Ford bulletin SSM 51906
What it saysSome 2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles built on 15-Mar-2023 and through 01-Sep-2023 may exhibit a vehicle vibration felt at 35-80 mph (55 130 km/h) in the steering wheel and/or seat. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 7, 2023, received Oct 4, 2023, about the equipment. It names 2 model years across Ford and Lincoln (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 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/Aviator vehicles built on 15-Mar-2023 and through 01-Sep-2023 may exhibit a vehicle vibration felt at 35-80 mph (55 130 km/h) in the steering wheel and/or seat. This may be due to tire flat spotting caused by vehicles being held at the Chicago Assembly Plant awaiting 360-degree camera repairs. Tire flat spotting on these vehicles may be a temporary concern that is resolved after driving the vehicle a minimum of 200 miles (320 km) with no repair required. Refer to Workshop Manual, Section 204-4A if further diagnosis or repair is required after the vehicle has been driven this minimal distance.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51906 | Service bulletin | Sep 7, 2023 | 10243480 | 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 1 model year
Lincoln 1 model year
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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 141 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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group20 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… |
| SSM 52351 | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2024 | Certain 2023-2024 Explorer vehicle trim levels built on or after 6-Feb-2023 are no longer equipped with the rear heating ventilation and air… |
| TSB 24-2044 | Service bulletin | Feb 22, 2024 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2181 to add 2024 vehicle model year. Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a lack of audio and… |
| TSB 23-2347 | Service bulletin | Nov 10, 2023 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2279 to update the Service Procedure. Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid en… |
| 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… |
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 51906 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 51906 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 51906 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Explorer, 2023 Lincoln Aviator. 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/Aviator: built 15 Mar 2023 – 1 Sep 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.