Ford bulletin SSM 53465
What it saysSome 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, 2020-2024 Escape/Corsair/Edge/Nautilus/Transit Connect and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles may exhibit erratic shifting and/or a transmission fluid venting condition. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 4, 2025, received Mar 11, 2025. It names 33 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2025). 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 communicationSome 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, 2020-2024 Escape/Corsair/Edge/Nautilus/Transit Connect and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles may exhibit erratic shifting and/or a transmission fluid venting condition. If during the preliminary inspection the transmission fluid is found to be a foamy pink color, this may indicate possible cross contamination of engine coolant and transmission fluid due to an internally leaking transmission fluid cooler assembly.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53465 | Service bulletin | Mar 4, 2025 | 11015514 | PDF, 67 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 22 model years
Lincoln 11 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 33 model years this bulletin names have filed 6,597 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 53465 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 53465 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 53465 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 33 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2024 Ford Edge, 2023 Ford Edge and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.