Ford bulletin SSM 55060
What it saysSome 2024-2026 Explorer vehicles built on or before 27-Feb-2026 and equipped with the panoramic glass roof may exhibit an uneven gap at the front edge of the roof opening panel shield when fully closed. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 4, 2026, about the structure. It names 3 model years (2024–2026). 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.
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 2024-2026 Explorer vehicles built on or before 27-Feb-2026 and equipped with the panoramic glass roof may exhibit an uneven gap at the front edge of the roof opening panel shield when fully closed. The gap is an appearance issue only, but may allow outside light to pass through the opening. A new gap hider seal has been released to correct this condition (service part number SB5Z-7851884-A). Adjustment or replacement of the glass, shade or headliner assembly is not necessary. The new seal is installed directly onto the existing vertical flange that is present and visible at the front of the opening when the shade is opened. Once installed, the front edge of the shade will press against the new seal when fully closed. To install, center the seal in the opening with the flexible material facing the power shade and press the seal u-channel over the vertical flange. Explorer vehicles built on or after 27-Feb-2026 have the seal already installed and can be referenced if necessary. Once the seal is installed, perform the shield/shade initialization procedure in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-05 > Gen
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55060 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2026 | 11035581 | PDF, 73 KB |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB5Z-7851884-A | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 29, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Ford’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the body for the 2026 Explorer →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 174 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 57 of them name Electrical System, Visibility/Wiper — 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 center display went blank and a/c controls under it would not work. Stopped vehicle and pushed ignition button to off and waited 1 minute and pushed ignition back to on on and display was still blank. Got to destination and pushed ignition to off. The next day when I got into vehicle and pushed ignition button to on the display worked
2024 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 24, 2026 · ODI 11746112
I had my car in drive in a parking spot. I was ready to go, put the car in drive, DID NOT MOVE but needed to put it in park fast to assist to a child in the back seat. I put it in park pretty fast. Took my seatbelt off and assisted child. It must have not engaged. Car rolled into my office metal mailbox. I 100% put it in park.
2026 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 25, 2026 · ODI 11759587
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V157000 (Visibility); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted.
2025 Ford Explorer · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Jul 7, 2025 · ODI 11671513
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 structure
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55279 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2026 | 2025-2027 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on or after 05-Mar-2025 and 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles built on or a… |
| RGTM-26.AF | Over-the-air update | Aug 27, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Rear Gate latch calibration update to permit unlatching via the release button when the system has lost posit… |
| SSM 55069 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Some 2020-2025 Explorer vehicles equipped with a power roof opening panel may exhibit a sunshield with localized bunching or binding/inopera… |
| SSM 54882 | Service bulletin | May 29, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a no crank/no start/discharged battery condition with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) B1… |
| SSM 54829 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power autofold exterior mirrors may exhibit concerns with the… |
| DDM-26.21.5 | Over-the-air update | May 5, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Prevents window bounce backs after using the one touch up feature" |
| SSM 54646 | Service bulletin | Apr 29, 2026 | Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in the instrument panel c… |
| SSM 54516 | Service bulletin | Jan 23, 2026 | 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may require level III ballistic panels to be replaced due to broken mounting tabs. Individual… |
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 55060 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 55060 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 55060 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2026 Ford Explorer, 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: 2024-2026 Explorer: built on or before 27 Feb 2026; built on or after 27 Feb 2026 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.