Ford bulletin SSM 52334
What it saysSome 2011-2024 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a tick tap and/or typewriter ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 6, 2024, received Mar 20, 2024, about the engine. It names 17 model years (2016–2024). 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.
Get the next Ford bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat 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 2011-2024 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a tick tap and/or typewriter ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as typewriter noise because of its similarity to the sound of a mechanical typewriter. The noise in question may be heard on some engines when engine temperatures reach 150°F (65°C) or higher and engine speed is at idle up to approximately 1700 RPM. It can typically be heard at the front wheel well and is often isolated to the transmission bell housing or oil pan area. The typewriter noise tick rate can be faster or slower and is not detrimental to the engine function or durability and has no short or long term effects on the engine. This an operating characteristic of the 5.0L engine and no repairs should be attempted. This information along with an example audio clip has been added to the WSM Section 303-00 Engine System General Information > Diagnosis and Testing > Engine > PPT F > Step F2.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52334 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2024 | 10251951 | PDF, 71 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.
Email me new Ford bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 17 model years this bulletin names have filed 11,945 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 2,305 of them name Engine — 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 2018 Ford F-150, the 331 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 63,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
2016 Ford F-150 xlt 2.7l ecoboost automatic model with approximately 3,400 miles. Had already driven about 4-5 miles with engine already warmed up. Dry weather and about 69 degrees f outside. Came up to stop light with other vehicles ahead slowed down. Came to a complete stop and the auto-stop function engaged and the engine shut off.
2016 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 18, 2016 · ODI 10875039
I purchased the truck 2 weeks ago brand new and it has a total of 570 miles on it. After not being used for one day, the truck would not start at all. I receive a warning indicating that I should stop safely now, that full power accessory mode is on and a check engine light. I connected a OBD scanner but no codes were generated.
2023 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 26, 2023 · ODI 11551947
Took delivery 5/8. Called dealer service department 5/17 to see about rough idle and a few minor cosmetic issues. Dropped off 5/25, service advisor called 5/26 to tell me it is blowing oil through the pistons and they are going to have to replace the heads per a TSB. I started research on the internet and found Ford TSB 17-0007.
2017 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 6, 2017 · ODI 10993422
In depth: 2022 Ford F-150 engine problems → · 2021 Ford F-150 engine problems → · 2020 Ford F-150 engine problems → · 2019 Ford F-150 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 engine
Source: same model, same component group68 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55228 | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cove… |
| 25L05 | Other | Sep 2, 2026 | Certain 2024-2025 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with 2.7L Engine Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label Update |
| 25M01 | Other | Jul 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M01 Certain 2021 Model Year F-150 3.0L Diesel Engine and 2020-2022 Model Year Super Duty with 6.7L Diesel En… |
| TSB 26-2233 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 26-2116 to clarify the prior approval statement. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may ex… |
| SSM 54795 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may… |
| SSM 54742 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles may set diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0420:82 in the image processing module a (IPMA) during a diagnost… |
| TSB 26-2116 | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2323 to update the Service procedure, Parts list, and add a clarification note about Cost Cap and Prior appro… |
| 24N12 S2 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | Certain 2021 - 2022 Model Year Various Vehicles Engine Valve Inspection Test This submission includes : Technical Instructions Updated word… |
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 52334 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 52334 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 52334 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 17 model years: 2023 Ford F-150, 2022 Ford F-150, 2021 Ford F-150, 2020 Ford F-150, 2019 Ford F-150, 2018 Ford F-150 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.