2022 Lincoln Aviator Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Electrical and airbag issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

The 2022 Lincoln Aviator is a luxury three-row SUV meant to haul the entire family in style. The company claims this SUV is “intelligently designed.” But many customers can’t fathom what’s intelligent about a vehicle that keeps telling them to “stop safely now,” leaving them stranded in dangerous situations.  

Click on other model year to view more problems: 2020   2021

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NHTSA Complaints for the 2022 Lincoln Aviator

Complaint CategoryNumber of Complaints
Electrical System
5
Engine
4
Fuel/propulsion System
2
Air Bags
2
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
2
Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking
1
Vehicle Speed Control
1
Equipment:electrical:infotainment
1
Unknown Or Other
1
Suspension:front:macpherson Strut
1

Most Common Problems with the 2022 Lincoln Aviator

A total of 14 complaints were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between February 2 and September 23, 2022. They apply to 11 components and systems, with the number of electrical system and engine complaints topping the list with 9. What happens is that many complainants mention more than one component or system.

The other 7 components and systems mentioned are airbags, back over prevention, forward collision avoidance, and the fuel/propulsion system getting 2 mentions each. Equipment, service brakes, steering, suspension, and vehicle speed control all get 1 mention each.

By far the most common problem is related to a warning message the driver gets to “stop safely now.” There are indications that this may be related to some sort of battery failure.

Airbags are also a big issue. Despite there being only 2 airbag-related complaints, both involved airbags not deploying and one reports a fire related to the crash. Both are extremely serious and life-threatening.

Problems with the Electrical System

As a luxury automobile, the Aviator should have a well-functioning electrical system. But, unfortunately it has major problems. While most of the electrical system complaints mention the “stop safely now” issue, not all of them do.

One NHTSA complaint highlights an issue related to the doors of the SUV. Another appears to relate to high-voltage fuses burning out.

“Door ajar notification continues to illuminate when all doors are secure. First incident happened on 1/25/2022. Was sent in for repair and returned on 2/2/2022. Issue happened again while driving on the interstate on 3/10/2022, and is back in for repair. This notification causes dome lights to continue to illuminate which is a danger at night, and will not allow for doors to lock.”

An owner from New York states that while making a left turn exiting from an expressway, “While the wheel was turned the power steering failed, locking up the steering wheel. These alerts came on the dashboard: Hill Start Assist Warning, Service Steering, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available. The car was towed to Dana Ford and the technician says that a high-voltage fuse burned out. They also stated that they wanted to find the cause for the fuse to burn out before replacing it.”

Stop Safely Now Problems

Some complaints give more details than others. For instance, an owner from Texas puts the scenario in a nutshell. “A warning appears on the dash ‘stop safely now’ and the vehicle rapidly comes to a complete stop and is unable to be moved. This has occurred on three occasions, during 2 of which the car stalled in an active driving lane on a highway, resulting in a life-threatening situation. The app said ‘high voltage battery warning’ triggered by ‘another event’.” The complainant continues to say that the issue is being investigated by Lincoln, although, at that stage, the manufacturer had not been able “to appropriately diagnose and resolve the issue.”

An owner from Pennsylvania got the ‘Stop Safely Now’ message 5 times. But, “When I begin to slow down, the car loses all power and I have to coast to a stop somewhere.” The first time he was able to start back up and carry on driving. The other times the car had to be towed. Ultimately, “Lincoln has replaced the battery and also the Powertrain Control Module and neither of these have corrected the problem.”

Stop Safely Now Issues Because the Battery is Dead?

The very first NHTSA complaint listed mentions a high-voltage battery reading. . “This is a brand new vehicle with 3,000+ miles on it,” the owner from Kentucky wrote. The first day the vehicle would not go into drive. A warning message appeared that said ‘high-voltage battery warning’, ‘The hybrid powertrain system has detected a fault’. The complaint reads that “It would also flash ‘Full Accessory Power Active’.”

The owner took the vehicle to the local Lincoln dealer. They inspected the car, but didn’t find anything wrong with it. But they did find the codes and stated “they thought the battery was dead. This was impossible due to the fact I drove the car 500 miles from Alabama to KY on 12-21. Today, 2-2-22, my wife was driving home from work and the car shut off on the interstate. When I say shut off, I mean it died at 65 mph. She tried to press the accelerator and the car just continued to de-accelerate. The check engine light popped up and said ‘Stop Safely Now’.”

