Ford bulletin SSM 51808
What it saysSome 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L engine and active torque coupling differential may exhibit a hissing noise from rear liftgate area when driving between 35 to 50 MPH (56-80 Km/h). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 21, 2023, received Jul 26, 2023, about the structure. 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 communicationSome 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L engine and active torque coupling differential may exhibit a hissing noise from rear liftgate area when driving between 35 to 50 MPH (56-80 Km/h). This condition could be eliminated when the vehicle is driven in slippery mode. This condition does not affect the vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. Inform the customers that they can continue to drive the vehicle and engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition that is expected in September 2023. The replacement of the rear drive unit (RDU) is not recommended for this condition. Monitor OASIS for additional information and schedule a service appointment for customers once the repair becomes available.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51808 | Service bulletin | Jul 21, 2023 | 10239627 | PDF, 110 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,215 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 group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco Sport 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… |
| SSM 54573 | Service bulletin | Feb 12, 2026 | 2026 Bronco Sport Big Bend/Heritage/Outer Banks vehicles equipped with a 1.5L engine and without the Sasquatch package, built on or after 14… |
| 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 51808 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 51808 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 51808 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.