Ford Explorer 2020 — technical service bulletin
Bulletin SSM 48790 · NHTSA communication 10176007 · issued May 1, 2020
Technical service bulletin
communication type
Equipment Adaptive/mobility
component
2020
model years
3
vehicle entries
Official summary
Some 2020 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with a 10R80 MHT automatic transmission and with less than 100 miles may exhibit a transmission fluid leak that appears to be coming from between the hybrid drive unit and transmission case joint. This condition may be due to residual transmission fluid trapped between the front module and transmission case joint during the assembly process. Recommend cleaning the area thoroughly and reevaluating with the vehicle at operating temperature before attempting any leak related repairs.
What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.