Ford bulletin SSM 51849
What it saysVarious 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 8, 2023, received Sep 1, 2023, about the power train. It names 34 model years (2016–2019). 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.
Get the next Ford bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationVarious 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. This DTC indicates that the engine serial number (ESN) must be programmed into the PCM. The ESN is located on PTS> OASIS> Features> Engine Serial Number. Once the ESN is obtained from the historical vehicle bill of materials (HvBOM), it can be programmed into the PCM using the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. Navigate to the toolbox tab> powertrain menu> Service Functions> ESN.
Trouble codes it names: P264F
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51849 | Service bulletin | Aug 8, 2023 | 10241547 | PDF, 27 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.
Find the control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) for the 2019 E-Series →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2016 Ford E-250; 2017 Ford E-250; 2016 Ford F-53; 2017 Ford F-53; 2018 Ford F-53; 2019 Ford F-53; 2016 Ford F-550 SD; 2017 Ford F-550 SD; 2018 Ford F-550 SD; 2019 Ford F-550 SD; 2016 Ford F-650 SD; 2017 Ford F-650 SD; 2018 Ford F-650 SD; 2019 Ford F-650 SD; 2016 Ford F-750 SD; 2017 Ford F-750 SD; 2018 Ford F-750 SD; 2019 Ford F-750 SD.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Email me new Ford bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 16 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,596 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 64 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 F-250 Super Duty, the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 22,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Transmissions 6r140 have premature failure this is our 6th transmission to go out in our 5 vans, when transmission goes out, the torque converter fails which results in vehicle stalling in road way the vehicle while jerk really hard and give drive whiplash and when vehicle is going up hill when the torque converter fails the van will…
2017 Ford E-Series · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2022 · ODI 11479886
The contact owns a 2016 Ford E-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to Ford Campaign Number:19B40 (Coast Clutch Cylinder and One-Way Clutch Replacement). The vehicle was not repaired.
2016 Ford E-Series · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 3, 2023 · ODI 11536278
While driving on 3 occasions at various speeds the transmission shifted on its own unexpectedly to first gear causing loss of control due to the rear wheels locking up. On two of the occasions it disabled the vehicle and required repairs. The vehicle is in the shop now going on 3 months.
2016 Ford F-450 Super Duty · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Feb 21, 2019 · ODI 11181503
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group64 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55218 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R140 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford… |
| TSB 26-2088 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 24-2249. Reason for update: update the claim quantity of the torque converter nuts, part number and claim quantity… |
| TSB 26-2406 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
| TSB 26-2252 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
| SSM 55098 | Service bulletin | Aug 18, 2026 | Some 2013-2016 Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine and 2015-2019 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2L diesel engine may… |
| SSM 54900 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 10R100 or 10R140 transmission may exhibit an intermittent failure to engage forward or… |
| SSM 54899 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 F-53 Motorhome Chassis/F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis and 2024-2026 F-650/F-750/E-Series vehicles equipped with a 6R140 tra… |
| TSB 26-2263 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2112. Reason For Update: add 2026 model year vehicles, update LV fluid XT-10-QLVC and CXT-10-LV6 description to… |
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 51849 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 51849 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 51849 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 34 model years: 2019 Ford E-Series, 2018 Ford E-Series, 2017 Ford E-Series, 2016 Ford E-Series, 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.