Ford bulletin TSB 26-2242
What it saysReason for update: update the Service Procedure to add notes to clarify the customer symptoms, applicability of this TSB, directing technicians to evaluate both front strut mounts, and add Figure 1 to identify… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 19, 2026, received May 26, 2026, about the suspension. It names 6 model years (2020–2025). 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.
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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.
This bulletin supersedes 25-2213. Reason for update: update the Service Procedure to add notes to clarify the customer symptoms, applicability of this TSB, directing technicians to evaluate both front strut mounts, and add Figure 1 to identify the specific area of the strut mount to observe. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a click/pop noise while turning the steering wheel from straight ahead to full lock during low speed turning events. This noise may be due to the front upper strut mount washer movement under steering loads.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2242 | Service bulletin | May 19, 2026 | 11032909 | PDF, 355 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W719506-S440 | Front Stabilizer Bar Link Upper Nut | — | eBay Motors → |
| W714660-S439 | Brake Caliper Anchor Plate Bolts | — | eBay Motors → |
| W520517-S440 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle Nuts | — | eBay Motors → |
| W721102-S439 | Upper Strut Mount Bolts | — | eBay Motors → |
| W520115-S440 | Strut Rod Nut | — | eBay Motors → |
| LB5Z-3A197-A | Upper Strut Mount | — | eBay Motors → |
| W715932-S439 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle Bolts Standard Bolt (No Eccentric Cam) | — | eBay Motors → |
| W715295-S439 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle-Camber Bolts Bolt With Eccentric Cam | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 262242A | 2020-2025 Explorer: Visually Inspect And Replace One (1) Front Upper Strut Mount… | 1.5 hrs |
| 262242B | 2020-2025 Explorer: Visually Inspect And Replace Both (2) Front Upper Strut Mounts… | 2.1 hrs |
| 262242C | 2020-2025 Explorer: Additional Time To Check And Adjust Front Camber, Caster And Toe… | 1.4 hrs |
| 262242D | 2020-2025 Explorer With Lane Departure: Additional Time To Check And Adjust Front… | 1.6 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 pages), 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.
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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 themA 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 2,218 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 18 of them name Suspension — 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.
Purchased new from dealer. At 3500 miles, noticed rattling and clunking noise under front end, more noticeable at speeds less than 35. Took to dealer who diagnosed as worn struts, saying shocks and struts need to be replaced, but they need to order parts. When asked if safe to drive, was told "yes", but "avoid potholes".
2024 Ford Explorer · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Jan 12, 2025 · ODI 11635531
There is a load knocking noise coming from the front suspension. I have taken the vehicle in 3 times to Ford and after I drive off the lot the issue is gone. But after driving for a few days the issue returns. There is a loud clicking noise as well when you back up the vehicle coming from the front suspension
2023 Ford Explorer · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Apr 5, 2024 · ODI 11581309
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 suspension
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (suspension), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 25-2568 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2373 to update a print error on publication. Some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit an… |
| SSM 54809 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2026 | Some 20242025 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Feb-2024 and through 31-Jul-2024 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock noise from the front suspensi… |
| TSB 25-2568 | Service bulletin | Jan 7, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2373 to update a print error on publication. Some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit an… |
| 24N01 S1 | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2024 | In some of the affected vehicles, the rear axle bolt may fracture. A fractured rear axle bolt will allow the rear axle housing to move out o… |
| SSM 52405 | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2024 | Some 2023 Explorer vehicles built on 01-Dec-2022 and through 31-Aug-2023 may exhibit a rattle/clunk/knock/pop/thump noise from the front sus… |
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 TSB 26-2242 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 26-2242 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 26-2242 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 Ford Explorer, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 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: 2020-2025 Explorer: built on or before 28 Jan 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.