Ford bulletin SSM 54269
What it saysSome 2021-2025 Expedition/Navigator/F-150/F-Super Duty/F-53 Motorhome/F59 Commercial Stripped Chassis/F-650/F-750/Transit vehicles equipped with a 2.7L,3.5L EcoBoost (non-hybrid), 3.5L Cyclone, 6.8L or 7.3L engine… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 4, 2025, received Oct 8, 2025, about the engine. It names 55 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 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 2021-2025 Expedition/Navigator/F-150/F-Super Duty/F-53 Motorhome/F59 Commercial Stripped Chassis/F-650/F-750/Transit vehicles equipped with a 2.7L,3.5L EcoBoost (non-hybrid), 3.5L Cyclone, 6.8L or 7.3L engine, may exhibit a rattle/scraping noise from the bellhousing area on start-up. Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 Engine System - General Information > Diagnosis and Testing and 303-06 > Starting System has been updated. Additionally, WSM, Section 303-01 > Removal and Installation > Engine to Transmission Spacer Plate has been added to address this condition. Refer to the revised WSM sections for normal diagnosis.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54269 | Service bulletin | Oct 4, 2025 | 11024021 | PDF, 70 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 50 model years
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 Ford F-53; 2022 Ford F-53; 2023 Ford F-53; 2024 Ford F-53; 2021 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-550 SD; 2023 Ford F-550 SD; 2024 Ford F-550 SD; 2025 Ford F-550 SD; 2021 Ford F-650 SD; 2022 Ford F-650 SD; 2023 Ford F-650 SD; 2024 Ford F-650 SD; 2025 Ford F-650 SD; 2021 Ford F-750 SD; 2022 Ford F-750 SD; 2023 Ford F-750 SD; 2024 Ford F-750 SD; 2025 Ford F-750 SD.
Lincoln 5 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 36 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,641 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 331 of them name 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 2021 Ford F-150, the 31 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 48,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-450SD. The contact stated while driving 50-65 MPH, the vehicle lost drive power and the instrument panel lights started flickering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart, and the contact resumed driving.
2022 Ford F-450 Super Duty · Engine · filed with NHTSA Feb 6, 2025 · ODI 11641049
The contact owned a 2024 Ford F-450 SD. The contact stated that while his fiancée was driving with cruise control set to 57 MPH, there was an abnormally strong smoky odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and there were flames coming from the engine bay.
2024 Ford F-450 Super Duty · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2026 · ODI 11757734
I purchased the truck 2 weeks ago brand new and it has a total of 570 miles on it. After not being used for one day, the truck would not start at all. I receive a warning indicating that I should stop safely now, that full power accessory mode is on and a check engine light. I connected a OBD scanner but no codes were generated.
2023 Ford F-150 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 26, 2023 · ODI 11551947
In depth: 2021 Ford Expedition engine problems → · 2022 Ford F-150 engine problems → · 2021 Ford F-150 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 group105 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models 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 55228 | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cove… |
| 25L05 | Other | Sep 2, 2026 | Certain 2024-2025 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with 2.7L Engine Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label Update |
| 26N03 | Other | Aug 26, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N03 Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Super Duty Vehicles w/ 6.7L Diesel Engines Diesel Particulate Filter Replac… |
| 26E02 | Other | Aug 26, 2026 | NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD Emissions Recall 26E02 Certain 2016-2019 F-650 - 750 and 2017-2019 F-350 - 550 Vehicles Equipped With 6.7L Diesel… |
| 26L01 | Other | Aug 25, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26L01 Certain 2018-2024 Model Year Various Vehicles 2.0L Panther Diesel Engine Timing Belt and Tensioner Inter… |
| TSB 26-2349 | Service bulletin | Jul 31, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2415. Reason for update: To add production build dates of the right-side engine valve cover. Some of the vehicle… |
| 25M01 | Other | Jul 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M01 Certain 2021 Model Year F-150 3.0L Diesel Engine and 2020-2022 Model Year Super Duty with 6.7L Diesel En… |
| SSM 54969 | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Navigator vehicles may have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B14E4:55 stored in the body control module (BCM). The rear turn sig… |
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 54269 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 54269 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 54269 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 55 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2025 Ford Expedition, 2024 Ford Expedition, 2023 Ford Expedition, 2022 Ford Expedition, 2021 Ford Expedition, 2025 Ford F-150 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.