Lincoln bulletin SSM 51640
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with air suspension may require service of a front air spring/strut. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 12, 2023, received May 16, 2023, about the suspension. It names 4 model years (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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with air suspension may require service of a front air spring/strut. Complete front air spring/strut assemblies are now available and can be replaced instead of replacing individual components of the front air spring or front struts for warranty and retail repairs. Part numbers are LC5Z-3C098-A (right) and LC5Z-3C098-C (left) for non-hybrid vehicles, and LC5Z-3C098-B (right) and LC5Z-3C098-D (left) for hybrid vehicles. Front spring/strut assembly replacement is recommended to make sure a successful repair is performed.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51640 | Service bulletin | May 12, 2023 | 10236341 | PDF, 27 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC5Z-3C098-A | right | — | eBay Motors → |
| LC5Z-3C098-C | left | — | eBay Motors → |
| LC5Z-3C098-B | right | — | eBay Motors → |
| LC5Z-3C098-D | left | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Lincoln’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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 257 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator PHEV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with left and right lower control arm and right knuckle failures.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Jun 8, 2026 · ODI 11742793
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 group2 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lincoln Aviator 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… |
| 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… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Lincoln SSM 51640 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 51640 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 51640 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2022 Lincoln Aviator, 2021 Lincoln Aviator, 2020 Lincoln Aviator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.