Ford bulletin SSM 51811
What it saysSome 2022 Mustang GT500 and 2023 F-150 Raptor R vehicles built on or before 14-May-2023 may exhibit an oil leak from the spark plug tube seal(s) and/or the Variable Cam Timing (VCT) solenoid seal(s). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 24, 2023, received Jul 25, 2023, about the engine. It names 2 model years (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.
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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 Mustang GT500 and 2023 F-150 Raptor R vehicles built on or before 14-May-2023 may exhibit an oil leak from the spark plug tube seal(s) and/or the Variable Cam Timing (VCT) solenoid seal(s). If this condition is present on an applicable vehicle, replace both of the valve cover assemblies. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00. Do not replace the individual seals exhibiting a leak as this may not provide a robust repair. For claiming, use causal part 6582 and applicable labor operations in Section 06 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51811 | Service bulletin | Jul 24, 2023 | 10239628 | 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 563 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 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.
I purchased the truck 2 weeks ago brand new and it has a total of 570 miles on it. After not being used for one day, the truck would not start at all. I receive a warning indicating that I should stop safely now, that full power accessory mode is on and a check engine light. I connected a OBD scanner but no codes were generated.
2023 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 26, 2023 · ODI 11551947
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 group68 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 55228 | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cove… |
| 25L05 | Other | Sep 2, 2026 | Certain 2024-2025 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with 2.7L Engine Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label Update |
| 25M01 | Other | Jul 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M01 Certain 2021 Model Year F-150 3.0L Diesel Engine and 2020-2022 Model Year Super Duty with 6.7L Diesel En… |
| TSB 26-2233 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 26-2116 to clarify the prior approval statement. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may ex… |
| SSM 54795 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may… |
| SSM 54742 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles may set diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0420:82 in the image processing module a (IPMA) during a diagnost… |
| TSB 26-2116 | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2323 to update the Service procedure, Parts list, and add a clarification note about Cost Cap and Prior appro… |
| 24N12 S2 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | Certain 2021 - 2022 Model Year Various Vehicles Engine Valve Inspection Test This submission includes : Technical Instructions Updated word… |
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 51811 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 51811 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 51811 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2023 Ford F-150, 2022 Ford Mustang. 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: built on or before 14 May 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.