Ford bulletin SSM 52656
What it saysSome 2021-2024 F-150/Bronco and 2023-2024 Escape/F-Super Duty vehicles built with SYNC 4 require a connected phone with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay active to enable voice interactions and use of the steering wheel… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 27, 2024, received Jul 3, 2024. It names 18 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 F-150/Bronco and 2023-2024 Escape/F-Super Duty vehicles built with SYNC 4 require a connected phone with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay active to enable voice interactions and use of the steering wheel voice control button. This is due to the affected vehicles not having built in voice interactions capability. Vehicles with built in voice interaction capability can be identified as also being equipped with the built in connected navigation feature which includes a navigation tab on the center display screen. Diagnostics should only be performed for voice interactions on vehicles equipped with built in voice interaction capability or with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay active.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52656 | Service bulletin | Jun 27, 2024 | 11003144 | PDF, 41 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2023 Ford F-550 SD; 2024 Ford F-550 SD.
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 16 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,218 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 52656 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 52656 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 52656 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years: 2024 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco, 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.