Ford bulletin SSM 54631
What it saysSome 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 6, 2026, received Mar 11, 2026, about the engine. It names 12 model years (2020–2026). 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 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. This may require removal of the exhaust heat exchanger. WSM, Section 309-00 Exhaust System > 2.5L Duratec hybrid > Removal and Installation > Exhaust Heat Exchanger has been revised to eliminate the need to remove the muffler assembly. The procedure steps and labor times have been updated to reflect this adjustment.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54631 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | 11029931 | PDF, 66 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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,209 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 737 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 2020 Ford Escape, the 51 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 63,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
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
The plastic cooling system overflow expansion tank sign is stress cracking in the inlet tubing at approximately 8K miles. It has gotten worse with my odometer at 12K now. I have not contacted Ford regarding a warranty replacement because they would just replace it with the same defective part.
2023 Ford Maverick · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 11, 2024
This vehicle was purchased in 2021 with a 3 year 36k mile warranty. At 39k miles the truck has started to shut off randomly while driving. It has put us in very dangerous situations and it happens multiple times every day. The vehicle will be driving down the road and suddenly shut off.
2022 Ford Maverick · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2023
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 group29 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 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… |
| SSM 54980 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is… |
| 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… |
| SSM 54822 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2026 | All 2026 Maverick non-Lobo vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine and built on or after 04-May-2026 and all 2026 Bronco Sport vehicles built o… |
| 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 54738 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape 1.5L/F-Super Duty/Transit vehicles may exhibit a lack of cooling from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning… |
| SSM 54540 | Service bulletin | Jan 31, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require replacement of the engine thermostat due to var… |
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 54631 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 54631 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 54631 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 12 model years: 2026 Ford Escape, 2025 Ford Escape, 2024 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.