Ford bulletin TSB 26-2302
What it saysReason for update: To remove the M6 nut from the part list and remove the Steps to install the M6 nut from the Service Procedure. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 30, 2026, received Jul 1, 2026, about the steering. It names 4 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2025–2026). 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.
Get the next Ford bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
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 26-2150. Reason for update: To remove the M6 nut from the part list and remove the Steps to install the M6 nut from the Service Procedure. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) * Reduced steering assist * Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) U3008:1B and/or U3009:1B stored in the power steering control module (PSCM) This may be due to the PSCM ground connections.
Trouble codes it names: U3008 U3009
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2302 | Service bulletin | Jun 30, 2026 | 11034225 | PDF, 1,072 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W505261-S450L | Self-Tapping M8 Bolt | — | eBay Motors → |
| W720930-S300 | Blind Rivet | — | eBay Motors → |
| W711897-S450L | M6 Stud Bolt | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 262302A | 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator: Retrieve DTCs; Remove Ground G104 Or G116, Modify Sheet… | 0.8 hrs |
| 262302B | 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator: Retrieve DTCs, Includes Time To Replace G119 Stud… | 0.6 hrs |
| 262302C | 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator: Retrieve DTCs, Remove Ground G104 Or G116 Modify Sheet… | 0.9 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 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.
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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themFord 2 model years
Lincoln 2 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Email me new Ford bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 173 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 37 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.
I had my car in drive in a parking spot. I was ready to go, put the car in drive, DID NOT MOVE but needed to put it in park fast to assist to a child in the back seat. I put it in park pretty fast. Took my seatbelt off and assisted child. It must have not engaged. Car rolled into my office metal mailbox. I 100% put it in park.
2026 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 25, 2026 · ODI 11759587
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 · ODI 11671252
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 · ODI 11764477
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 steering
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55172 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2026 | Some 2025 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message and diagnostic… |
| TSB 26-2035 | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2026 | This TSB supersedes TSB 25-2350 to update the Service Procedure, vehicles affected, and parts list. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model… |
| TSB 25-2580 | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit steering column shrouds that are misaligned or pushed out. This may be… |
| SSM 54399 | Service bulletin | Nov 25, 2025 | Some 2025 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C1110:56 and/or U3000:96 stored in… |
| TSB 25-2350 | Service bulletin | Jul 25, 2025 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * "Steering Assist Fault Service Requi… |
| TSB 25-2213 | Service bulletin | May 21, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2121 to update the affected production build dates. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above… |
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 26-2302 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 26-2302 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 26-2302 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2026 Ford Explorer, 2025 Ford Explorer, 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: 2025-2026 Aviator: built on or before 21 Dec 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.