Ford bulletin SSM 55244
What it saysSome 2025-2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built without multi-contour second row seats (without minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a concern where the instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays "Seat Cannot Lock Do… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 13, 2026, received Oct 21, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 6 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2025–2027). 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 2025-2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built without multi-contour second row seats (without minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a concern where the instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays "Seat Cannot Lock Do Not Use" for one or both second row seats. This message can appear if the seat control module-J (SCMJ) is offline. If the Ford Diagnostic Repair System (FDRS) shows the SCMJ offline during a network test, determine if a battery disconnect/connect restores SCMJ communication. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 414-01. If not, diagnose communication faults referring to WSM, Section 418-00A.<br /><br /> If no communication faults are present but seat cannot lock warnings occur, engineering seeks feedback on latch sensor circuit voltage while the concern is present. Access (but do not disconnect) connectors C3136/C3135 under the affected second row seat(s). Using a multimeter, connect negative lead to body ground. Using a flex probe or similar, back probe terminals 2 and 22 on C3135 and record the voltage. Back probe terminals 8 and 23 on C3136 and record the voltage.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55244 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2026 | 11038622 | PDF, 74 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 3 model years
Lincoln 3 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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 15 of them name Electrical System, 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.
This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work.
2025 Lincoln Navigator · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 2, 2026 · ODI 11715174
This was a rental vehicle hybrid, while driving on a highway, the vehicle first developed a flat tire. Afterward, while the vehicle was in motion, smoke appeared and the vehicle caught fire spontaneously. There was no collision or impact of any kind. The driver pulled over and all passengers exited safely.
2025 Ford Expedition · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 12, 2026 · ODI 11743790
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group156 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 55258 | Service bulletin | Oct 19, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit an intermittent electronic static/buzzing/screeching/humming noise from the front a… |
| TSB 26-2442 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement abov… |
| SSM 55220 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience Android Auto connection or general Bluet… |
| DSM-26.5.7.2 | Over-the-air update | Sep 29, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Steering column memory calibration update to minimize unnecessary contact with mechanical hard stops |
| 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… |
| DDM-PDM-26.21.7 | Over-the-air update | Sep 25, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Software update to improve responsiveness of the door control system after the vehicle enters a low-power sta… |
| SSM 55198 | Service bulletin | Sep 24, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a condition where the second-row… |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Sep 24, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
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 55244 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 55244 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 55244 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2027 Ford Expedition, 2026 Ford Expedition, 2025 Ford Expedition, 2027 Lincoln Navigator, 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.