Ford bulletin SSM 52980
What it saysSome of the following vehicles may exhibit one passive key that is unable to start the vehicle or activate the passive entry feature; however, all remote keyless entry (RKE) physical button functionality works correctly… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 27, 2024, received Oct 1, 2024. It names 14 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2023–2025). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some of the following vehicles may exhibit one passive key that is unable to start the vehicle or activate the passive entry feature; however, all remote keyless entry (RKE) physical button functionality works correctly and the second passive key will have full/correct functionality (including being able to start the vehicle):
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52980 | Service bulletin | Sep 27, 2024 | 11008222 | PDF, 74 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 12 model years
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2023 Ford F-550 SD; 2024 Ford F-550 SD.
Lincoln 2 model years
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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 749 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 52980 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 52980 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 52980 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 14 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Bronco, 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 Ford F-150, 2024 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2024 Mustang: built on or after 31 May 2024; 2024 Bronco: built on or after 1 Jun 2024 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.