Ford bulletin SSM 51261
What it saysSome Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 16, 2022, received Jan 6, 2023, about the service brakes. It names 98 model years (2016–2023). 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 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The brake rotors should only be machined if directed by the WSM because one or more of the following conditions are present on the braking surface: scoring, excessive corrosion/rust or pitting, bluing/discoloration and/or heat spots. For additional information, refer to WSM section 206-00.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51261 | Service bulletin | Dec 16, 2022 | 10228876 | not found |
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 themand 46 more on this site: 2022 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2022 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2018 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2022 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2021 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2020 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2018 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2017 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2020 Ford Fusion, 2019 Ford Fusion, 2018 Ford Fusion, 2017 Ford Fusion, 2016 Ford Fusion, 2022 Ford GT, 2023 Ford Maverick, 2022 Ford Maverick, 2023 Ford Mustang, 2022 Ford Mustang, 2021 Ford Mustang, 2020 Ford Mustang, 2019 Ford Mustang, 2018 Ford Mustang, 2017 Ford Mustang, 2016 Ford Mustang, 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2023 Ford Ranger, 2022 Ford Ranger, 2019 Ford Taurus, 2018 Ford Taurus, 2017 Ford Taurus, 2016 Ford Taurus, 2023 Ford Transit, 2022 Ford Transit, 2022 Ford Transit Connect.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2022 Ford E-150; 2023 Ford E-150; 2022 Ford E-250; 2023 Ford E-250; 2017 Ford F-550 SD; 2018 Ford F-550 SD; 2019 Ford F-550 SD; 2020 Ford F-550 SD; 2021 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-650 SD; 2022 Ford F-750 SD.
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 86 model years this bulletin names have filed 42,631 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,735 of them name Service Brakes — 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 2016 Ford F-150, the 258 owners who gave an odometer reading for Service Brakes reported it at a median of 36,098 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The collision avoidance system has braked hard on me three (3) times when there wasn't a car in front of me. The first time a car had already turned right onto an intersecting street, the second time a car had turned left into a driveway and the driver was already getting out to get his mail, and the third time a car had stopped in the…
2018 Ford Mustang · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Apr 19, 2018 · ODI 11088966
As I was driving my car locked up and I had to hard break. I took it into the shop and they said it was a wiring issue and not covered under warranty. They couldn't explain why it would happen and suggested I placed something heavy on my passenger dash. It sounds similar to another recall I saw but my car is not listed as needing that
2016 Ford Fusion · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Jun 27, 2020 · ODI 11331211
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact firmly depressed the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired.
2023 Ford Maverick · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Feb 1, 2024 · ODI 11569295
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport brake problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport brake problems → · 2017 Ford Edge brake problems → · 2016 Ford Edge brake 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 service brakes
Source: same model, same component group63 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (service brakes), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55242 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Mustang Mach-E vehicles may exhibit an illuminated brake warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C1013:92 stored… |
| SSM 55215 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick hybrid vehicles may exhibit various electrical symptoms and/or a no crank/no start condition related to an intermitt… |
| 25N13 | Other | Sep 11, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25N13 Certain 2015-2018 Model Year Edge and 2016-2018 Model Year MKX Vehicles Rear Brake Flexible Hose Replace… |
| ITRM-26.DC | Over-the-air update | Sep 9, 2026 | 26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function |
| SSM 54993 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 F-150 Raptor vehicles may exhibit increased sensitivity or braking force when applying the brake pedal at slower speeds. To r… |
| SSM 54940 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a U2100:00 diagnostic trouble code (DTC) for initial configuration incomplete stored in the traile… |
| SSM 54848 | Service bulletin | May 20, 2026 | Some 2025 Bronco Raptor vehicles may exhibit a concern where certain selectable drive modes (G.O.A.T. modes) are unavailable after the ABS m… |
| SSM 54847 | Service bulletin | May 20, 2026 | Some 2025 Bronco non-Raptor vehicles may exhibit a concern where certain selectable drive modes (G.O.A.T. modes) are unavailable after the A… |
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 51261 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 51261 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 51261 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 98 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.