Ford bulletin SSM 52704
What it saysSome 2019-2024 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a programming Error - "INSTL_ERR12" while programming APIM using the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) or experience a frozen screen which says "updating… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 9, 2024, received Aug 5, 2024. It names 72 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2019–2024). 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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2019-2024 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a programming Error - "INSTL_ERR12" while programming APIM using the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) or experience a frozen screen which says "updating system software" or no progress/response from module using the universal USB updater. This may be due to low memory in the APIM commonly occurring on software level NU5T-14G381-AB/BB. The current software level can be verified in the SYNC tab of Professional Technician System (PTS) or using the vehicle's center display screen, Settings > General > About. To correct the condition, run the universal USB updater. If unsuccessful, using the latest software version of the FDRS scan tool, run the service function "APIM - Reset the Accessory Protocol Interface Module Application" and select "Clear All User Data" option. The center display screen will reboot. As soon as the vehicle's center display screen displays the boot up logo, immediately reinsert the same universal serial bus (USB) drive that was utilized during the prior failed programming attempt.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52704 | Service bulletin | Jul 9, 2024 | 11005710 | PDF, 56 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 themFord 56 model years
and 13 more on this site: 2023 Ford Ranger, 2022 Ford Ranger, 2021 Ford Ranger, 2020 Ford Ranger, 2019 Ford Ranger, 2024 Ford Transit, 2023 Ford Transit, 2022 Ford Transit, 2021 Ford Transit, 2020 Ford Transit, 2021 Ford Transit Connect, 2020 Ford Transit Connect, 2019 Ford Transit Connect.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2020 Ford F-550 SD; 2021 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-550 SD.
Lincoln 16 model years
and 8 more on this site: 2021 Lincoln Corsair, 2020 Lincoln Corsair, 2020 Lincoln MKZ, 2019 Lincoln MKZ, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus, 2019 Lincoln Nautilus, 2021 Lincoln Navigator, 2020 Lincoln Navigator.
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 69 model years this bulletin names have filed 15,710 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 and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 52704 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 52704 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 52704 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 72 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford EcoSport, 2021 Ford EcoSport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.