Ford bulletin SSM 52043
What it saysSome 2021 Bronco vehicles built on or before 01-Sep-2021 equipped with a factory soft top roof may not have the hard top roof prep kit. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 7, 2023, received Dec 7, 2023, about the equipment. It names 1 model year (2021). 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 2021 Bronco vehicles built on or before 01-Sep-2021 equipped with a factory soft top roof may not have the hard top roof prep kit. The prep kit includes the controls, wiring, hoses and module configurations required to have a functional rear wiper, washer and defroster. Without the prep kit installed from the factory, the rear wiper, washer and defroster, will not function. The prep kit can be identified on the window sticker as Soft-Top, Cloth W/Prep Kit under the optional equipment/other heading. This is a normal condition and no repairs/upfitting should be performed. Do not submit a claim for this condition.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52043 | Service bulletin | Nov 7, 2023 | 10246357 | PDF, 51 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 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 group24 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.
| 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 52385 | Service bulletin | Mar 25, 2024 | Some 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 52370 | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | Some 2023-2024 F-150 and 2024 Bronco/Transit vehicles may exhibit Apple Carplay Bluetooth connectivity concerns. This may be due to the acce… |
| SSM 52328 | Service bulletin | Mar 4, 2024 | Some 2021-2024 Bronco/F-150, 2023-2024 Escape/F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may experience a concern during accessory protocol… |
| TSB 24-2040 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | Some 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 24-2032 | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2024 | Some 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 52225 | Service bulletin | Jan 31, 2024 | Some 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 24-2021 | Service bulletin | Jan 24, 2024 | This 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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 52043 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 52043 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 52043 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2021 Ford Bronco. 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: 2021 Bronco: built on or before 1 Sep 2021 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.