Lincoln bulletin SSM 54452
What it saysSome 2025-2026 Aviator vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0103:00:80 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) when a diagnostic self-test is performed. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 18, 2025, received Jan 7, 2026, about the power train. It names 2 model years (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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2025-2026 Aviator vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0103:00:80 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) when a diagnostic self-test is performed. This may be due to a software update delivered via over the air (OTA). If multiple DTCs are present due to other concerns, diagnose those prior to addressing U0103:00:80. If other DTCs are not present, clear DTC U0103:00:80 before following the workshop manual (WSM) DTC diagnostics. If DTC U0103:00:80 does not return after clearing, no further action is required. Return the vehicle to the customer. If DTC U0103:00:80 does return after clearing, proceed with normal diagnostics in the WSM. Ford Engineering is currently developing a software update to resolve this condition. The software update is expected to be released and delivered via OTA in Q2 of 2026. Monitor Professional Technician System (PTS) for additional information.
Trouble codes it names: U0103
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54452 | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2025 | 11027147 | PDF, 67 KB |
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 22 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 5 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.
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 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 54452 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 54452 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 54452 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 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.