Ford bulletin SSM 51917
What it saysSome 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with AWD may exhibit a binding or shudder sensation while turning and/or while accelerating from low speeds. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 13, 2023, received Oct 4, 2023, about the power train. It names 4 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2021). 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 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with AWD may exhibit a binding or shudder sensation while turning and/or while accelerating from low speeds. The concern may also be described as a grinding and/or chatter noise. If the Workshop Manual (WSM) leads to replacement of the rear axle, inspect the differential for damage and differential fluid for metallic chunks in the fluid. Note that some metallic flake in the fluid and/or discoloration is normal and the rear axle should not be replaced for it. If no damage is found to the rear differential, it is not recommended to replace the rear axle assembly. Refer to WSM Symptom Charts (Section 308-07A for 2020 model year; Section 307-07A for 2021 model year) for diagnosis of the transfer case instead.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51917 | Service bulletin | Sep 13, 2023 | 10243495 | PDF, 29 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 2 model years
Lincoln 2 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,881 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 670 of them name Power Train — 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 190 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 44,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately…
2021 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2023 · ODI 11556088
On my 2020 police interceptor through a no issue for the transmission, failing at early mileage, jerking in a drive and slamming gears when shifting and low gears, I believe the component is the CDF drum in the transmission, which is thousands of dollars to fix Ford offered to replace it under warranty, but the issue typically doesn’t…
2020 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2026 · ODI 11757821
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH in the left lane, the rear end locked up, and the vehicle fishtailed before coming to a complete stop between the left lane and the shoulder of the roadway. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2026 · ODI 11766329
In depth: 2021 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2020 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group71 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2431 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason For Update: update the Service Procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with the new Fo… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| TSB 26-2395 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, an… |
| SSM55059 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 20… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| TSB 26-2287 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | This article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for F-150 vehicles, update the Parts list to replace the… |
| SSM 54902 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford D… |
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 51917 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 51917 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 51917 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 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.