Ford bulletin SSM 52515
What it saysSome 2020-2024 Escape and 2021-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles may exhibit a moan noise when the vehicle is driven in reverse (R) in cold weather and/or high humidity. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 7, 2024, received May 17, 2024. It names 9 model years (2020–2024). 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 2020-2024 Escape and 2021-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles may exhibit a moan noise when the vehicle is driven in reverse (R) in cold weather and/or high humidity. Ford is aware of the concern and this condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. Inform customers that they can continue to drive the vehicle and engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition that is expected by the 4th quarter of 2024. Monitor OASIS for additional information and schedule service appointments for customers once the repair becomes available.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52515 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2024 | 11000187 | PDF, 69 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 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,386 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.

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 52515 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 52515 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 52515 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2024 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Escape and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.