights coming on and going off. Then it causing the crash detection to not have sound.

NHTSA ID

11686041

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11685955

Incident

Jul 23, 2025

The vehicle doors lock on their own. Also the keyless entry keypad on the drivers door does not respond so entry cannot be made using that method. This is very dangerous and possibly fatal if one of us were to exit the car let's say to pump gas and all the doors locked with a grandchild still in the car. I have spoken to the Lincoln service department but their response is that they do not know of any such issues. I believe this first happened once or twice last year but it now seems to happen monthly. We have changed the battery in the key fob with no improvment.

NHTSA ID

11676212

Incident

Jul 25, 2025

The inside electric push-button switch that opens the door behind the driver was intermittent and is now completely inoperative. The inoperative switch means that anyone in the seat behind the driver must either roll down the window, reach out, and push the outside door button to open the door, or must slide across the rear seat and open the rear door on the right-hand side of the vehicle. The inoperative switch could be extremely dangerous when people must exit the car quickly.

NHTSA ID

11672723

Incident

Jun 5, 2025

I came to a stop a light in a busy intersection. The auto start/stop feature turned off the engine. When the light turned green, the car would not start and put us in danger from traffic approaching from the rear. When trying to start the car with the push button, it made one click and nothing more. The lights and other electrical systems seemed to behave and appear as normal. No warning lights or messages about errors or failures. I turned the car completely off, opened and closed the door to "reset" the car and still would not start. I tried this four times. I then opened the hood, got out of the car (all while at this busy intersection of multiple lanes of traffic, now working their way around me) and checked the battery connection just to be sure. Both positive and negative leads checked solidly connected. I then got back in the car and was able to start the car and move out of the way of traffic. I have not yet had it repeat and have not taken it to a service center yet. Very concerning to be stuck at that busy light with what appears to be a fully functioning car that would not restart after the auto start/stop feature activated.

NHTSA ID

11653006

Incident

Apr 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated while pulling out of a driveway at 5 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, the tires locked up, and the vehicle veered to the right into rocks and bushes, causing damages to the front passenger's side axle. The message "Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic replaced the front passenger's side axle. Additionally, the mechanic informed the contact that the battery had experienced an electrical shortage, and the battery was replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering harness and knuckle had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for the VIN to be added in Ford Campaign Number: 20S69. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11641184

Incident

Dec 23, 2024

Mileage

96,000 mi

Most current recall has not been fixed. Vehicles displayed screen goes black with no warning, leaving no access to front or rear parking cameras, also leaving no access to GPS while in use. I have several videos of this incident occurring and have sent to dealer, brought to dealer while occurring and they deny any problems even though their employees, and the owner have seen this occur after they claim the recall was repaired. Lincoln corporate will not get involved. Dealer claims it is my cell phone, even though it occurs with any cell phone connected.

NHTSA ID

11624332

Incident

Nov 9, 2024

Driving car on side street - going about 30 mph and car lost ALL power. Stopped completely in middle of road. No power - would not restart. NO FLASHERS. Since Aviator has "piano keys", the car would not go into Neutral and once we figured how to manually put car in neutral, we could not get the driver's door to close and latch. Car was placed on flatbed wrecker and driver had to tape the door shut for transportation. Luckily this happened during daylight hours and Sherriff's office sent a car to park behind us. Had this happened on my commute to office (at 0500) when it was DARK outside, it could have horrible - NO FLASHERS

NHTSA ID

11606713

Incident

Aug 5, 2024

Driving down the road and all of a sudden multiple warnings come on the dash. They include : Service AvanceTrac, pre collision assist not available, 4WD fault service required, and Hill start assist not available. These warning all clear upon restart but will come back at random times. I joined a forum for this vehicle and a lot of owners are reporting this issue.

