Ford bulletin SSM 51799
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 1.5L engine may exhibit a lugging vibration and/or boom noise while driving in gears 5-8 at approximately 1500 engine revolutions per minute… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 19, 2023, received Jul 25, 2023, about the engine. It names 7 model years (2020–2023). 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 NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Some 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 1.5L engine may exhibit a lugging vibration and/or boom noise while driving in gears 5-8 at approximately 1500 engine revolutions per minute (RPM). This may be felt more when the engine is under a light to moderate load. A vibration and/or boom noise could be generated from the firing frequency of the 3 cylinders or when cylinder deactivation occurs and the engine is running on 2 cylinders. This condition is more noticeable when the vehicle is driven in ECO mode. This mode was designed to deliver maximum fuel efficiency and increase the driving range.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51799 | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2023 | 10239623 | 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.
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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,182 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,450 of them name Engine, 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 2020 Ford Escape, the 78 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 46,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
In three occasions the automatic transmission has stopped working, operating under normal city driving conditions. Turning the car off and on again, it has worked properly. The car has less than 4000 miles. I took it to the Ford repair shop and there is a defect in the hybrid transmission, and it will take 4-6 weeks to be solved.
2020 Ford Escape · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 16, 2021 · ODI 11429336
a 2023 Ford Escape. while driving at approximately 76 MPH, I observed a warning chime dinging, the power train warning light illuminated, and the low engine coolant message was displayed. I received a notification via the Ford Pass APP stating that "There was a failure with the vehicle and to see the dealer'.
2023 Ford Escape · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 7, 2024 · ODI 11599860
The wrench icon which refers to the Powertrain system keeps coming on. I received a message from the Ford pass system that there was (Fault) in the Powertrain system. That power was reduced. Further it said to see a dealer right away. All of the Ford Dealers in my area are all booked up
2022 Ford Bronco Sport · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 19, 2022 · ODI 11474812
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2022 Ford Bronco Sport transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport 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 engine
Source: same model, same component group39 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55283 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | Some 2023-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" message and an il… |
| SSM 55211 | Over-the-air update | Oct 2, 2026 | 2023-2026 Escape and 2025-2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger wastegate… |
| SSM 55142 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Tempera… |
| 25M03 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M03 Certain 2020-2025 Model Year Escape, 2021-2025 Model Year Corsair and 2022- 2025 Model Year Maverick Veh… |
| 25B33 | Other | Jun 1, 2026 | Certain 2023-2025 Model Year Escape and Corsair, 2024-2025 Model Year Nautilus, 2025-2026 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2025 Model Year Maver… |
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explor… |
| SSM 54631 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. This may requir… |
| SSM 54540 | Service bulletin | Jan 31, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require replacement of the engine thermostat due to var… |
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 51799 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 51799 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 51799 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.