Ford bulletin SSM 51613
What it saysSome 2022-2023 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles built on 04-Sep-2022 and through 30-Dec-2022 may exhibit the engine not restarting after an auto start/stop event with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P164C stored… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 8, 2023, received May 16, 2023, about the power train. It names 4 model years (2022–2023). 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 2022-2023 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles built on 04-Sep-2022 and through 30-Dec-2022 may exhibit the engine not restarting after an auto start/stop event with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P164C stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may also become illuminated after the vehicle experiences a second event before it can be brought in for service. This may be due to an internal issue with the PCM. To correct the condition, check the battery condition and state of charge, then replace the PCM and re-evaluate the concern. For claiming, use causal part 12A650 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual. If the concern persists, refer to Workshop Manual, Section 303-14B and perform Pinpoint Test AA for normal diagnostics.
Trouble codes it names: P164C
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51613 | Service bulletin | May 8, 2023 | 10236032 | PDF, 8 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) for the 2023 Bronco Sport →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,475 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 814 of them name Electrical System, Power Train — 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 2022 Ford Maverick, the 28 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 36,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I pulled my 2022 Maverick into my parking spot at work and everything went dead. I had to use my key to open my tailgate. The tow service jumped the battery and it started, however, when they went to take it off the tow truck at the Ford dealership, it had to be jump started again. I was told the battery was bad and they changed it.
2022 Ford Maverick · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact was informed by his wife that when the start button was depressed, there was a loud boom coming from the vehicle. There was an odor of smoke coming into the cabin of the vehicle, but there was no smoke present. There was also a sizzling sound coming from the vehicle.
2023 Ford Bronco Sport · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 5, 2024
I started the Car and it made loud boom boom sounds like as if I was at a loud concert for about 10 seconds. That stopped but then loud static or electrical sound continued even after car was turned off. Re started and the sound continued. The initial sound shook me and wife. Where wife refuses to get back in.
2023 Ford Maverick · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 26, 2024
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group46 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2414 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2058 Reason for update: update the TSB title and TSB issue to include new DTCs Some of the vehicles listed in the… |
| SSM 55088 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2026 | Some 2023-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L may exhibit a lack of air conditioning (A/C) cooling while at a stop and idling in… |
| TSB 26-2328 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim qu… |
| SSM 54939 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
| TSB 26-2210 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Engine misfire condition * Illuminat… |
| SSM 54797 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
| TSB 26-2194 | Service bulletin | Apr 26, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles.… |
| PT-26.10.0 | Over-the-air update | Apr 22, 2026 | 25C69 Recall remedy - Updates the Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Module C to provide for release of the Integrated Park Module slider in the… |
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 51613 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 51613 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 51613 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Maverick, 2022 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.