2020 Lincoln Aviator transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V402000Jun 24, 2026741,195 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

  Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

• Recall 20V693000Nov 10, 202010,905 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 3.3L engine and a 10 Speed Automatic Transmission with the All Wheel Drive package. The drive shaft may fracture along the weld seam.

  Risk: Defective drive shafts may fail and cause a loss of connection between the transfer case and rear axle, possibly resulting in a vehicle rollaway when in Park or a loss of drive. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash. The drive shafts can also deform and separate from the driveline and potentially contact the fuel tank, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and/or fire.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shaft label inspected and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S65.

• Recall 19V575000Aug 5, 201913,896 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL · PARKING BRAKE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) cover may not be installed. In addition, the vehicles may be in Factory Mode, which disables warning alerts and does not display the transmission gear selected. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 114, "Theft Prevention" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."

  Risk: Without the cover, the MPR lever may be unintentionally moved, allowing the vehicle to roll away. Being in Factory Mode, the vehicle will not display warnings and/or gear selection on the instrument cluster. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install a MPR cover. Dealers will verify the instrument cluster is not in Factory Mode and clear any fault codes, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C06.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 3, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission died at 92000 miles. The car shifted to park while my wife was driving it. Shortly after the transmission started jerking in gears 1,2 and 7. Took it to the dealership and had to have the whole transmission replaced at about $7200. A transmission should last more than 92000 miles and should never shift to park while driving.

   NHTSA complaint #11768783 · source
2. Filed Sep 4, 2026MOTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission started shifting hard when going from 1-2, up and down shifting. Sometimes there is a grinding sound and then a very hard shift into 2nd gear. 1 time it would not shift at all after coming to a stop. Diagnosed by Ford as bad A clutch and needing to be replaced.

   NHTSA complaint #11762115 · source
3. Filed Aug 31, 2026AZTransmission & Drivetrain

   My car slammed into park while I was driving on the highway and now is in limp mode only going into neutral and I am stranded without a vehicle. The Lincoln dealership wants to charge me 1500 to diagnose it but that’s the problem.

   NHTSA complaint #11761094 · source
4. Filed Aug 14, 2026NCTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that on several occasions while shifted to reverse(R), and occasionally while in drive(D), the vehicle jerked violently and did not stop jerking until the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

   NHTSA complaint #11757029 · source
5. Filed Aug 12, 202684,464 miAZTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shutoff while coming to a complete stop, with an abnormally rough grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts but was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was…

   NHTSA complaint #11756591 · source
6. Filed Aug 11, 202678,000 miFLTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into park(P), and the gear shifter could not be shifted out of park(P). The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the part to do the recall repair was…

   NHTSA complaint #11756255 · source
7. Filed Jul 27, 2026126,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Upon taking the vehicle to a collision repair shop, the contact was informed that the gear shifter had failed to shift out of park(P). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was associated with the recall. The contact was advised that the vehicle…

   NHTSA complaint #11753068 · source
8. Filed Jul 10, 202689,635 miLABrakesTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the transmission was shifted to drive (D), but the vehicle failed to move while the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the engine was revving. The messages "Park Brake Malfunction Service", "System Braking Issue", "Service Advancetrac", "Park Malfunction Service Now", and "Check Brake System" were displayed. Additionally, the vehicle previously hesitated to accelerate while…

   NHTSA complaint #11749623 · source
9. Filed Apr 3, 2026FLBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechTransmission & Drivetrain

   while moving in reverse, the vehicle automatic breaking system engages on and off giving a jerking movement of the car and makes you feel like you hit something. Once the vehicle is placed into Drive mode the same thing happens with the breaking system. because of this the check vehicle lights come on and gives a "Hill start assist warning" also "Pre-collision Assist Not Available". Also all wheel drive mode is not available and the drive mode selection no longer works. Took…

   NHTSA complaint #11729043 · source
10. Filed Mar 12, 2026ILTransmission & Drivetrain

    replaced 2 valve bodies, and now the CDF has an open statement bulletin on it, and I have to do an entire transmission replacement

    NHTSA complaint #11723913 · source
11. Filed Feb 13, 2026LABrakesElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

    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…

    NHTSA complaint #11717852 · source
12. Filed Nov 6, 2025NCElectrical SystemAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

    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…

    NHTSA complaint #11697895 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology