Ford bulletin SSM 51656
What it saysSome 2022-2023 F-150/Bronco/Expedition/Navigator/Escape/Corsair/Bronco Sport/Edge/Mustang vehicles built on 04-Sep-2022 and through 30-Dec-2022 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 23, 2023, received Jun 5, 2023, about the power train. It names 14 model years across Ford and Lincoln (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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some 2022-2023 F-150/Bronco/Expedition/Navigator/Escape/Corsair/Bronco Sport/Edge/Mustang vehicles built on 04-Sep-2022 and through 30-Dec-2022 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0230 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may also experience a no start or stall after start. This may be due to an internal PCM issue. If this DTC is present, verify the battery condition, then perform pin point test (PPT) KC of the Work Shop Manual (WSM), Section 310-01. If PPT KC leads to component replacement, start with replacing the PCM and then evaluate the vehicle. If the DTC returns, follow WSM, Section 310-01 PPT KC direction to address the issue.
Trouble codes it names: P0230
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51656 | Service bulletin | May 23, 2023 | 10237335 | PDF, 98 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 themFord 12 model years
Lincoln 2 model years
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 14 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,975 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 679 of them name 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 F-150, the 55 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 30,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Passenger side rear axle retention bolt sheared off. Discovered during routine maintenance / tire rotation. Unknown how safety was at risk -- dealer told me once discovered that the vehicle would be repaired under warranty, and they could do in 24 hours, so no discussion about unsafe to drive as others have reported they were told.
2022 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2022 · ODI 11494333
EIWE (Electronic Integrated Wheel End) failure or malfunction. Ford has multiple Field Service Engineers aware of the issue with no fix found. Multiple vehicles not only at one dealership but across the country have confirmed issues. Ford Customer Relations is aware and has an open case with me and many other owners.
2023 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 9, 2023 · ODI 11559262
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a hard shift from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer.
2023 Ford Expedition · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2024 · ODI 11615968
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Ford F-150 transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2022 Ford F-150 transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group231 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 26-2436 | Service bulletin | Oct 30, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P05B0 stored in the powertrain control modul… |
| TSB 26-2341 v3 | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| TSB 26-2448 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2236. Reason for update: To consolidate prior articles and revise the Service Procedure to add an AAD blade limi… |
| SSM 55284 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles equipped with a MT88 manual transmission may exhibit no 3rd gear engagement and/or a grinding noise going int… |
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2431 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason For Update: update the Service Procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with the new Fo… |
| TSB 26-2428 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2326. Reason for update: update the service procedure to include the fuel tank isolation valve replacement, upda… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 51656 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 51656 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 51656 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 14 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Edge, 2022 Ford Edge and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2022-2023 F-150/Bronco/Expedition/Navigator/Escape/Corsair…: built 4 Sep 2022 – 30 Dec 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.