Ford bulletin SSM 51720
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may have a concern where the second row outboard manual/power seats do not fold, exhibit excess effort to fold, or do not slide forward/backward easily. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 16, 2023, received Jun 22, 2023, about the equipment. It names 8 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may have a concern where the second row outboard manual/power seats do not fold, exhibit excess effort to fold, or do not slide forward/backward easily. Power or manual second row seats must be pushed forward manually during easy entry function since the assist spring will reduce but not eliminate manual effort. Refer to the Owner's Manual > Seats > Rear Seats > Adjusting the Second Row Rear Seats for further details. If the seats do not easily push forward manually, it maybe due to tension in the seat track due to uneven assembly torque. To correct these conditions, unbolt the second row seat frame from the floor to relax tension. Start the bolts by hand, then tighten in the correct sequence and torque per Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10B.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51720 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2023 | 10237972 | PDF, 28 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 themFord 4 model years
Lincoln 4 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,363 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
On the 2020 Ford Explorer, the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading for Seats reported it at a median of 35,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the seat folding switch on the third-row seat failed to function as intended. The seat was stuck in the down position. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Seats · filed with NHTSA Oct 1, 2025 · ODI 11690747
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group17 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52476 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2024 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory install… |
| 22M03 S1 | Service bulletin | Apr 12, 2024 | Certain 2017-2020 Model Year Continental and Super Duty, 2018-2020 Navigator, 2020 Aviator, and 2020 Explorer Vehicles Replace Front and/or… |
| 22G07 S1 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2024 | Certain 2020-2022 Model Year Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles Equipped with a Low Band Frequency Noise Suppression Kit - Electromagnetic… |
| SSM 52390 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2024 | Some 2023-2024 Explorer vehicles built on or after 31-Jul-2023… |
| TSB 24-2043 | Service bulletin | Feb 22, 2024 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2208 to add 2024 model year vehicles. Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Aviator non-hybrid vehicles may exhibit radio s… |
| SSM 52264 | Service bulletin | Feb 15, 2024 | Some 2020-2024 Aviator vehicles may exhibit concerns that reqiure loadspace trim panel vent register replacement. The vent register is now a… |
| TSB 23-2307 | Service bulletin | Oct 5, 2023 | Some 2019-2020 Edge/F-150/Fusion/Continental/MKZ/Nautilus, 2019-2021 Mustang/Ranger/Transit Connect, 2020-2021 EcoSport/Escape/Expedition/Ex… |
| TSB 23-2301 | Service bulletin | Sep 28, 2023 | Some 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles built on or before 01-Jun-2023 may exhibit a buzz/vibration/rattle from the center left of the IP during ti… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 51720 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 SSM 51720 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does SSM 51720 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2022 Lincoln Aviator and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.