Lincoln bulletin SSM 55162
What it saysAll 2026 Nautilus vehicles built on or after 07-Apr-2026 will no longer come with a plastic rear license plate bracket as part of the loose items checklist. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 10, 2026, received Sep 15, 2026, about the structure. It names 1 model year (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 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.
All 2026 Nautilus vehicles built on or after 07-Apr-2026 will no longer come with a plastic rear license plate bracket as part of the loose items checklist. The rear liftgate has been updated to no longer require the license plate bracket, and the license plate can be attached directly to the liftgate. No additional actions should be taken to install the license plate.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55162 | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | 11037314 | PDF, 60 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 13 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 structure
Source: same model, same component group7 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lincoln Nautilus under the same component group (structure), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2092 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One tim… |
| SSM 54978 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus vehicles may exhibit a "Door Fault Service Required", "Transmission Not In Park" and/or "Hill Start Assist Not Avail… |
| SSM 54916 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | Some 20242026 Nautilus vehicles may have previously exhibited unsuccessful programmable module installation (PMI) starting with a CallGetR… |
| SSM 54829 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power autofold exterior mirrors may exhibit concerns with the… |
| SSM 54555 | Service bulletin | Feb 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2022-Corsair, 2021-2023 Nautilus, 2020-2024 Navigator/Aviator, and 2021-2024 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with phone-as-a-key… |
| TSB 25-2466 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2025 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a headliner rattle or sagging condition around the roof opening panel.… |
| SSM 51536 | Service bulletin | Apr 4, 2023 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recomm… |
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 55162 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 55162 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 55162 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2026 Lincoln Nautilus. 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: 2026 Nautilus: built on or after 7 Apr 2026 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.