Luckily, as the complaint states, “my wife was able to pull off the interstate without causing an accident. Once stopped, she turned the vehicle off and tried to restart it. It popped the same message about ‘full accessory power’ and the car wouldn’t start. She tried the push button start to no avail, tried the remote start to no avail. Finally, she used her ‘phone as a key’ and it started. She was able to drive home. I have called Lincoln and made them aware of the issues. They have asked for me to bring the car in immediately. I informed them I would be filing a complaint here as well. This car is a $85,000 death trap. Lincoln needs to take this very seriously and an investigation needs to (be) open(ed) to find out why this vehicle is behaving like this. It is not safe to drive.”

Airbags That Fail

Airbags are standard in all modern vehicles and we rely on them to help save our lives in the event of a crash. When they fail to deploy, our lives are in danger.

An Aviator owner from Michigan tells the story in a single sentence. “Brakes failed, car crashed, imminent crash warning system did not come on and air bags did not deploy in direct frontal crash.” So, not only did the airbags fail, but there was no warning from the vehicle’s warning system either.

An owner from Alabama had a crash after running off the road and down a ravine. The frame of the car broke in two places when the driver hit a large tree head on.

“I was shocked that none of them (the airbags) deployed after such a hard impact with the front of the car and the right side. The local police and fire department that arrived on the scene were very concerned that the airbags didn’t deploy. The towing company and body shop owner was also very concerned that the airbags didn’t deploy after he examined the car after the accident. I just want everyone to be aware of this safety feature that failed me after I paid $70k for a car with five-star safety ratings.”

Your Lemon Law Legal Rights

If you think you have a lemon, it may be a good idea to find a legal firm that can take up your case. After all, the law makes Lincoln pay legal fees for lemon law cases.

You may not know it, but every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners. Lemberg Law specializes in lemon law cases, and we will assess your case without charge. Call us on our Helpline or fill out our contact form.

