Ford bulletin SSM 51908
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair vehicles may exhibit a door ajar warning indicator or higher than expected efforts to fully close doors. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 7, 2023, received Oct 4, 2023, about the structure. 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 Escape/Corsair vehicles may exhibit a door ajar warning indicator or higher than expected efforts to fully close doors. Verify the hood/liftgate are not open. Confirm all doors are fully closed and latches are fully engaged. Doors will not fully close when lightly letting go of the door or letting it swing closed from a short distance under its own weight. Push/pull effort must be applied to doors while closing to fully engage latch and turn off the ajar signal warning. If doors are still not fully latching closed, manually adjust door striker position to allow for proper alignment and engagement to the door latch. The door hang position may also need to be slightly adjusted to achieve the same effect. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-03.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51908 | Service bulletin | Sep 7, 2023 | 10243482 | 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 3,121 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 909 of them name Structure — 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 Escape, the 183 owners who gave an odometer reading for Structure reported it at a median of 45,000 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 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the rear hatch independently opened without warning. The contact also stated that the hatch would independently close shut while loading items into the vehicle. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head several times due to the failure.
2022 Ford Escape · Structure · filed with NHTSA Nov 17, 2023 · ODI 11555591
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Corsair. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the trunk compartment was flooded with water. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to be inspected; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined.
2021 Lincoln Corsair · Structure · filed with NHTSA Apr 3, 2025 · ODI 11652578
I was getting back into the car, shut the door (at a normal level) and heard a loud bang coming from above me then heard the glass falling onto the cover. Got out and realized it was a spontaneous rupture of the sun roof
2023 Lincoln Corsair · Structure · filed with NHTSA Mar 18, 2026 · ODI 11725334
In depth: 2021 Ford Escape body and structure problems → · 2020 Ford Escape body and structure 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 structure
Source: same model, same component group10 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2092 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One tim… |
| SSM 54555 | Service bulletin | Feb 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2022-Corsair, 2021-2023 Nautilus, 2020-2024 Navigator/Aviator, and 2021-2024 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with phone-as-a-key… |
| 23B56 | Service bulletin | Dec 17, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B56 - Supplement #2 Certain 2020 - 2023 Model Year Escape Vehicles Inspect Front Door Check-Arm Reinforcem… |
| TSB 25-2346 | Service bulletin | Aug 11, 2025 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a carpet that is loose or torn near the scuff plate trim panel. This ma… |
| 25B32 | Other | Jul 8, 2025 | Certain 2025 Model Year Corsair and Escape equipped with a panoramic roof Roof Opening Panel Rear Trim Inspection and Replacement Dealers ar… |
| 23B56 S1 | Other | Jul 1, 2025 | Certain 2020 - 2023 Model Year Escape Vehicles Inspect Front Door Check-Arm Reinforcement Spot Welds On all of the affected vehicles, the f… |
| SSM 51553 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2024 | Some 2020-2021 Escape vehicles may exhibit cracks or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door… |
| SSM 52269 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | 2022-2024 Explorer/Aviator vehicles built on or after 28-May-2022, 2022-2024 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built on or after 08-Jun-2022, 20… |
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 51908 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 51908 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 51908 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape, 2020 Ford Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2022 Lincoln Corsair and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.