Lincoln bulletin SSM 55198
What it saysSome 2025-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a condition where the second-row seat does not return to the latched position (under power) after pressing… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 24, 2026, received Sep 30, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 3 model years (2025–2027). 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 2025-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a condition where the second-row seat does not return to the latched position (under power) after pressing the power return button (located on the outboard side of the seatback). To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build information by double-clicking the vehicle identification number (VIN) in the upper left corner in the Professional Technician System (PTS). This may be caused by an occupant pulling the manual release strap. The manual release strap is intended to be used in emergency situations only where power seat operation is not available. Pulling the manual release strap disengages the seat pitch motor clutch. To correct the condition, the seat pitch motor clutch must re-engage with the seating system. Starting with the seat in the rearward position, press the power seat pitch button once and release it. While the seat is in motion, gently guide the headrest and seatback downward, moving the seat approximately halfway down toward the strikers (without
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55198 | Service bulletin | Sep 24, 2026 | 11037562 | 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3 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.
This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work.
2025 Lincoln Navigator · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 2, 2026
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group111 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lincoln Navigator under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Lincoln list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55208 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble co… |
| IPMA-26.11.0 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Image Processing Module A update to the latest software level |
| TSB 26-2358 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 11, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above equipped with one-touch up/down windows may exhibit a condition where a window does… |
| BLEM-26.18.0 | Over-the-air update | Aug 26, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Bluetooth Low Energy Module |
| SSM 55116 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 0… |
| SSM 55107 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | Some 2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with power running boards may exhibit an intermittent condition where the power running boa… |
| TSB 26-2366 | Service bulletin | Aug 12, 2026 | Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a condition where certain devices built on the Android OS platform… |
| PHX-26.2.0.8 | Over-the-air update | Aug 10, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Minor infotainment system enhancements |
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 55198 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 55198 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 55198 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2027 Lincoln Navigator, 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.