Complaint Data

CategoryBack Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking, Back Over Prevention: Warnings, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
DateFeb 06, 2023
StateCA
Description
Camera did not detect parked vehicle when backing out of driveway no warning before collision with parked vehicle
CategoryAir Bags, Electrical System, Service Brakes
DateSep 23, 2022
StateMI
Description
Brakes failed, car crashed, imminent crash warning system did not come on and air bags did not deploy in direct frontal crash.
CategoryBack Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
DateSep 02, 2022
StateMN
Description
I had several instances and two minor collisions now where the back up camera glitches as well as the warning alert. I've come close to hitting object only to stop just in time, however in these two collisions I was I situations where I needed to maneuver faster and needed accurate guidance. I dont recall the screen ever showing up until after the collisions and the louder long warning tone went off right at or just after impact. Both times have cause damage to my car. I've never had issues with minor self involved car accidents. My driving record is clean. Reading about the back up camera recalls for the 20 and 21 models sound like what is happening with my car but also with the alert system. There are glitches keeping this safety feature from meeting much needed driving assurance.
CategoryAir Bags
DateAug 02, 2022
StateAL
Description
On 6/9/22 I ran off the road and down a ravine. I hit a large tree head on and hit some smaller trees on the right side of the vehicle. After the head on collision with the large tree, it broke the frame in two places. The car had severe damage on the front and right side as you will notice in the pictures I am sending. No airbags deployed during this collision. I was shocked that none of them deployed after such a hard impact with the front of the car and the right side. The local police and fire department that arrived on the scene were very concerned that the air bags didn't deploy. The towing company and body shop owner was also very concerned that the airbags didn't deploy after he examined the car after the accident. I just want everyone to be aware of this safety feature that failed me after I paid k for a car with five star safety ratings.
CategorySuspension, Suspension:front:macpherson Strut
DateJun 05, 2022
StateNY
Description
I ran over a pothole in nyc at approx 10 mph. The air suspension light came on and a warning message for service and to not driver over 35mph. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and was told they needed to replace the full suspension system and two front struts. Vehicle has been waiting for parts for over a month.
CategoryBack Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
DateJun 01, 2022
StateOK
Description
The vehicle back up camera and computer screen went totally dark and would not come back on, so that when I backed out of the garage, I could not see on the rear side of the vehicle, as to any pedestrians walking across my driveway , beside nor behind my vehicle. I drove the vehicle back into the garage and ran my errand in our other car. When I came back from the errand, I tried to get the screen up again, by starting the car, and the home page came on the screen, and when I put the vehicle in reverse, it once again, showed the rear view of the driveway and cross way, to see that there was no pedestrian behind me; putting any neighbor child who ran across my drive while the garage walls blocked them from my view, in danger. After that one instance, it hasn't done it since. Today, while in shop for routine maintenance, I mentioned it to the service advisor. He said "there's a recall out on that, " I said ,"will you fix it today while I'm here?" he said , "yes'. At home, upon reviewing paperwork ,about what was done, no mention of fixing the recall, nor seeing why the camera screen went dark, was made. So, I called the dealer and was told "there is no outstanding recall on your vehicle" they have told me I may make an appointment to leave my car at least a day for them to diagnose the problem. There was no warning , before the backup screen on my dash went totally dark. This was one time and, on may 27, 2022. Our vehicle barely has 1000 miles on it. We bought it new in january, 2022. Since the dealership did not write down my complaint, I decided to give you a written statement.
CategoryElectrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Steering
DateMay 02, 2022
StateNY
Description
4/19/22 staten island ny. As I was getting off of the hylan blvd exit from the si expressway traveling toward nj, I made a left turn. While the wheel was turned the power steering failed, locking up the steering wheel. These alerts came on the dashboard: hill start assist warning, service steering, pre-collision assist not available. The car was towed to dana ford and the technician says that a high voltage fuse burned out. They also stated that they wanted to find the cause for the fuse to burn out before replacing it. This was two weeks ago.
CategoryFuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other
DateApr 26, 2022
StateUT
Description
I have had multiple check engine light issues where the description is "malfunction indicator lamp - regulatory" and the detailed description is a problem with the evaporative emission system (evap). My cell phone app says fuel vapors are being detected. Three separate times, this check engine light has come on. Three separate times I've brought the vehicle to the dealership. My car only has about 2577 miles on it. It came back from the dealer on monday -- and today, tuesday, the check engine light is back on for the 4th time.
CategoryEngine
DateApr 12, 2022
StateKY
Description
