Ford bulletin SSM 54217
What it saysSome 2025 Escape vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0073 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) and/or B1B38 stored in the body control module… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 15, 2025, received Sep 18, 2025, about the power train. It names 1 model year (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 communicationSome 2025 Escape vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0073 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) and/or B1B38 stored in the body control module (BCM). The vehicle may also exhibit no ambient air temperature reading shown in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and/or center display screen. This may be due to a pinched, chafed, or severed wiring harness 15K867. To inspect the suspect area of the harness for damage, turn the steering wheel to the left and remove the four lower push pins from the front passenger side fender liner. Gently fold the liner inward and visually inspect the visible portion of harness 15K867 below the passenger side headlamp and follow the harness down behind the visible parts behind the front parking aid sensors.
Trouble codes it names: B1B38 P0073
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54217 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2025 | 11023205 | PDF, 68 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 12 of them name Electrical System, Power Train — 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.
The digits no longer display on the speedometer gauge of the electronic dashboard. Digits on the high voltage battery discharge and charging gauge also do not display. Given those failures, I have concerns about warning lights that may not be working. The lack of proper speed indication increases the possibility of a collision.
2025 Ford Escape · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 2, 2026
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group39 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Escape under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55142 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Tempera… |
| TSB 26-2328 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim qu… |
| SSM 54939 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
| TSB 26-2210 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Engine misfire condition * Illuminat… |
| SSM 54825 | Service bulletin | May 15, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 Escape vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnosti… |
| SSM 54797 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
| TSB 26-2194 | Service bulletin | Apr 26, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles.… |
| SSM 54595 | Service bulletin | Feb 19, 2026 | Some 2025 Maverick/Corsair and 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission and built on 01-Sep-2024 and throug… |
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 54217 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 54217 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 54217 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2025 Ford Escape. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.