Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
on 7/27/25 while driving on a residential street the car behaved extremely erratically and was attempting engage the brakes resulting in an uncontrollable driving condition. Brakes were engaging automatically and dashboard showed fault messages including "Antilock brake fault" and "pre-collision assist not available." Contacted Lincoln customer support and they arranged for a tow to the dealership and rental car. Dealership stated updates to system resolved the issue. Seems to be running fine now. If this incident had occurred on a highway it would have been extremely dangerous since the brakes were being engaged without driver knowledge and input.
Multiple loss of power, misfires, rough running and abnormal shifting. These events have put my family and I at risk as well as posing a significant risk to other drivers sharing the road due to the sudden loss of power while on the highway. Lincoln is dismissive and not taking this seriously. The problem continues and it is currently in the shop for the 4th time
The contact owns a 2023 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the garage, the garage became extremely hot, and the fans underneath the vehicle activated. The contact opened the garage. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Engine Now" message was displayed. The powertrain control module had detected a fault with the high-voltage system, and a message was displayed. After researching, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V626000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 20,990.
I bought this car in march 2026. It is a 2023 Lincoln aviator black label, it was a CPO. Within days of me having it, I noticed there were electrical issues. The interior light kept popping on for no reason. The cooling seat feature was also not working. The adaptive cruise control was also not working correctly. When you have the cruise control on the lane assist will cancel on you without warning. It also has issues maintaining the lane and wants to pull. I brought it back to Findlay Lincoln within a couple of weeks of purchasing the vehicle. They stated they fix it and that there was a corroded or melted wire that was causing the issue. Within days of picking it up, there were still issues. The lights were still coming on and the adaptive cruise control was still causing issues. Once they got me a loaner, they took the car back in. This time they had the vehicle for 26 days. …
My vehicle's alarm repeatedly activates while the vehicle is parked, turned off, and locked, approximately every 15 minutes. When the vehicle is unlocked, the front and rear lights remain illuminated even though the vehicle is turned off and the keys are not in or near it. The battery was tested twice after the vehicle had been at rest before I brought it to the dealership. The dealership subsequently replaced the battery for approximately $350, stating that this would likely resolve the symptoms. The dealership then performed a $250 diagnostic and advised that the rear passenger door latch had failed and the overhead front light console was shorted and needed replacement. I am concerned about the unexplained lighting and electrical malfunctions, repeated alarm activation, and resulting battery depletion and starting reliability. …
Lincoln Aviators 2020-2024 using the Sync 3 Radio screen. Have a issue not switching to dimmed/night mode during night time driving. This is a major safety issue because when driving a night you have a super bright display inches from your eyes creating a blinding issue at night. This issue has been reported by many folks, a simple Google search will reveal this. Unless NHTSA steps if to doing something 10s of thousands Lincoln Aviators 2020-2024 are on the road with blinded drivers. [redacted]
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start, the vehicle was , the hood was raised, the contact went back to the vehicle to try to start, the vehicle would not turn over with clicking in the engine. the vehicle began to smoke with very thick white smoke, the contact was unable to exit the vehicle of the drivers side front seat. The battery was disconnected and a manual latch was discovered on the drivers side door. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
For the first 39 months of my ownership my 2021 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in electric hybrid would not charge properly and resulted in thousands of charge station fault alerts. The dealership was dismissive of the issue for years because it seemed to work for the few minutes when they charged it on their high voltage charger even though I voiced concerns about the charger port being bad on the vehicle and it not working properly at home. My Aviator would not charge unless the plug was in the exact perfect spot and rarely would make it to a full charge before faulting out. Eventually the port started making SPARKING NOISES, ELECTRIC FIRE SMELLS, and SMOKES when plugged in. I was afraid my Aviator was going to start a fire and burn my house down, so I stopped charging it for at least 6 months until a new service manager finally took the time to investigate the issue. …
Related recalls (3)
Electrical system › ADAS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience multiple unexpected resets, resulting in loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features,…
Remedy: The Image Processing Module A software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. This is a Phased campaign.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 3.0L PHEV engines that were repaired incorrectly under recall 23V626. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Battery Energy Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 3.0L PHEV engines. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Remedy: Dealers will perform a Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) diagnostic test and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 8, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lincoln Aviator years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2020 (39), 2021 (12), 2022 (9), 2003 (8) and 2004 (8) model years. Electrical complaints make up 35% of all complaints for the 2020.
Is there a recall for Lincoln Aviator electrical problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 26V-165 (adas, Mar 18, 2026); 25V-349 (traction battery, May 23, 2025); 23V-626 (traction battery, Sep 8, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Lincoln Aviator electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles; 52% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (2 mentions), followed by the wiring (1).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.