Lincoln bulletin SSM 51836
What it saysSome 2020-2021 Aviator vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) built on or before 30-Aug-2021 may require replacement of the left front halfshaft, part number L1MZ-3A427-G. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 2, 2023, received Aug 14, 2023, about the power train. It names 2 model years (2020–2021). 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 NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Some 2020-2021 Aviator vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) built on or before 30-Aug-2021 may require replacement of the left front halfshaft, part number L1MZ-3A427-G. If the halfshaft is unavailable due to a part backorder situation, dealers can perform Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-2174. The TSB Service Procedure uses a revised halfshaft and intermediate shaft, which eliminates the front axle disconnect actuator assembly and requires an all-wheel-drive (AWD) module software update. Unless the specific TSB criteria are met, TSB 23-2174 should not be performed if halfshaft part number L1MZ-3A427-G is available.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51836 | Service bulletin | Aug 2, 2023 | 10240721 | PDF, 30 KB |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1MZ-3A427-G | Built On Or Before | — | 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 166 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 27 of them name Power Train — 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 contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH in the left lane, the rear end locked up, and the vehicle fishtailed before coming to a complete stop between the left lane and the shoulder of the roadway. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2026 · ODI 11766329
Vehicle shifted into neutral while driving. Had to stop the vehicle in the median to put it back in drive
2020 Lincoln Aviator · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 13, 2021 · ODI 11436553
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group41 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lincoln Aviator under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Lincoln list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| TSB 26-2395 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, an… |
| SSM55059 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 20… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| TSB 26-2287 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | This article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for F-150 vehicles, update the Parts list to replace the… |
| SSM 54902 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford D… |
| 26B12 | Other | May 28, 2026 | Certain 2026 Model Year Aviator, Explorer and Bronco Vehicles with 10R60 Transmissions: Transmission and Fluid Cooler Replacement |
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 51836 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 51836 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 51836 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 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.