Ford bulletin SSM 54522
What it saysSome 2025-2026 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… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 28, 2026, received Feb 4, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2025–2026). 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 2025-2026 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 54522 | Service bulletin | Jan 28, 2026 | 11028166 | PDF, 69 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 33 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 11 of them name Electrical System — 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group68 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Escape under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| 26N15 | Other | Aug 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N15 Certain 2020-2026 Model Year Escape and 2021-2026 Model Year Corsair Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles… |
| SSM 55031 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as i… |
| GSM-26.P0929 | Over-the-air update | Jul 9, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Updates the gear shift lock diagnostic logic to prevent false wrench lights |
| SYNC-25.2.3.11.1 | Over-the-air update | Jun 29, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Resolves SiriusXM disk memory usage |
| TSB 26-2297 | Service bulletin | Jun 24, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above equipped with SYNC4 may experience a blank center display screen or black center di… |
| SSM 54943 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Escape vehicles equipped with an 8-inch IPC display (minor feature code HCAAN), may exhibit a fuel gauge showing the tank is… |
| ACM-26.S | Over-the-air update | Jun 10, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a potential communication condition that may result in a loss of radio audio. |
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 54522 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 54522 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 54522 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Ford Escape, 2025 Ford Escape. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.