Ford bulletin SSM 51876
What it saysSome 2023 Escape vehicles may exhibit various warning messages displayed in FordPass such as: check fuel cap, glow plug pre-heater fault, exhaust system fault, change air filter soon, air suspension fault, clean… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 21, 2023, received Sep 2, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 1 model year (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 2023 Escape vehicles may exhibit various warning messages displayed in FordPass such as: check fuel cap, glow plug pre-heater fault, exhaust system fault, change air filter soon, air suspension fault, clean the exhaust filter, check fuel inlet, engine temperature high, anti-theft system/key fault, collision assist unavailable or instrumental panel cluster (IPC) and Fordpass displayed a high voltage battery charge of 50% after a full charge. Inform customers that engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition and it will be released via Ford Power-Up software updates delivered over-the-air (OTA) expected by the end of October 2023. Software will update automatically if vehicle connectivity is enabled in the vehicle's settings. Schedule a service visit for customers who have disabled vehicle connectivity. Monitor OASIS for additional information.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51876 | Service bulletin | Aug 21, 2023 | 10241599 | PDF, 36 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 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 139 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 61 of them name Electrical System — 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 2023 Ford Escape, the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 15,500 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
After incomplete over-the-air (OTA) update instrument panel cluster (IPC) fails to illuminate and only chimes when powered. Vehicle drives normally, but no speed, fuel, warning telltales shown to the driver. Safety issue as the driver is not informed of this critical vehicle information
2023 Ford Escape · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 31, 2026 · ODI 11760838
In depth: 2023 Ford Escape electrical 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group72 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Escape under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2449 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2428. Reason for update: to update the Service Procedure to remove the fuel tank isolation valve replacement and… |
| TSB 26-2442 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement abov… |
| SSM 55221 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section… |
| TCU-26.2.12.2.2 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a bug that may cause updates to fail |
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| 26N15 | Other | Aug 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N15 Certain 2020-2026 Model Year Escape and 2021-2026 Model Year Corsair Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles… |
| SSM 55031 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as i… |
| GSM-26.P0929 | Over-the-air update | Jul 9, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Updates the gear shift lock diagnostic logic to prevent false wrench lights |
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 51876 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 51876 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 51876 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Escape. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.