Ford bulletin SSM 55279
What it says2025-2027 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on or after 05-Mar-2025 and 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles built on or after 24-Apr-2025 are no longer equipped with the passenger side underbody air… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 24, 2026, received Oct 27, 2026, about the structure. 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 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.
2025-2027 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on or after 05-Mar-2025 and 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles built on or after 24-Apr-2025 are no longer equipped with the passenger side underbody air deflector. The vehicle is not misbuilt. Do not submit a claim for this condition.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55279 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2026 | 11038695 | PDF, 64 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.
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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 175 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
My 2025 Ford Explorer has a wind noise that Ford has admitted to having an issue with. My case number is CXH04811376. In the upper corner of both the drivers and passenger side front window there is a loud wind noise that begins at speeds of 40 mph and more.
2025 Ford Explorer · Structure · filed with NHTSA Jul 16, 2025 · ODI 11673960
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 group15 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 55060 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2026 | 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… |
| SSM 54938 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2025/2026 Aviator vehicles may exhibit a "Door Fault Service Required", "Transmission Not In Park" and/or "Hill Start Assist Not Availa… |
| 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… |
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 55279 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 55279 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 55279 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2027 Ford Explorer, 2026 Ford Explorer, 2025 Ford Explorer, 2027 Lincoln Aviator, 2026 Lincoln Aviator, 2025 Lincoln Aviator. 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: built on or after 5 Mar 2025; 2025-2027 Aviator: built on or after 24 Apr 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.