Ford bulletin SSM 55172
What it saysSome 2025 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message and diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) C1110:56 and/or U3000:96 stored in the power steering… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 15, 2026, received Sep 21, 2026, about the electrical system. 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 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message and diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) C1110:56 and/or U3000:96 stored in the power steering control module (PSCM) after programming. This may be due to a calibration mismatch in the PSCM which has been resolved in the Ford database. If DTC C1110:56 is stored in a replacement PSCM after completing programmable module installation (PMI), start a new session using the latest software version of the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) scan tool then run the "PSCM - Programmable Module Installation (PMI)" application again. When FDRS asks if the original module is installed, select "No". If DTC C1110:56 is stored in the original PSCM after performing the PSCM configuration, start a new session using the latest software version of the FDRS scan tool, then download and run the "PSCM - Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) Software Update" application. To clear DTC U3000:96 from the PSCM, download and run the "PSCM - Reset the Power Steering Control
Trouble codes it names: C1110 U3000
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55172 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2026 | 11037421 | PDF, 72 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 118 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 28 of them name Electrical 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.
Gateway module does not work. I've had my 2025 vehicle since 11/21/2024 (over 7 months) and it has never worked. I have not had a safety update since 05/2024 when it was at the factory. There has been many OTA updates and updates that need to be preformed at dealership and have not had any completed.
2025 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 4, 2025
Multiple loss of power, misfires, rough running and abnormal shifting. These events have put my family and I at risk as well as posing a significant risk to other drivers sharing the road due to the sudden loss of power while on the highway. Lincoln is dismissive and not taking this seriously.
2025 Lincoln Aviator · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 15, 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group115 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55208 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble co… |
| BCM-26.DC | Over-the-air update | Sep 4, 2026 | Quality improvements include: - Enables the Open On Approach feature |
| BCM-26.DC | Over-the-air update | Sep 4, 2026 | Quality improvements include: - Enables the Open On Approach feature on Platinum trim vehicles |
| TSB 26-2395 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, an… |
| SSM 55116 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 0… |
| PSCM-26.AA | Over-the-air update | Aug 19, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Power Steering Control Module update to prepare the vehicle for a future BlueCruise enhancement |
| SSM 55087 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | Some 2025 Aviator vehicles may exhibit a no crank/no start/discharged battery condition due to an intermittent 12V battery drain that occurs… |
| PHX-26.2.0.8 | Over-the-air update | Aug 10, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Minor infotainment system enhancements |
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 55172 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 55172 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 55172 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2025 Ford Explorer, 2025 Lincoln Aviator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.