Ford bulletin SSM 51886
What it saysSome 2023 Explorer vehicles built on or after 31-Jul-2023 are no longer equipped with the 360 degree view camera or reverse brake assist features. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 25, 2023, received Sep 3, 2023, about the back over prevention. It names 1 model year (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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some 2023 Explorer vehicles built on or after 31-Jul-2023 are no longer equipped with the 360 degree view camera or reverse brake assist features. Vehicles affected will be equipped with only rear functioning cameras. The vehicle is not miss built. Do not submit a claim for this condition. Affected vehicles of this change can be verified by entering a vehicle identification number (VIN) on Professional Technician Society (PTS) to check for a 360-degree camera credit on the window sticker. Diagnosis and repair for any parking aid concerns on these vehicles should follow Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 413-13B for Rear Parking Aid Camera System only. Do not use the 360 degree view camera or reverse brake assist diagnostics or repair procedures.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51886 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2023 | 10241606 | PDF, 61 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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 112 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 back over prevention
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (back over prevention), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 25-2422 | Other | Mar 26, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2372 to update the vehicle symptoms. |
| 25N17 | Other | Mar 25, 2026 | Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Req… |
| SSM 52390 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2024 | Some 2023-2024 Explorer vehicles built on or after 31-Jul-2023… |
| SSM 51935 | Service bulletin | Sep 19, 2023 | Some 2022 Edge vehicles built on and after 16-Nov-2022, 2022 Explorer vehicles built on and after 20-Sep-2022, 2023 Edge vehicles built on a… |
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 SSM 51886 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 51886 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 51886 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Explorer. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2023 Explorer: built on or after 31 Jul 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.