Ford bulletin SSM 51988
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 Oct 13, 2023, received Nov 3, 2023, about the wheels. 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 NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
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, with no repairs required, after the customer drives a minimum of 200 miles (320 km). Refer to Workshop Manual, Section 204-4A if 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 51988 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2023 | 10244849 | PDF, 41 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 145 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
Driver side rear wheel licked up at highway speed. Ford is ignoring my communications
2023 Lincoln Aviator · Wheels · filed with NHTSA Oct 6, 2026 · ODI 11769239
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 wheels
Source: same model, same component group2 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (wheels), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52823 | Service bulletin | Aug 24, 2024 | Some 2025 Aviator vehicles built on 15-May-2024 and through 15-Aug-2024 may exhibit a vehicle vibration felt at 35-80 mph (55-130 km/h) in t… |
| 23B36 | Service bulletin | Oct 12, 2023 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B36 Certain 2023 Model Year Explorer ST Vehicles with the Street Package - Wheel and Tire Replacement |
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 51988 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 51988 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 51988 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.