Ford bulletin SSM 54711
What it saysSome 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience a second row armrest pin that is loose or broken. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 1, 2026, received Apr 10, 2026, about the seats. It names 4 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2025–2026). 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 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience a second row armrest pin that is loose or broken. Engineering is aware of this condition and is investigating a service solution that will enhance the strength of the arm rest support structure and prevent recurring failures. This solution is expected to be available by the end of Q2 2026. If the customer is not willing to wait for the enhanced service solution, replacement of the seat frame is acceptable. Note that service replacement seat frames will have similar performance attributes for the arm rest support structure as the original seat frame that is being replaced. Should the customer choose to wait for the enhanced service solution that includes a strengthened arm rest support, schedule an appointment with the customer when the repair is made available in Q2 2026. Monitor Professional Technician System (PTS) for updates.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54711 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | 11031260 | PDF, 66 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 2 model years
Lincoln 2 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 of them name Seats — 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.
The metal emblem on the driver and passenger seats continuously pulls my hair. I believe it is the emblem itself (sharp lettering) and not how it is adhered to the seat. I am unable to drive the vehicle with hair down
2025 Ford Expedition · Seats · filed with NHTSA Jun 11, 2026 · ODI 11743630
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 group24 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models 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 55226 | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2026 | For 2020-2026 Aviator/Corsair and 2018-2026 Navigator vehicles, if diagnostics in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10A > Front Seats > Diag… |
| 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… |
| SSM 55051 | Service bulletin | Jul 28, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a "Seat cannot lock, Do not use"… |
| SSM 55037 | Service bulletin | Jul 24, 2026 | Some 2018-2024 Expedition and 2018-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with a rear seat entertainment system/Lincoln Play may experience variou… |
| SSM 54819 | Service bulletin | May 12, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a condition where the second-row… |
| TSB 26-2186 | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2146. Reason for update: to add a labor operation for replacing two brackets. Some of the vehicles listed in the… |
| DSM-26.5.71.DC | Over-the-air update | Mar 24, 2026 | 26-OTA DSM-26.5.71. DC Navigator |
| 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… |
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 54711 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 54711 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 54711 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2026 Ford Expedition, 2025 Ford Expedition, 2026 Lincoln Navigator, 2025 Lincoln Navigator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.