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Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Ford bulletin SSM 52704

Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 9, 2024, received Aug 5, 2024, about the unknown or other. It names 56 model years (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.

What the bulletin says

Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communication

Some 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.

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Jul 9, 2024 Received by NHTSA Aug 5, 2024 Components Unknown Or Other

Document filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
SSM 52704Service bulletinJul 9, 202411005710not yet checked

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.

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is 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 56 model years: 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.