Ford bulletin SSM 52444
What it saysSome 2018-2024 Mustang vehicles built on and after 04-Dec-2017 may exhibit a ting, pop, clunk, or click noise from the rear wheel hub when accelerating, applying brakes, or when shifting between drive/reverse (torque… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 15, 2024, received Apr 29, 2024, about the power train. It names 7 model years (2018–2024). 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 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 2018-2024 Mustang vehicles built on and after 04-Dec-2017 may exhibit a ting, pop, clunk, or click noise from the rear wheel hub when accelerating, applying brakes, or when shifting between drive/reverse (torque reversals). This condition may be caused by stick/slip between the hub and halfshaft interface during the torque reversals creating the ting, pop, clunk, or click noise. To correct the condition, refer to the Workshop Manual (WSM) to replace the halfshaft and hub assembly of the suspected side(s).
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52444 | Service bulletin | Apr 15, 2024 | 10253687 | PDF, 68 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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 676 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 119 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 2018 Ford Mustang, the 29 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 10,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and shaking uncontrollably. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly while driving on the interstate.
2020 Ford Mustang · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jan 11, 2022 · ODI 11447129
At idle the engine idles roughly and rotates randomly at speeds from 300 to 900 RPM. When starting from a stop such as a traffic light or when pulling onto a roadway hesitation is often noted and on several occasions this has resulted in near accidents as the vehicle won't proceed as required to move through an intersection
2021 Ford Mustang · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 19, 2024 · ODI 11620825
Transmition slips out or gear or will not engage when shifting from a parked location from reverse to drive . A loud clunck or grind of gesrs is heard . The car was bought brand new. Issues appeared from day one. The shifting problemm became more frequent. At 2700 miles took to dealership and no issues found.
2018 Ford Mustang · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 10, 2019 · ODI 11254587
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 group50 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Mustang 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 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2431 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason For Update: update the Service Procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with the new Fo… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| SSM 55072 | Service bulletin | Aug 6, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 5.0L or 2.3L engine and built on 15-Aug-2025 and through 01-Dec-2025 may exhibit various dri… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| TSB 26-2263 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2112. Reason For Update: add 2026 model year vehicles, update LV fluid XT-10-QLVC and CXT-10-LV6 description to… |
| TSB 26-2210 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Engine misfire condition * Illuminat… |
| TSB 26-2241 | Service bulletin | May 18, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2587. Reason For Update: update the Parts list to add the F-clutch friction plates HL3Z-7B164-D and the F-clutch… |
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 52444 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 52444 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 52444 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2024 Ford Mustang, 2023 Ford Mustang, 2022 Ford Mustang, 2021 Ford Mustang, 2020 Ford Mustang, 2019 Ford Mustang and more. 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: 2018-2024 Mustang: built after 4 Dec 2017 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.