Ford bulletin SSM 54614
What it saysSome 2020-2024 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 2020-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility/Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0/3.3L engine may require various repairs associated with the fuel tank… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 28, 2026, received Mar 4, 2026, about the fuel/propulsion system. It names 14 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2026). 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 2020-2024 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 2020-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility/Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0/3.3L engine may require various repairs associated with the fuel tank and/or fuel pump and sender unit. Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 310-00 > Removal and Installation for the fuel tank and fuel pump and sender unit have been revised to eliminate the need to remove the driveshaft as part of the service procedure. Labor times have also been updated to reflect this WSM revision.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54614 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2026 | 11029539 | PDF, 68 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 7 model years
Lincoln 7 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 14 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,486 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 58 of them name Fuel/Propulsion System — 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.
I am filing this complaint to report an unreasonable and hazardous delay by the manufacturer regarding NHTSA Campaign 25V455000 (Ford Recall 25S75) for a low-pressure fuel pump defect. As the original owner of a 2021 Ford Explorer Platinum Hybrid, I received notice of this critical safety recall 14 months ago.
2021 Ford Explorer · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Sep 10, 2026
When starting at intersections or stopping you can hear and feel the fuel in the tank sloshing back and forth. I've taken my vehicle to the dealership and they confirmed the noise and documented it. They reached out to Ford which said they knew of the issue and at this time there is no fix
2020 Ford Explorer · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Feb 21, 2020
Subject: Request for Investigation / Status Update: Unresolved Safety Recall for 2023, Lincoln Aviator To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request an update and urge an investigation into the lack of a remedy for an active safety recall on my vehicle.
2023 Lincoln Aviator · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Jun 5, 2026
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 fuel/propulsion system
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (fuel/propulsion system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| SSM 54948 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on 06-Feb-2025 and through 13-Dec-2025 may exhibit vari… |
| SSM 54857 | Service bulletin | May 21, 2026 | 2020-2026 Explorer/Escape/Corsair, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport/Bronco, 2022-2026 Maverick, 2024-2026 Mustang/Ranger/Nautilus vehicles equipped wi… |
| SSM 54810 | Service bulletin | May 8, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus non-hybrid and 2025-2026 Aviator vehicles equipped with 28 radio speakers (minor feature code IDBBN) and 2025-2026 N… |
| SSM 54787 | Service bulletin | Apr 29, 2026 | Some 2020-2023 Aviator and 2025-2026 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in… |
| 23B64 | Other | Apr 8, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B64 Certain 2020-2024 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Equipped with High Voltage Batteries Battery Energ… |
| TSB 26-2112 | Service bulletin | Mar 18, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes TSB 26-2059. Reason For Update: To add missing labor operations. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement… |
| SSM 54425 | Service bulletin | Dec 4, 2025 | Some 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit multiple warning messages, various drivability concerns and/or an illu… |
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 54614 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 54614 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 54614 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 14 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2026 Ford Explorer, 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 Ford Explorer, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.