Ford bulletin SSM 51792
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit poor speaker sound quality and/or tick-tock noise while activating turn signals and streaming audio over Bluetooth. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 14, 2023, received Jul 18, 2023, about the electrical system. 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 exhibit poor speaker sound quality and/or tick-tock noise while activating turn signals and streaming audio over Bluetooth. Customers may describe static heard during a Bluetooth phone call, or a door speaker buzz or tick noise with the pulse of the turn signal. This may be due to concerns with the 14401/14A005 wiring harnesses or connector damage. Prior to the replacement of the affected speaker, inspect for incorrect pin fit/crimp, bent pins, broken wire strands, or other damage at inline connectors C202, C2383A, and/or C4240B. These circuits join the SYNC module (APIM) and audio front control module (ACM) components. If wiring/connector concerns are found, repair per Wiring Diagram Cell 5.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51792 | Service bulletin | Jul 14, 2023 | 10239483 | 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.
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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. 373 of them name Electrical System — 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.
On the 2020 Ford Explorer, the 61 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 12,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Vehicle wouldn't start using push button start, several modules/components reported errors: traction control, parking break, steering, shifting. The vehicle drove fine less than 24 hours prior to 3/3/2024. Following a week at the dealership, Ford Motor Company and the Ford dealership determined the main wiring harness was the culprit.
2023 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 22, 2024 · ODI 11578835
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer Hybrid. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, there was a burning odor present. The message "Pull Over Possible Powertrain Damage" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the high voltage junction box had overheated and was burned.
2021 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 24, 2023 · ODI 11556636
I bought this car in march 2026. It is a 2023 Lincoln aviator black label, it was a CPO. Within days of me having it, I noticed there were electrical issues. The interior light kept popping on for no reason. The cooling seat feature was also not working. The adaptive cruise control was also not working correctly.
2023 Lincoln Aviator · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 14, 2026 · ODI 11764067
In depth: 2021 Ford Explorer electrical problems → · 2020 Ford Explorer electrical problems →
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group121 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26-2431 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason for update: update the Service procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with new Ford D… |
| SSM 55256 | Service bulletin | Oct 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2027 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto foldi… |
| SSM 55241 | Service bulletin | Oct 12, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles may exhibit a "Door Fault Service Required", "Transmission Not In Park" and/or "Hill Start Assist Not Availa… |
| SSM 55220 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience Android Auto connection or general Bluet… |
| 25E10-S1 | Emissions | Sep 30, 2026 | NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-20… |
| SSM 55208 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble co… |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Sep 24, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
| SSM 55172 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2026 | Some 2025 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message and diagnostic… |
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 51792 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 51792 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 51792 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.