Constituent writes regarding vehicle stalling on their 2022 lincoln aviator. This is brand new vehicle with 3,000+ miles on it. The first day owned it, around 12-21, the vehicle would not go into drive. A warning message appeared that said 'high-voltage battery warning", "the hybrid powertrain system has detected a fault". It would also flash "full accessory power active". After some internet searches I found a thread in ford that said "let the car sit for 20mins and it will restart". Https://www. Mustangecoboost. Net/threads/I-think-I-figure-out-how-to-fix-the-full-accessory-power-active. 22706/#:~:text=it%20means%20you%20have%20full,press%20the%20start%20button%20again. I did that and vehicle restarted. I made an appt with my local lincoln dealer, bill collins lincoln, and they inspected the car on 1-18 thru 1-21. They did not find anything wrong with it but did find the codes. They stated they thought the battery was dead. This was impossible due to the fact I drove the car 500 miles from alabama to ky on 12-21. Today, 2-2-22, my wife was driving home from work and the car shut off on the interstate. When I say shut off, I mean it died at 65mph. She tried to press the accelerator and the car just continued to de-accelerate. The check engine light popped up and said "stop safely now". Luckily, my wife was able pull off the interstate without causing an accident. Once stopped, she turned the vehicle off and tried to restarted it. It popped the same message about "full accessory power" and the car wouldn't start. She tried the push button start to no avail, tried the remote start to no avail. Finally she used her "phone as a key" and it started. She was able to drive home. I have called lincoln and made them aware of the issues. They have asked for me to bring the car in immediately. I informed them I would be filing a complaint here as well. This car is a ,000 death trap. Lincoln needs to take this very seriously and an investigation needs to open to find out why this vehicle is behaving like this. It is n
CategoryEquipment:electrical:infotainment
DateApr 07, 2022
StatePA
Description
The main "sync" dashboard screen, 3 different times within 2 weeks, after warm engine was re-started, the screen was looking like video was completely out of "sync" of "vertical hold", mostly vertical, in sections, making the screen unuseable: the vertical image was rolling in the vertical axis. After several to many minutes of driving & re-starting the secreen went back to "normal".
CategoryEngine
DateApr 05, 2022
StatePA
Description
On 5 separate occasions my car has given me a warning saying "stop safely now." when I begin to slow down, the car looses all power and I have to coast to a stop somewhere. The first time the car started back up and I was able to drive it again, the following 4 times it had to be towed. Each time I was stranded on the side of the road - once literally on the road because I was unable to get onto the berm because of high snow drifts and the car just stopped, which was a huge safety issue. Each time this has happened it has taken approximately 3 hours for a lincoln approved tow truck to come and get the vehicle leaving me stranded in the freezing cold with multiple children and no heat in my vehicle. My speed has varied each time this has happened. One time I was in park, another time I was doing 60+mph and the others were in-between these speeds. I have multiple videos of what happens and have provided them to lincoln. Lincoln has replaced the battery and also the powertrain control module and nether of these have corrected the problem.
CategoryElectrical System, Engine, Vehicle Speed Control
DateMar 18, 2022
StateTX
Description
A warning appears on the dash "stop safely now" and the vehicle rapidly comes to a complete stop and is unable to be moved. This has occurred on three occasions, during 2 of which the car stalled in an active driving lane on a highway, resulting in life threatening situation. The app said "high voltage battery warning" triggered by "another event". Being investigated by lincoln, who is re-acquiring the vehicle due to inability to appropriately diagnose and resolve the issue.
CategoryElectrical System
DateMar 14, 2022
StateTX
Description
Door ajar notification continues to illuminate when all doors are secure. First incident happened on 1/25/2022. Was sent in for repair and returned on 2/2/2022. Issue happened again while driving on the interstate on 3/10/2022, and is back in for repair. This notification causes domes lights to continue to illuminate which is a danger at night, and will not allow for doors to lock.
CategoryForward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
DateFeb 22, 2022
StateOH
Description
The contact owns a 2022 lincoln aviator. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 85 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown software needed to be reset for the vehicle to operate as needed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sync module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred the following day. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,336.
CategoryElectrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System
DateFeb 02, 2022
StateKY
Description
This is brand new vehicle with 3,000+ miles on it. The first day owned it, around 12-21, the vehicle would not go into drive. A warning message appeared that said 'high-voltage battery warning", "the hybrid powertrain system has detected a fault". It would also flash "full accessory power active". After some internet searches I found a thread in ford that said "let the car sit for 20mins and it will restart". Https://www. Mustangecoboost. Net/threads/I-think-I-figure-out-how-to-fix-the-full-accessory-power-active. 22706/#:~:text=it%20means%20you%20have%20full,press%20the%20start%20button%20again. I did that and vehicle restarted. I made an appt with my local lincoln dealer, bill collins lincoln, and they inspected the car on 1-18 thru 1-21. They did not find anything wrong with it but did find the codes. They stated they thought the battery was dead. This was impossible due to the fact I drove the car 500 miles from alabama to ky on 12-21. Today, 2-2-22, my wife was driving home from work and the car shut off on the interstate. When I say shut off, I mean it died at 65mph. She tried to press the accelerator and the car just continued to de-accelerate. The check engine light popped up and said "stop safely now". Luckily, my wife was able pull off the interstate without causing an accident. Once stopped, she turned the vehicle off and tried to restarted it. It popped the same message about "full accessory power" and the car wouldn't start. She tried the push button start to no avail, tried the remote start to no avail. Finally she used her "phone as a key" and it started. She was able to drive home. I have called lincoln and made them aware of the issues. They have asked for me to bring the car in immediately. I informed them I would be filing a complaint here as well. This car is a ,000 death trap. Lincoln needs to take this very seriously and an investigation needs to open to find out why this vehicle is behaving like this. It is not safe to drive.

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Brian Jones

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

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