Ford bulletin SSM 52051
What it saysSome 2019-2023 Edge/Nautilus and 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 Nov 9, 2023, received Nov 15, 2023, about the power train. It names 12 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 and 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 causal part 4000.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52051 | Service bulletin | Nov 9, 2023 | 10245258 | PDF, 53 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 themFord 7 model years
Lincoln 5 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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,529 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,125 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 · ODI 11722407
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Edge. The contact stated while stopped at a car wash, the vehicle independently shifted out of neutral into reverse, without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found.
2021 Ford Edge · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 18, 2023 · ODI 11533017
Transmission was shuddering when it shifted gears. It would lose power and jerk between each gear. We paid for diagnostic at the dealership and they diagnosed as torque converter shudder under 2 separate TSB's. Dealership offered to fix at a cost of $6400. Told not to drive the vehicle or at least as little as possible.
2021 Lincoln Nautilus · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 3, 2026 · ODI 11768750
In depth: 2020 Ford Edge transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2019 Ford Edge transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2022 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2341 v3 | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| SSM 55212 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus vehicles may exhibit a shudder/chatter/vibration from the rear drive unit (RDU) during low-speed turns. Workshop Man… |
| TSB 26-2428 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2326. Reason for update: update the service procedure to include the fuel tank isolation valve replacement, upda… |
| TSB 26-2341 v2 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| TSB 26-2341 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| TSB 26-2328 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim qu… |
| SSM 54980 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is… |
| SSM 54939 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
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 52051 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 52051 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 52051 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 12 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Edge, 2022 Ford Edge, 2021 Ford Edge, 2020 Ford Edge, 2019 Ford Edge, 2023 Ford Maverick and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.