Ford bulletin TSB 23-2181
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a lack of audio and/or a water leak in the rear liftgate area and/or water in the spare tire area. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 23, 2023, received Jun 30, 2023, about the latches/locks/linkages. It names 8 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2023). 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 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a lack of audio and/or a water leak in the rear liftgate area and/or water in the spare tire area. The customer may indicate that this concern is more noticeable after a car wash or rainfall. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to identify the leak path.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2181 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2023 | 10238283 | PDF, 1,944 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC5Z-14B350-B | Needed | — | eBay Motors → |
| LB5Z-14B351-A | Needed | — | eBay Motors → |
| W710014-S300 | Rubber Plug | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (17 pages), read Sep 30, 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 hatchback/liftgate for the 2023 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 themFord 4 model years
Lincoln 4 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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,196 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 of them name Structure — 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 rear portion of the moonroof on the vehicle, spontaneous imploded while sitting in the parking area in the middle of the night we have video evidence to prove that nothing happened to the vehicle during the night, and it also appears that the moonroof imploded from the inside as it expanded towards the outside of the body
2022 Lincoln Navigator · Structure · filed with NHTSA May 23, 2026 · ODI 11739703
My son was getting into the front passenger door after school today and went he stepped up on the auto running boards it closed on his foot crushing his foot in between the vehicle and running board. The running board would not release.
2023 Lincoln Navigator · Structure · filed with NHTSA Sep 22, 2026 · ODI 11766178
leather wrapped dash panel delaminated from base on passenger side and curls up into windshield area blocking view and possibly obstucting air bag deployment on passenger side
2022 Ford Explorer · Structure · filed with NHTSA Jun 23, 2026 · ODI 11745940
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.
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 TSB 23-2181 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 TSB 23-2181 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 TSB 23-2181 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 2023 Lincoln Navigator, 2022 Lincoln Navigator and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.