Ford bulletin SSM 51575
What it saysSome 2020-2022 Escape vehicles may exhibit a condition where the low beams turn on by themselves when vehicle is OFF for 10 minutes or more with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 25, 2023, received May 4, 2023, about the exterior lighting. It names 3 model years (2020–2022). 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 vehicles may exhibit a condition where the low beams turn on by themselves when vehicle is OFF for 10 minutes or more with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manual, Section 417-01.
Trouble codes it names: B1533
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51575 | Service bulletin | Apr 25, 2023 | 10235311 | PDF, 7 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 2,761 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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.
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 51575 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 51575 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 51575 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape, 2020 Ford Escape. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.