Ford bulletin SSM 53681
What it saysSome 2025 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with third row power seats may experience an inoperative power fold condition when a power fold seat control switch button is pressed (3L, Both or 3R). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 29, 2025, received May 1, 2025. It names 2 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2025). 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 2025 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with third row power seats may experience an inoperative power fold condition when a power fold seat control switch button is pressed (3L, Both or 3R). This may be due to the software within the seat control module J (SCMJ). Third row seat power fold function can be restored by performing the following updated relearn procedure: 1. Start the vehicle and open the power liftgate/tailgate. 2. Remove all items from the 2nd and 3rd row seats including any obstructions that can prevent the third-row seats from folding/unfolding. 3. Push and hold the power fold seat control switch button labeled Both for 1 minute. The seats will begin to move. 4. Once the seats have stopped, hold the both button for an additional 5 seconds. 5. Verify correct power fold operation has returned to the third-row seat by pressing the 3L and 3R buttons independently. If the third-row power fold function remains inoperative after performing the revised relearn procedure, continue with normal Workshop Manual (WSM) diagnostics located in Section 501-10C. The Owner's Manual and WS
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53681 | Service bulletin | Apr 29, 2025 | 11017395 | 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 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 51 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.
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 53681 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 53681 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 53681 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2025 Ford Expedition, 2025 Lincoln Navigator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.