Lincoln bulletin SSM 54536
What it saysSome 2025-2026 Navigator vehicles may experience condensation buildup within the reversing lamp assembly (rear light bar - service base part number 13A565) when exposed to cold temperatures. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 30, 2026, received Feb 4, 2026, about the exterior lighting. 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 Navigator vehicles may experience condensation buildup within the reversing lamp assembly (rear light bar - service base part number 13A565) when exposed to cold temperatures. Condensation does not affect the function or performance of the reversing lamp assembly. Refer to the Exterior Lighting Concern Analysis GSB (General Service Bulletin) to determine if replacement is recommended. If lamp condensation levels do not meet the GSB condensation lamp replacement criteria (lamp does not exhibit; non-impact related cracks/damage, water streaking down the inside of the lamp or water pooling on the inside bottom of the lamp) reversing lamp assembly replacement is not recommended. New reversing lamp assemblies are not expected to improve condensation performance over the original assemblies on vehicles that do not exhibit replacement criteria symptoms previously mentioned. Engineering is aware of this condition and is investigating a service solution which is expected to be available by October 2026. Schedule an appointment with the customer when the repair is made available. Monitor Profession
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54536 | Service bulletin | Jan 30, 2026 | 11028172 | PDF, 70 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 12 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 exterior lighting
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lincoln Navigator under the same component group (exterior lighting), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55194 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2026 | Some 2021-2024 Mustang Mach-E, 2025-2026 Navigator and 2024 F-150 vehicles may exhibit inoperative welcome/approach detection lights. This m… |
| ITRM-26.B04 | Over-the-air update | Jun 6, 2026 | 26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function |
| LDCMC-25.10.08 | Over-the-air update | Mar 3, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Addresses an intermittent resistance fault that defaults the system to the lowest setting. Although intensit… |
| TCU-25.2.9.3 | Over-the-air update | Mar 2, 2026 | "26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function" |
| LDCMB-25.10.08 | Over-the-air update | Mar 2, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Addresses an intermittent resistance fault that defaults the system to the lowest setting. Although intensit… |
| ECG-25.2.9.4.1 | Over-the-air update | Mar 2, 2026 | "26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function" |
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 54536 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 54536 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 54536 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Lincoln Navigator, 2025 Lincoln Navigator. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.