Ford bulletin SSM 54809
What it saysSome 20242025 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Feb-2024 and through 31-Jul-2024 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock noise from the front suspension at low speeds between 830 mph (1348 km/h) over harsh/uneven pavement such… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 7, 2026, received May 14, 2026, about the suspension. It names 2 model years (2024–2025). 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.
Get the next Ford Explorer bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
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 20242025 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Feb-2024 and through 31-Jul-2024 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock noise from the front suspension at low speeds between 830 mph (1348 km/h) over harsh/uneven pavement such as cracks and small bumps while driving straight (not while turning). This condition may be due to a loose pressure tube within the front strut assembly and may be present in either front strut. In some cases, a louder noise from one strut can mask a lesser noise from the opposite strut, which may result in only one strut being replaced and a repeat visit if the other strut later becomes apparent. When diagnosing, evaluate both front struts for the concern. To repair, replace the affected front strut(s) as necessary. For claiming, use causal part 18124 and labor operation 18124A (one side) or 18124AT (both sides). If the noise persists, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 204-01 for normal diagnostics.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54809 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2026 | 11032690 | 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.
Email me new Ford bulletins for the Explorer
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 130 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 4 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.
Purchased new from dealer. At 3500 miles, noticed rattling and clunking noise under front end, more noticeable at speeds less than 35. Took to dealer who diagnosed as worn struts, saying shocks and struts need to be replaced, but they need to order parts. When asked if safe to drive, was told "yes", but "avoid potholes".
2024 Ford Explorer · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Jan 12, 2025 · ODI 11635531
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… |
| 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… |
| SSM 52405 | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2024 | 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 sus… |
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 54809 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 54809 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 54809 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 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: 2024–2025 Explorer: built 1 Feb 2024 – 31 Jul 2024 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.