Ford bulletin SSM 52772
What it saysSome 2020-2024 F-150, 2021-2024 Bronco, and 2024 Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a ticking/tapping or rattle type noise from the top front cover area of the engine on initial… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 2, 2024, received Aug 16, 2024, about the engine. It names 10 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Some 2020-2024 F-150, 2021-2024 Bronco, and 2024 Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a ticking/tapping or rattle type noise from the top front cover area of the engine on initial start-up after a cold soak of 6 hours or more that may last for 2-5 seconds. This may be due to a stuck internal component of the variable cam timing (VCT) unit.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52772 | Service bulletin | Aug 2, 2024 | 11006443 | PDF, 43 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 10 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,645 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 464 of them name Engine — 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 2020 Ford F-150, the 63 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 59,100 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I purchased the truck 2 weeks ago brand new and it has a total of 570 miles on it. After not being used for one day, the truck would not start at all. I receive a warning indicating that I should stop safely now, that full power accessory mode is on and a check engine light. I connected a OBD scanner but no codes were generated.
2023 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 26, 2023 · ODI 11551947
Oil consumption on the 5.0 liter v8 engine. The engine is consuming oil without evidence of an oil leak. Ford has a TSB for this 19-2365 which covers year model 2018-2020. There are other tsbs for older year models with this same engine. Ford says less than 1 quart of oil consumed in 3000 miles or less is normal.
2020 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 2, 2020 · ODI 11372591
The contact owned a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low turbo boost and the reduced engine power warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled over into a gas station to turn off the vehicle.
2022 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 14, 2022 · ODI 11489337
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco engine problems → · 2022 Ford F-150 engine problems → · 2021 Ford F-150 engine problems →
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group76 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55228 | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cove… |
| 25L05 | Other | Sep 2, 2026 | Certain 2024-2025 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with 2.7L Engine Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label Update |
| 26L01 | Other | Aug 25, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26L01 Certain 2018-2024 Model Year Various Vehicles 2.0L Panther Diesel Engine Timing Belt and Tensioner Inter… |
| TSB 26-2372 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2301. Reason for update: to update the Pinpoint Tests referenced in Step 1. Some of the vehicles listed in the M… |
| 25M01 | Other | Jul 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M01 Certain 2021 Model Year F-150 3.0L Diesel Engine and 2020-2022 Model Year Super Duty with 6.7L Diesel En… |
| TSB 26-2233 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 26-2116 to clarify the prior approval statement. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may ex… |
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explor… |
| SSM 54795 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may… |
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 52772 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 52772 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 52772 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2024 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2024 Ford F-150, 2023 Ford F-150 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.