Lincoln bulletin SSM 55226
What it saysFor 2020-2026 Aviator/Corsair and 2018-2026 Navigator vehicles, if diagnostics in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10A > Front Seats > Diagnosis and Testing lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion extension… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lincoln filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 7, 2026, received Oct 12, 2026, about the seats. It names 23 model years (2018–2026). 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 communicationFor 2020-2026 Aviator/Corsair and 2018-2026 Navigator vehicles, if diagnostics in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10A > Front Seats > Diagnosis and Testing lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion extension adjuster, a lower-level part is now available (14C720). It is not necessary to replace the front seat cushion extension adjuster if only the front seat cushion extension motor assembly is damaged. For Corsair, use service part LJ7Z-14C720-A. For Aviator, use service part R2TZ-14C720-A. For 2025-2026 Navigator (both sides) and 2018-2024 Navigator driver side, use service part NL7Z-14C720-A. For 2018-2024 Navigator passenger side, use service part NL7Z-14C720-B.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55226 | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2026 | 11038439 | PDF, 68 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ7Z-14C720-A | — | — | |
| R2TZ-14C720-A | — | — | |
| NL7Z-14C720-A | — | — | |
| NL7Z-14C720-B | passenger side, use service part | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Oct 14, 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 23 model years this bulletin names have filed 765 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 of them name Seats — 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.
On May 26, 2024, I entered into a lease agreement for a Lincoln Navigator vehicle manufactured and warranted by Lincoln Motor Company. This vehicle subsequently developed multiple serious and dangerous safety defects, including uncontrolled and spontaneous seat inflation, failure of seat pump systems, infotainment system failure…
2024 Lincoln Navigator · Seats · filed with NHTSA Feb 24, 2026 · ODI 11720221
Ford's remedy is to disable the memory seatback in recall 26S53. This is not a remedy. This is disabling a feature that I paid for on this vehicle. Not sure why Ford / Lincoln think this is ok. I understand that this could put a child or person at harm in the back seat. But the recall shows a complete disable.
2026 Lincoln Aviator · Seats · filed with NHTSA Sep 8, 2026 · ODI 11762779
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that the seat folding switch on the third-row seat failed to function as intended. The seat was stuck in the down position. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Seats · filed with NHTSA Oct 1, 2025 · ODI 11690747
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 seats
Source: same model, same component group22 other manufacturer communications filed against these Lincoln models under the same component group (seats), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Lincoln list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55100 | Service bulletin | Aug 22, 2026 | For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service p… |
| SSM 55051 | Service bulletin | Jul 28, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a "Seat cannot lock, Do not use"… |
| SSM 55037 | Service bulletin | Jul 24, 2026 | Some 2018-2024 Expedition and 2018-2027 Navigator vehicles equipped with a rear seat entertainment system/Lincoln Play may experience variou… |
| SSM 54819 | Service bulletin | May 12, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Navigator vehicles equipped with multi-contour seats (minor feature code BYBAL) may exhibit a condition where the second-row… |
| SSM 54711 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience a second row armrest pin that is loose or broken. Engineering is aware of this c… |
| DSM-26.5.71.DC | Over-the-air update | Mar 24, 2026 | 26-OTA DSM-26.5.71. DC Navigator |
| SSM 54613 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit misalignment of the 3rd row power folding seats when in the full upright position a… |
| SSM 54355 | Service bulletin | Nov 5, 2025 | Some 2025 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit a symptom where the 2nd row seat does not return to the latched position after a power e… |
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 55226 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 55226 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 55226 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 23 model years: 2026 Lincoln Aviator, 2025 Lincoln Aviator, 2024 Lincoln Aviator, 2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2022 Lincoln Aviator, 2021 Lincoln Aviator and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.