Ford bulletin SSM 52044
What it saysSome 2022-2023 Expedition vehicles, built on or before 31-Aug-2023, may exhibit an inoperative approach detection or power door unlock command power running board extended deployment auto timer feature (delayed for 300… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 7, 2023, received Nov 15, 2023, about the seats. It names 2 model years (2022–2023). 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.
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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 2022-2023 Expedition vehicles, built on or before 31-Aug-2023, may exhibit an inoperative approach detection or power door unlock command power running board extended deployment auto timer feature (delayed for 300 seconds without opening the door) when Extended is selected in the center display screen for the power running board AUTO mode. This may be due to various software parameters in the driver front seat module (DSM). To correct the condition, download and run the Driver Front Seat Module (DSM) Configuration app using the latest level of the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). For claiming use causal part number 14C708 and applicable labor times from Section 10 of the Service Labor Times Standard (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52044 | Service bulletin | Nov 7, 2023 | 10245256 | PDF, 55 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA 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 182 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 seats
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Expedition under the same component group (seats), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55244 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built without multi-contour second row seats (without minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a c… |
| SSM 55100 | Service bulletin | Aug 22, 2026 | For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service p… |
| TSB 26-2147 | Service bulletin | Apr 20, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a no crank/no start condition with a discharged battery in cold weather… |
| SSM 54711 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience a second row armrest pin that is loose or broken. Engineering is aware of this c… |
| SSM 54613 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit misalignment of the 3rd row power folding seats when in the full upright position a… |
| SSM 54355 | Service bulletin | Nov 5, 2025 | Some 2025 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit a symptom where the 2nd row seat does not return to the latched position after a power e… |
| SCMA-25.5.5.3 | Over-the-air update | Aug 15, 2025 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a temporary delay on Seat control operation -Addresses occurrences where the Power Running Boards r… |
| 25P23 | Other | Aug 7, 2025 | Certain 2025 Model Year Expedition & Navigator Vehicles Third Row Seat Not Folding or Unfolding |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 52044 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 52044 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 52044 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2023 Ford Expedition, 2022 Ford Expedition. 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: 2022-2023 Expedition: built on or before 31 Aug 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.