NHTSA ID

11591999

Incident

May 26, 2024

The exit switches on both rear doors on my wife's 2020 Lincoln Aviator all of the sudden stopped working today. For whatever reason, Lincoln decided to make the exit handles electronic instead of a traditional pull-style exit handle. This is a HUGE safety concern as the passengers in the rear of the vehicle are now trapped inside. I am a professional fire fighter and I take this problem very seriously. After doing some research for the last two hours online, I've found that dozens of people have experienced the exact same malfunction on their 2020 Lincoln Aviators. I've checked the recalls for the 2020 Aviator on your website and to my disbelief, this is not a recall! Prior to both door exit switches failing, there were no warning lamps, messages, or any other notification. They simply just failed without notice.

NHTSA ID

11587577

Incident

May 7, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle shifted from drive to neutral. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle failed to shift to park. The battery was drained, and the vehicle had to be jumpstarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V534000 (Visibility, Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA ID

11584885

Incident

Mar 24, 2023

Mileage

144,000 mi

Rear camera blue screen. Screen intermittently blacks out.

NHTSA ID

11546069

Incident

Sep 21, 2023

I would like to express my concerns about the Lincoln Aviator (2020) I used to own and to why I traded it in. I spoke with Ford and even took my case to BBB and lost. I was asking for my money back to buy my Ford Explorer. The case was about all my electrical problems I was having and due to the fact, I did not take mv car into the dealer enough I lost. The dealership had advised me to make a list of problems instead of taking the car in each time because of travel distance that was a big mistake on my part as I felt they knew the car had problems and they were putting the problem back on me. They also had mentioned I did not drive very much and I tried explaining I was driving it more. One example was I drove it 50 miles one way and when I got to my destination I could not open back lift gate until I used button inside even though it was fine when I used it to load up the car before I left the house. Another time I came back from going to the coast, a good 3-hour drive, and I couldn't get in until I used key fob. You never knew how the car was going to act electrical. One morning I got up to go to store and the car was completely dead. Tow truck came and driver jumped the car and I backed it out of garage and put the car in park and it shut the car down. I remembered the little latch and was able to get out and the tow truck driver jumped it again and left the charger on the car to load the car up on the tow truck. I see now there is a recall for audible seat belt warning that has not been fixed yet. The biggest issue I addressed with Ford was since there is only one way out how were the passengers suppose to get out and they told me they had to climb over everything to go out the driver's door. Then I asked what if the person is large and has disabilities they are stuck, also what if there is an accident and they hit the driver door then there is no way out. I also said what if the car is going to catch fire, then what? You can't get out. I mentioned we have a 2006 corvette and we have 3 ways to get out of t

NHTSA ID

11545610

Incident

Jun 14, 2023

When I am inside the car, the button to open the door from the inside (drivers side) is not working. As of right now there is no way to exit the vehicle from the drivers side. When we called Galpin Lincoln to make an urgent appointment since this is a safety issue - they said there was nothing they could do and we go online and make an appointment for a month++ out. My safety is currently at risk as there is no way for me to safely get out of my car since the door does not open from the inside.

NHTSA ID

11530726

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

AWD, Adaptive Cruise Control, infoTrac, and Collisiom assistance lights continue going off while on freeways. Have brought in several times in less than a year and I can’t imagine that the ABS module is the issue as they reinstalled and it didn’t work along with replacement of numerous sensors. Please look into this

NHTSA ID

11514979

Incident

Mar 18, 2023

AWD sensors repeatedly are going off then disappearing after car is turned on and off. Happens in City mostly but has triggered while driving on the highway. Caused all ability to use cruise control to deactivate. It also shows the down hill assist fault error.

NHTSA ID

11512103

Incident

Mar 15, 2023

This was the most recent issue I experienced with my Aviator, the first being electrical after 2 months of owning it. I was driving and the car completely shut off (engine, power steering, breaking) the electrical components went crazy, but I thankfully was not on a highway as I had to guide the truck until it stopped from moving 25mph+. I went into oncoming traffic but no one was there. Then I had to turn the truck back on. The dealership towed it as it is a safety issue and with the amount of times it has been in the shop, the problems increasing are worrisome.

NHTSA ID

11461503

Incident

Mar 18, 2022