Ford bulletin SSM 52178
What it saysSome 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a rattle from the front windows with the windows placed in the partially down position and driving over rough roads and/or bumps. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 15, 2024, received Jan 18, 2024, about the structure. It names 4 model years (2021–2024). 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 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a rattle from the front windows with the windows placed in the partially down position and driving over rough roads and/or bumps. This condition is currently under investigation and repairs and/or component replacement is not expected to reduce the rattle. Inform customers that they can continue to drive the vehicle and that engineering is currently developing a solution which will be available in Q3 2024. Monitor OASIS and schedule a follow up appointment with the customer when the fix becomes available.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52178 | Service bulletin | Jan 15, 2024 | 10248998 | 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.
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.
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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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 932 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 173 of them name Engine, Structure — 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.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormally loud knocking sounds. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with metal shavings in the engine oil and filter.
2022 Ford Bronco · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 17, 2022 · ODI 11489654
Was driving my son to school, maybe 30 mph when all of a sudden I heard some clicking noises from the engine. The power dropped and I was barely able to pull over to the side of the busy road out of harms way. Engine dead.
2021 Ford Bronco · Engine · filed with NHTSA Feb 24, 2022 · ODI 11453933
My vehicle started showing power loss, and within 1 mile of driving completely died and refused to restart. The dealership diagnosed the engine as having dropped a piston and will require a full replacement
2021 Ford Bronco · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 5, 2022 · ODI 11455294
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco engine 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 structure
Source: same model, same component group23 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55009 | Service bulletin | Jul 14, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a "Park Brake Limited Function Service Required" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC). T… |
| TSB 26-2298 | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 25-2551. Reason for update: to correct the descriptions for the liftgate glass weather seals. Some of the vehicles l… |
| SSM 54794 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | Some 2024-2025 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a wind noise that has been isolated to the hard top front panel seal. An updated part has been re… |
| PCM-23.11.02 | Over-the-air update | Mar 26, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: - Optimizes cabin ventilation strategy at high speeds" |
| SSM 54568 | Service bulletin | Feb 11, 2026 | Some 2024-2025 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a wind noise that has been isolated to the hard top front panel seal. An updated part has been re… |
| TSB 25-2551 | Service bulletin | Nov 18, 2025 | Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit paint wearing along on the top inner edge of the tailgate where the rea… |
| TSB 25-2453 | Service bulletin | Sep 24, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 24-2269 to add 2025 model year vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit th… |
| TSB 25-2439 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2229 to update the labor times from M-time to M-Time with a limit. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model S… |
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 52178 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 52178 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 52178 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2024 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.