Ford bulletin SSM 54451
What it saysSome 2025 Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with only diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0300 and P0316 stored in the powertrain… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 18, 2025, received Jan 7, 2026, about the engine. It names 2 model years (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 Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with only diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0300 and P0316 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This condition occurs after initial engine start up following an overnight cold soak or short cold soak (2-3 hours). This condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis is required for this condition at this time. The replacement of components or reprogramming of modules will not resolve this condition. Clear the DTCs and return the vehicle to the customer. Inform customers that they can continue to drive the vehicle and engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition that is expected in Q2 2026. Continue to monitor Professional Technician System (PTS) for additional information and schedule service appointments for customers once the repair becomes available.
Trouble codes it names: P0300 P0316
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54451 | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2025 | 11027146 | 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 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 22 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.
The contact owned a 2025 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, another driver pulled closer to the vehicle and honked to get the contact's attention. The contact stated that upon rolling down the window, the contact noticed flames coming from the front driver's side wheel well. There was no warning light illuminated.
2025 Ford Bronco · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 17, 2026
Complete power loss from transmission. Yes available for inspection. Power loss was experienced on at least 4 separate occasions. This occurred during either slowing down or stopping to make a left hand turn while yielding to oncoming traffic.
2025 Ford Ranger · Engine · filed with NHTSA May 6, 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 engine
Source: same model, same component group25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 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… |
| 24N12 S2 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | Certain 2021 - 2022 Model Year Various Vehicles Engine Valve Inspection Test This submission includes : Technical Instructions Updated word… |
| SSM 54275 | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2025 | Some 2021-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine, 2021-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.0L plug… |
| 25H03 | Other | Sep 3, 2025 | Harvest Program 25H03 Certain 2024 - 2025 Model Year Bronco, Bronco Sport, Corsair, Escape, Explorer, Maverick, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicle… |
| PCM-25.8.1 | Over-the-air update | Sep 2, 2025 | Quality improvements include: -On-Board Diagnostics calibration for an enhanced Intake air temperature sensor performance |
| PCM-25.10.0 | Over-the-air update | Sep 2, 2025 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a potential Malfunction Indicator Lamp caused by two Diagnostic Trouble Codes triggered by a random… |
| 24N12 -S1 | Other | Aug 25, 2025 | NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD Safety Recall 24S55 – Supplement #1 Dated: August 15, 2025 Customer Satisfaction Program 24N12 Dat… |
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 54451 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 54451 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 54451 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 Ford Bronco, 2025 Ford Ranger. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.