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Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Ford bulletin SSM 51991

What it saysSome 2023 Bronco 3-door vehicles built on 01-Jul-2023 and through 25-Jul-2023 may encounter a whistle noise from the right side A-pillar area. NHTSA’s full summary ↓

Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 16, 2023, received Nov 3, 2023, about the equipment. 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 communication
Built 2023 Bronco 3-door vehicles: Jul 1, 2023 – Jul 25, 2023 “Some 2023 Bronco 3-door vehicles built on 01-Jul-2023 and through 25-Jul-2023 may encounter a whistle noise from the right side A-pillar area.”

What it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.

Some 2023 Bronco 3-door vehicles built on 01-Jul-2023 and through 25-Jul-2023 may encounter a whistle noise from the right side A-pillar area. Inspect the window run at the sail area (triangle) for any type of deformities and/or not sitting flush. This may be due to the inner belt moulding being too long and deforming the sail moulding, compare to the driver side if necessary.

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Oct 16, 2023 Received by NHTSA Nov 3, 2023 Components Equipment, Structure

Document filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
SSM 51991Service bulletinOct 16, 202310244851PDF, 43 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 them

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 database

Owners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 230 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 equipment

Source: same model, same component group

24 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.

NumberKindDatedNHTSA’s summary
SSM 52476Service bulletinApr 24, 2024All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory install…
SSM 52385Service bulletinMar 25, 2024Some 2024 Bronco vehicles equipped with a factory hard top build on 07-Feb-20204 and through 13-Feb-2024 may have a hard top rear cap that i…
SSM 52370Service bulletinMar 19, 2024Some 2023-2024 F-150 and 2024 Bronco/Transit vehicles may exhibit Apple Carplay Bluetooth connectivity concerns. This may be due to the acce…
SSM 52328Service bulletinMar 4, 2024Some 2021-2024 Bronco/F-150, 2023-2024 Escape/F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may experience a concern during accessory protocol…
TSB 24-2040Service bulletinFeb 16, 2024Some 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit paint damage on the rear quarter panel due to contact with the soft top rear window. This may be…
TSB 24-2032Service bulletinFeb 5, 2024Some 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles built on or before 28-Feb-2023 may exhibit water entry into the rear trunk. This may be due to a lack of body…
SSM 52225Service bulletinJan 31, 2024Some 2023 Bronco vehicles equipped with a B&O sound system and built on 28-Jul-2023 and through 29-Aug-2023 may experience an intermittent l…
TSB 24-2021Service bulletinJan 24, 2024This article supersedes TSB 23-2213 to revise Figure 1, add 2024 vehicles and the part list. Some 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a wh…

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.

Photo: Christian Buehner / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is Ford SSM 51991 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 51991 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 51991 cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Ford Bronco. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.