Ford bulletin SSM 51902
What it saysSome 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a concern where the EV power flow does not display in the center display screen. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 1, 2023, received Oct 4, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 6 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2022). 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 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a concern where the EV power flow does not display in the center display screen. This may be due to the SYNC module (APIM) software. Download and run the APIM-SYNC Module (APIM) Standard Programming application using the latest software level of the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). After programming the APIM to the latest level, the EV power flow screen may intermittently not function under certain conditions. No further repair procedure is recommended as this function is not critical to the operation of the hybrid powertrain system. For claiming, use causal part 14G371 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51902 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2023 | 10243478 | PDF, 59 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 3 model years
Lincoln 3 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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,218 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 349 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.
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
My 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Plug‑In Hybrid has experienced multiple high‑voltage powertrain failures that create an immediate safety hazard. The vehicle has twice lost propulsion while driving, displaying “Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power” and “Service Engine Soon” before shutting down completely.
2020 Lincoln Aviator · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 24, 2026 · ODI 11726726
When trying to move the vehicle out of park, either reverse or drive the vehicle jerks into gear hard and then stalls. Tried multiple times to get the vehicle out of the drive way starts up no issue, no check engine light yet keeps stalling. This is new owned for 3 days with less than 200 miles on it
2020 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 1, 2020 · ODI 11315461
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 51902 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 51902 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 51902 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 2022 Lincoln Aviator, 2021 Lincoln Aviator, 2020 Lincoln Aviator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.