2020 Lincoln Aviator Phev

My 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Plug‑In Hybrid has experienced multiple high‑voltage powertrain failures that create an immediate safety hazard. The vehicle has twice lost propulsion while driving, displaying “Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power” and “Service Engine Soon” before shutting down completely. During the first failure, the vehicle stopped in active traffic and would not restart; a police officer stopped to assist and called a tow truck because the disabled vehicle posed a roadway hazard. In addition, the digital instrument cluster has repeatedly gone completely black while the vehicle is in motion, eliminating all visibility of speed, gear position, warning indicators, and hybrid system status. During the most recent blackout, an [XXX] child was in the vehicle with me, significantly increasing the danger. These failures are accompanied by hybrid‑system fault code P0A1E (Starter/Generator Control Module), a pink charging‑port indicator signaling a charging fault, and irregular hybrid‑battery behavior (range not updating, battery not depleting). The vehicle has been inspected four times by authorized Lincoln/Ford dealers and has been out of service more than 34 cumulative days. Although the P0A1E code and symptoms were documented, the dealers repeatedly stated they were “unable to verify” the concern and returned the vehicle unrepaired. Required high‑voltage diagnostics were not completed. The problem is ongoing, intermittent, and has not been corrected. Sudden propulsion loss, dashboard blackout, and high‑voltage control failures put occupants and other motorists at significant risk. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this as a potential safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving, the vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning and immediately began limiting operation. At the same time, steering effort increased significantly, similar to a loss or reduction of power steering assist, making the vehicle difficult to control. I was unable to safely pull over when the warning appeared and was forced to limp the vehicle into a nearby residential street to avoid traffic. After stopping, the vehicle became immobilized and repeatedly engaged the electronic parking brake. The vehicle could not remain in neutral and required roadside assistance. Towing was difficult due to the inability to keep the vehicle in neutral. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer, and diagnostics identified a high-voltage isolation fault (DTC P0AA6) traced to the air conditioning compressor on the hybrid system. The component is currently being replaced. The sudden shutdown combined with increased steering effort and inability to safely pull over created a significant safety risk.

Unsure what component failed specifically, has been inspected by dealer multiple times. This randomly occurs while driving. It disables a number of safety features such a collision assist and traction control as well as several driving modes until the car is fully powered off and restarted. There are multiple reports of this occurring frequently in online groups. No warnings prior to the failure but multiple warnings when it fails. This can occur daily, even multiple times a day during normal driving. Dealer has tried replacing multiple modules and sensors but problem persists.

The contact owns a 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH on an entrance ramp onto the highway, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The warning message "Stop Safely Now" and "Full Accessory Power Mode" were displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment. The contact then continued to drive. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact's husband later received a warning message in his app stating, "High Voltage Battery". The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where unknown wires were tightened. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.