Ford over-the-air update HCM-25.5.0
What it says"Quality improvements include: -Enhanced dynamic bending lights performance " NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as an over-the-air update dated Feb 19, 2026, received Mar 3, 2026, about the visibility/wiper — 1 document under this number: HCM-25.5.0 Explorer. It names 2 model years (2025–2026). An over-the-air update is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Get the next Ford Explorer bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communication"Quality improvements include: -Enhanced dynamic bending lights performance "
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCM-25.5.0 Explorer | Over-the-air update | Feb 19, 2026 | 11029352 | PDF, 22 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Email me new Ford bulletins for the Explorer
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 153 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 20 of them name Visibility/Wiper — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V157000 (Visibility); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted.
2025 Ford Explorer · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Jul 7, 2025 · ODI 11671513
While driving my 2026 Ford Explorer on the highway, the panoramic roof glass made an abnormally loud noise and completely shattered without any impact from an object or other vehicle. No other cars were nearby. The protective shade remained in place and no glass entered the cabin.
2026 Ford Explorer · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Jul 26, 2026 · ODI 11752943
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the visibility/wiper
Source: same model, same component group8 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55186 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | Some 2026 Explorer vehicles may exhibit wind noise and/or water intrusion from the panoramic roof panel glass seal. Inspection may find that… |
| 26N09 | Other | Jun 11, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N09 Certain 2020 Model Year Escape, 2020-2021 Corsair, 2020-2021 Aviator, and 2020- 2021 and 2023 Explorer V… |
| SSM 54581 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto foldi… |
| 25N19 | Other | Dec 8, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25N19 Certain 2024-2026 Model Year Corsair and Certain 2025-2026 Model Year Explorer and Aviator Vehicles Win… |
| SSM 54233 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2025 | Some 2025 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Front Camera Fault Service Required" message appearing in the… |
| SSM 54137 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2025 | Various 2021-2025 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with the rear camera on demand feature may exhibit "Please Check Surroundings For Safet… |
| SSM 52351 | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2024 | Certain 2023-2024 Explorer vehicle trim levels built on or after 6-Feb-2023 are no longer equipped with the rear heating ventilation and air… |
| 22G01 S2 | Service bulletin | Nov 8, 2023 | Certain 2022 Model Year Explorer Vehicles - Rear Climate Control Module Retrofit |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford HCM-25.5.0 a recall?
No. A over-the-air update is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the HCM-25.5.0 repair free?
A over-the-air update is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does HCM-25.5.0 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Ford Explorer, 2025 Ford Explorer. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.