Ford bulletin SSM 51800
What it saysSome 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the accessory drive belt, such as during the coolant pump removal and installation procedure. 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 3 model years (2021–2023). 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 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the accessory drive belt, such as during the coolant pump removal and installation procedure. The accessory drive belt removal and installation procedure in the Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-05A, has been updated to eliminate the requirement to remove the fender splash shield and replace the front fender molding and rocker panel molding.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51800 | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2023 | 10239624 | 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,246 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 310 of them name Engine — 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 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, the 53 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 52,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
While driving on I-95 southbound, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. This occurred without any warnings, no warning lights in dashboard flashed. This occurred for a total of three times. I had no power, no braking capabilities, no control over the vehicle
2023 Ford Bronco Sport · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 19, 2024 · ODI 11578273
Water pump cracks allow coolant to leak out thus overheating engine on open highway
2022 Ford Bronco Sport · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jan 23, 2023 · ODI 11503250
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport engine 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 group22 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco Sport 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… |
| 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 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… |
| 25M02 | Other | Dec 12, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M02 Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape with 1.5L Engine and 8F35 Transmission U… |
| TSB 25-2511 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2428 to update the Parts List. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a loss of… |
| 25N03 | Other | Oct 15, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25N03 Certain 2021-2023 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape with 1.5L Engine and 8F35 Transmission.… |
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 51800 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 51800 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 51800 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.