Ford bulletin SSM 51823
What it saysSome 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus, 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair, 2021-2023 Bronco Sport, 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with all wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit chatter/shudder during low speed turning events. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 1, 2023, received Aug 11, 2023, about the equipment. It names 23 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2019–2023). 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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus, 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair, 2021-2023 Bronco Sport, 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with all wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit chatter/shudder during low speed turning events. This may be due to fluid contamination in the rear drive unit (RDU). Drain and refill the RDU, refer to Workshop Manual Section (WSM) 205-02. Drive for 5 miles (8 km) in stop and go conditions with right and left turns and re-evaluate. If the issue is still present, continue with normal WSM diagnostics. For claiming, use base (4000) causal part.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51823 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10240577 | PDF, 30 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.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themFord 14 model years
Lincoln 9 model years
A 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 23 model years this bulletin names have filed 6,786 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,792 of them name 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 2019 Ford Edge, the 106 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 70,911 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The transmission jerks at low speeds between 10mph-60mph. Has been duplicated at Lincoln dealership. A torque converter was replaced , but did not correct problem. I know that there is a class action suit for this problem for 2019-2021 it needs to add the 2022 suv also. Lincoln paid for parts , I paid labor . Total repair was 2200$
2022 Lincoln Nautilus · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 6, 2026
Transmission realized a catastrophic and destructive failure. The vehicle immediately lost power and speed. Scattering debris and transmission fluid on the highway. Causing a safety concern for me and other drivers. Confirmed by a dealer. Inspected by the dealer. I experienced irregular transmission shifts and shuttering at times.
2021 Lincoln Corsair · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 11, 2025
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
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group50 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52476 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2024 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory install… |
| SSM 52463 | Service bulletin | Apr 19, 2024 | On 2024 Nautilus vehicles, the heated steering wheel temperature may vary in areas of the steering wheel where the horizontal spokes join th… |
| 22N15 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2024 | Customer Satisfaction Program 22N15 Certain 2020-2023 Model Year Bronco Sport, Escape, Corsair, E-Series, F-650/F-750, F-53 Motorhome Chas… |
| SSM 52402 | Service bulletin | Mar 29, 2024 | On 2024 Nautilus vehicles, the keyless entry keypad will only illuminate if the unlock button on the keyfob is pressed or if the keypad itse… |
| 24B09 S1 | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | Customer Satisfaction Program 24B09 - Supplement #1 Certain 2024 Model Year Nautilus Vehicles - Update Infotainment Software |
| SSM 52393 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2024 | Some 2024 Nautilus vehicles may exhibit difficulty removing shipping door protectors or white RapGard during predelivery. This may be attrib… |
| SSM 52381 | Service bulletin | Mar 22, 2024 | Some 2024 Nautilus vehicles may have a clock that is inaccurate and/or weather information may not be able to update along with the inabilit… |
| SSM 52378 | Service bulletin | Mar 22, 2024 | Some 2024 Nautilus vehicles may exhibit a concern with the driver seat and steering column moving to the saved memory position instead of th… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 51823 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 51823 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 51823 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 23 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Edge, 2022 Ford Edge, 2021 Ford Edge and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.