Ford bulletin SSM 54738
What it saysSome 2023-2025 Escape 1.5L/F-Super Duty/Transit vehicles may exhibit a lack of cooling from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which may be accompanied by abnormal rattling, grinding and/or… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 13, 2026, received Apr 14, 2026, about the power train. It names 18 model years (2023–2025). 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 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 2023-2025 Escape 1.5L/F-Super Duty/Transit vehicles may exhibit a lack of cooling from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which may be accompanied by abnormal rattling, grinding and/or squealing noises from the engine compartment. This may be due to damage to the air conditioning (A/C) compressor internal components and/or clutch assembly. Confirm ambient air temperature is above approximately 0°C (32.0°F). On the HVAC controls, set the temperature to full cold (not MAX A/C), select PANEL, set the fan speed to the highest setting and select the A/C button (indicator on). If the A/C compressor clutch engages and the A/C compressor is noisy, and/or the belt is slipping on the A/C compressor pulley or the A/C compressor is seized, install a new A/C compressor as indicated in Section 412-00 of the Workshop Manual (WSM). For claiming, use causal part 19703 and labor operation MT19700SSM up to 0.3 hours to check for a damaged compressor. If the compressor requires replacement, claim labor operations 19700A and 19700A4. Also claim available Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) op
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54738 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | 11031302 | 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2023 Ford F-550 SD; 2024 Ford F-550 SD; 2025 Ford F-550 SD.
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 15 model years this bulletin names have filed 569 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 171 of them name Engine, 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 contact owns a 2024 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that a software update had been completed on the TCM.
2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 16, 2025 · ODI 11674055
Less than 4000 miles- first transmission failed while pulling a large trailer- ford replaced the transmission and the new transmission, only 200 miles later did the same thing when pulling a trailer, up hill. It throws the transmission into 10th gear and you loose all power, Check engine light comes on and it slams back into 4th gear.
2025 Ford F-450 Super Duty · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 3, 2025 · ODI 11684755
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
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 group123 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2431 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason For Update: update the Service Procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with the new Fo… |
| SSM 55218 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R140 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford… |
| TSB 26-2088 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 24-2249. Reason for update: update the claim quantity of the torque converter nuts, part number and claim quantity… |
| TSB 26-2428 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2326. Reason for update: update the service procedure to include the fuel tank isolation valve replacement, upda… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| TSB 26-2406 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
| TSB 26-2252 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
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 54738 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 54738 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 54738 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years: 2025 Ford Escape, 2024 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Escape, 2025 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2024 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.