Ford bulletin SSM 53801
What it saysSome 2022-2025 Maverick vehicles with a hybrid powertrain and built on or before 17-Feb-2025 may exhibit a 12V battery drain. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 16, 2025, received May 21, 2025, about the engine. It names 4 model years (2022–2025). 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.
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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 2022-2025 Maverick vehicles with a hybrid powertrain and built on or before 17-Feb-2025 may exhibit a 12V battery drain. This may be due to the software installed in the air conditioning control module (ACCM). To correct this condition, perform a battery condition test as outlined in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 414-01 Battery, Mounting and Cables > Diagnosis and Testing > Pinpoint Test A. Service the battery as necessary. Connect a battery charger such as Rotunda GRX-3590 or DCA-8000 to the 12-volt battery. Download and run the "air conditioning control module (ACCM) software update" application in the Ford Diagnosis And Repair System (FDRS) scan tool. If the battery was replaced, download and run the "BCM-reset the battery monitoring sensor learned values" application in FDRS. For claiming, use causal part 19703 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53801 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2025 | 11018523 | PDF, 44 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,198 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 653 of them name Power Train, 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 2022 Ford Maverick, the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 18,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
At 3k miles the turbocharger and parts within the transmission failed on my 2025 ford maverick, there were no warning lamps or messages on the dash but I had the symptoms of lack of power, the truck struggled to climb hills, it sounded like the turbo sound was coming through the air vents, and going uphill it almost stalled.
2025 Ford Maverick · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 28, 2026 · ODI 11760204
Transmission Failure. Following a 550 mile road trip over two days. The transmission would fail to engage in Drive and Reverse until the engine was throttled to 4000-4500RPM. Transmission felt like a Manual with failing clutch, would slip until slowly engaging after running at high RPMs for a few seconds.
2022 Ford Maverick · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 29, 2022 · ODI 11481721
Loud Knocking from engine, CEL illuminated flashing, loss in power and had an active misfire in cyl #2. Upon inspection cyl #2 Spark plug electrode broke off/melted into the cylinder causing a gauge in the cylinder. Vehicle is being dropped off to the dealer for most likely an engine replacement
2025 Ford Maverick · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 28, 2026 · ODI 11760304
In depth: 2023 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Ford Maverick engine problems → · 2022 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2022 Ford Maverick 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 group13 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Maverick 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 55157 | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is… |
| 25M03 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M03 Certain 2020-2025 Model Year Escape, 2021-2025 Model Year Corsair and 2022- 2025 Model Year Maverick Veh… |
| 25B33 | Other | Jun 1, 2026 | Certain 2023-2025 Model Year Escape and Corsair, 2024-2025 Model Year Nautilus, 2025-2026 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2025 Model Year Maver… |
| 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 54631 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. This may requir… |
| 25H03 | Other | Sep 3, 2025 | Harvest Program 25H03 Certain 2024 - 2025 Model Year Bronco, Bronco Sport, Corsair, Escape, Explorer, Maverick, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicle… |
| SSM 53800 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2025 | Some 2025 Maverick hybrid vehicles built on or before 17-Feb-2025 may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0001:88 stored in the air condi… |
| SSM 53764 | Service bulletin | May 13, 2025 | Some 2020 Continental, 2020-2024 Edge/Nautilus, 2020-2025 Explorer/Aviator/Escape/Corsair/F-150/F-Super Duty/Ranger/Transit/E-Series, 2021-2… |
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 53801 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 53801 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 53801 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2025 Ford Maverick, 2024 Ford Maverick, 2023 Ford Maverick, 2022 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.