Ford bulletin SSM 50974
What it saysSome 2020-2022 Escape/Corsair/F-53 Motorhome/F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis, 2021-2023 F-650/F-750/E-Series, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles may exhibit a communication fault with emissions inspection equipment. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 29, 2022, received Aug 2, 2022, about the engine. It names 35 model years (2020–2023). 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 2020-2022 Escape/Corsair/F-53 Motorhome/F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis, 2021-2023 F-650/F-750/E-Series, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles may exhibit a communication fault with emissions inspection equipment. This may be due to the software in the gateway module (GWM). To correct this condition, reprogram the GWM to latest software level using the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. Use causal part 14F642 and applicable labor times from Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 50974 | Service bulletin | Jul 29, 2022 | 10216963 | PDF, 96 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.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2020 Ford E-150; 2021 Ford E-150; 2022 Ford E-150; 2023 Ford E-150; 2020 Ford E-250; 2021 Ford E-250; 2022 Ford E-250; 2023 Ford E-250; 2020 Ford F-53; 2021 Ford F-53; 2022 Ford F-53; 2020 Ford F-59; 2021 Ford F-59; 2022 Ford F-59; 2021 Ford F-650; 2020 Ford F-650 SD; 2021 Ford F-650 SD; 2022 Ford F-650 SD; 2023 Ford F-650 SD; 2021 Ford F-750; 2020 Ford F-750 SD; 2021 Ford F-750 SD; 2022 Ford F-750 SD; 2023 Ford F-750 SD; 2020 Ford F53; 2021 Ford F53.
A 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 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,963 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,232 of them name Engine, 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.
On the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, the 67 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 41,426 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford E-350. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the failure to be a misfire on cylinder #3 and the spark plugs were faulty. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
2020 Ford E-Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 10, 2022 · ODI 11464106
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2021 Ford Escape · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 28, 2025 · ODI 11663389
Engine failure on a 2021 Ford E-350 cutaway, 7.3L V8, used for parcel delivery. The vehicle was taken out of service and has not run since. Two diagnoses, both in writing. ACME Mobile Service, July 27, 2026, at 152,760 miles: "Found the #5 cylinder is completely disabled and dropped out.
2021 Ford E-Series · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 13, 2026 · ODI 11763932
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2022 Ford Bronco Sport electrical problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport electrical problems →
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group59 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55283 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | Some 2023-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" message and an il… |
| SSM 55211 | Over-the-air update | Oct 2, 2026 | 2023-2026 Escape and 2025-2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger wastegate… |
| SSM 55142 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Tempera… |
| 26E02 | Other | Aug 26, 2026 | NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD Emissions Recall 26E02 Certain 2016-2019 F-650 - 750 and 2017-2019 F-350 - 550 Vehicles Equipped With 6.7L Diesel… |
| 25M03 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M03 Certain 2020-2025 Model Year Escape, 2021-2025 Model Year Corsair and 2022- 2025 Model Year Maverick Veh… |
| TSB 26-2256 | Service bulletin | Jun 19, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2572 to update the Parts List to correct the part number LC3Z-6006-L to LC3Z-6781-A, remove the flex plate bo… |
| 25B33 | Other | Jun 1, 2026 | Certain 2023-2025 Model Year Escape and Corsair, 2024-2025 Model Year Nautilus, 2025-2026 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2025 Model Year Maver… |
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explor… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 50974 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 50974 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 50974 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 35 model years: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford E-Series, 2022 Ford E-Series, 2021 Ford E-Series, 2020 Ford E-Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.