Having something go wrong with your vehicle can be a real issue. This is just what some owners of the 2020 Lincoln Aviator faced. This new SUV model provides drivers with style and luxury, but some owners also had to deal with electrical system problems, which can lead to all sorts of issues. Here’s what went wrong with their 2020 Lincoln Aviator SUVs.

Electrical system problems in the 2020 Lincoln Aviator

Very few problems with the 2020 Lincoln Aviator have been submitted to CarComplaints.com, a website that accepts vehicle complaints from owners. However, Car Complaints found that nine issues had been submitted to the NHTSA about electrical system problems with the 2020 Aviator.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the U.S. federal government agency that collects owner complaints as part of its transportation safety work.

The electrical problems have affected the Aviator’s backup camera, door locks, and sometimes its ability to drive properly. Some owners mentioned issues with the electric parking brake engaging while driving, a false engine coolant warning that prevented the engine from working properly, the failure of some of the advanced safety features, and the battery dying after one of the problems began. The backup camera is now covered by a recall.

How severe these electrical system problems are

While the electrical issues in the 2020 Lincoln Aviator have not resulted in crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths, owners did rate them with a severity rating of 8.7, or pretty bad. The issues began appearing on average at the low mileage of just 2,942 miles.

The electrical issues affect safety ranging from an inability to use the backup camera or other advanced safety features to being locked in the car. In the worst cases, owners were unable to drive their Aviators and had to have them towed.

What owners have experienced with the 2020 Lincoln Aviator

Owners shared their experiences with the NHTSA. One owner described what happened with the backup camera: “In reverse (both static and in motion), rearview camera flickers constantly between image and black screen making it unsafe to use car in reverse and depend on camera for visibility of obstacles. 4+ attempts to fix by Lincoln, including replacement of the rear backup camera under warranty, have not resolved this safety issue.”

Another talked about getting locked in the car: “Electronic door release on the interior drivers door has failed at 2200 miles. The button does not work at all and is loose in the door. This prevents exit from inside the car without using the manual override or rolling down the window to access the outside handle.”

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator

After existing for just a few years in the early 2000s, the Lincoln Aviator was relaunched as a brand-new model for 2020. The Aviator is the smaller version of the Lincoln Navigator. One of its cool features is that it has buttons that open the power doors instead of interior door handles. However, this is one of the features that has experienced issues.

The Aviator has a powerful 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, producing 400 hp. That is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available. A plug-in-hybrid version, called the Aviator Grand Touring, is also available.

The Aviator offers plenty of tech features and lots of comfort. That includes an optional 28-speaker audio system and available 30-way massaging seats in the front. It provides a good amount of cargo room, but its third row is a bit snug, says Car and Driver.

It comes standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced safety features comes standard and includes blind spot monitoring, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, a rearview camera, and automatic high beams. Co-Pilot360 Plus is available. It adds traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and a self-parking feature.

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator has a high-quality interior and a powerful engine, but owners should be aware of the potential for electrical system problems. These issues could affect a wide variety of features within the SUV.