Ford bulletin SSM 51901
What it saysSome 2023 Expedition Timberline vehicles may experience a clunk noise on turns with the steering wheel turned to full lock. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 30, 2023, received Sep 4, 2023, about the steering. 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 communicationSome 2023 Expedition Timberline vehicles may experience a clunk noise on turns with the steering wheel turned to full lock. This may be due to steering knuckle to control arm contact. To correct this condition, replace the steering knuckles (service PN: NL1Z-3K185-D/NL1Z-3K186-D). Refer Workshop Manual, Section 204-01. For claiming, use casual part 3K185 and the applicable labor operations of Section 03 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51901 | Service bulletin | Aug 30, 2023 | 10241625 | PDF, 28 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL1Z-3K185-D | — | — | |
| NL1Z-3K186-D | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Ford’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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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 65 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 steering
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Expedition under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSM-26.5.7.2 | Over-the-air update | Sep 29, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Steering column memory calibration update to minimize unnecessary contact with mechanical hard stops |
| TSB 26-2423 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2280. Reason for update: To add 2027 vehicle models, update the Parts list to change the tape, and revise Step 4… |
| SSM 54763 | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles built without lane departure warning (built with minor feature code HLEAA) and 2025-2026 Expedition/Nav… |
| SSM 54446 | Service bulletin | Dec 16, 2025 | Some 2025-2026 Expedition vehicles may exhibit a left turn signal that activates after the right turn signal is activated and the steering w… |
| SSM 51916 | Service bulletin | Sep 13, 2023 | Some 2022-2023 Expedition Timberline vehicles may experience a clunk noise on turns with the steering wheel turned to full lock. This may be… |
| SSM 51715 | Service bulletin | Jun 14, 2023 | 2022-2023 Expedition Timberline vehicles may exhibit a clunk noise when the steering wheel is turned to the full lock position. This conditi… |
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 51901 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 51901 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 51901 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Expedition. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.