Ford bulletin SSM 52405
What it saysSome 2023 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Dec-2022 and through 31-Aug-2023 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock/pop/thump noise from the front suspension at low speeds between 8-20 mph (13-32 km/h) over bumpy or uneven… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 2, 2024, received Apr 24, 2024, about the suspension. It names 1 model year (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 2023 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Dec-2022 and through 31-Aug-2023 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock/pop/thump noise from the front suspension at low speeds between 8-20 mph (13-32 km/h) over bumpy or uneven pavement. This may be due a loose pressure tube within the strut assembly. Diagnose and replace the 18124 front strut or struts as needed by which side(s) the noise is isolated to. If noise persists, follow the Workshop Manual (WSM) > Section 204-00 > Diagnosis and Testing > Suspension System > Stop/Steer/Ride > Noise > Front > Over Bump. For claiming, use causal part 18124 and applicable labor operations in Section 3 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52405 | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2024 | 10253551 | PDF, 70 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 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 113 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 14 of them name Suspension — 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.
There is a load knocking noise coming from the front suspension. I have taken the vehicle in 3 times to Ford and after I drive off the lot the issue is gone. But after driving for a few days the issue returns. There is a loud clicking noise as well when you back up the vehicle coming from the front suspension
2023 Ford Explorer · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Apr 5, 2024 · ODI 11581309
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 suspension
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (suspension), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 25-2568 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2373 to update a print error on publication. Some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit an… |
| TSB 26-2242 | Service bulletin | May 19, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2213. Reason for update: update the Service Procedure to add notes to clarify the customer symptoms, applicabili… |
| SSM 54809 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2026 | Some 20242025 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Feb-2024 and through 31-Jul-2024 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock noise from the front suspensi… |
| TSB 25-2568 | Service bulletin | Jan 7, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2373 to update a print error on publication. Some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit an… |
| 24N01 S1 | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2024 | In some of the affected vehicles, the rear axle bolt may fracture. A fractured rear axle bolt will allow the rear axle housing to move out o… |
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 52405 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 52405 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 52405 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Explorer. 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: built 1 Dec 2022 – 31 Aug 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.