Ford bulletin SSM 51702
What it saysSome 2023 Escape vehicles built on or before 6-May-2023 may exhibit a condition where the power liftgate does not close when using the power liftgate control switches. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 12, 2023, received Jun 13, 2023, about the structure. It names 1 model year (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 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 2023 Escape vehicles built on or before 6-May-2023 may exhibit a condition where the power liftgate does not close when using the power liftgate control switches. The vehicle may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes B1454 and/or B1455. Prior to following Workshop Manual (WSM) diagnostic procedures, remove the liftgate left/right/center upper trim panels. Refer to WSM, Section 501-05 Interior Trim and Ornamentation > Removal and Installation. Disconnect C4173 and C4172 and verify the resistance of the anti-pinch switches. Refer to the Wiring Diagram, cell 109. If the resistance is below 5.58K ohms, replace the affected switch(s). If both anti-pinch switches measure above specification, perform a power liftgate initialization and re-evaluate the concern. Refer to WSM, Section 501-03 Body Closures > General Procedures.
Trouble codes it names: B1454 B1455
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51702 | Service bulletin | Jun 12, 2023 | 10237796 | PDF, 28 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.
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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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 139 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.
More bulletins about the structure
Source: same model, same component group8 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Escape under the same component group (structure), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2092 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One tim… |
| 23B56 | Service bulletin | Dec 17, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B56 - Supplement #2 Certain 2020 - 2023 Model Year Escape Vehicles Inspect Front Door Check-Arm Reinforcem… |
| 25B32 | Other | Jul 8, 2025 | Certain 2025 Model Year Corsair and Escape equipped with a panoramic roof Roof Opening Panel Rear Trim Inspection and Replacement Dealers ar… |
| 23B56 S1 | Other | Jul 1, 2025 | Certain 2020 - 2023 Model Year Escape Vehicles Inspect Front Door Check-Arm Reinforcement Spot Welds On all of the affected vehicles, the f… |
| SSM 51553 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2024 | Some 2020-2021 Escape vehicles may exhibit cracks or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door… |
| SSM 52269 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | 2022-2024 Explorer/Aviator vehicles built on or after 28-May-2022, 2022-2024 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built on or after 08-Jun-2022, 20… |
| SSM 51908 | Service bulletin | Sep 7, 2023 | Some 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair vehicles may exhibit a door ajar warning indicator or higher than expected efforts to fully close doors. Verif… |
| SSM 51536 | Service bulletin | Apr 4, 2023 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recomm… |
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 51702 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 51702 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 51702 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Escape. 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: 2023 Escape: built on or before 6 May 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.