Ford bulletin SSM 53601
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator, 2020-2025 Police Interceptor Utility, 2020-2025 Escape/Corsair, 2022-2025 Maverick, and 2024-2025 Nautilus vehicles equipped with a hybrid powertrain may exhibit an illuminated… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 8, 2025, received Apr 16, 2025. It names 27 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 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator, 2020-2025 Police Interceptor Utility, 2020-2025 Escape/Corsair, 2022-2025 Maverick, and 2024-2025 Nautilus vehicles equipped with a hybrid powertrain may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P2450:00 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to an evaporative emission system concern or may also be caused by the customer overfilling the fuel tank. If this condition occurs, perform normal diagnosis per Workshop Manual (WSM) Section, 303-13 and repair as necessary. Inform the customer that the condition may have been caused by overfilling of the fuel tank and to not top-off the fuel tank when the fuel pump nozzle automatically shuts off for the first time. Refer the customer to the Fuel and Refueling section of their Owner Manual for additional information.
Trouble codes it names: P2450
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53601 | Service bulletin | Apr 8, 2025 | 11017059 | PDF, 71 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 16 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 27 model years this bulletin names have filed 6,833 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 53601 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 53601 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 53601 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 27 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2025 Ford Escape, 2024 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape, 2020 Ford Escape and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.