Ford bulletin SSM 54939
What it saysSome 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 16, 2026, received Jun 22, 2026, about the power train. It names 25 model years across Ford and Lincoln (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.
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 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no relevant diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). Sometimes, this may be perceived/felt as an engine misfire. This may be due to the torque converter. If Pinpoint Test K: Torque Converter Clutch Operation in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing > Diagnosis by Symptom directs to replace the torque converter, remove and replace the torque converter and torque converter seal. Refer to WSM, Section 307-01 > Removal and Installation > Torque Converter Seal. Remove the main control valve body. Refer to WSM, Section 307-01 > Removal and Installation > Main Control Valve Body. Overhaul and thoroughly clean the main control valve body. Refer to WSM, Section 307-01 > Overhaul > Main Control Valve Body. Reverse the removal procedure to reassemble the transmission. Install the transmission. Refer to WSM, Section 307-01 > Installation. For claim
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54939 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | 11034017 | PDF, 74 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 18 model years
Lincoln 7 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 25 model years this bulletin names have filed 5,904 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,116 of them name 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.
On the 2020 Ford Escape, the 78 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 46,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Transmission realized a catastrophic and destructive failure. The vehicle immediately lost power and speed. Scattering debris and transmission fluid on the highway. Causing a safety concern for me and other drivers. Confirmed by a dealer. Inspected by the dealer. I experienced irregular transmission shifts and shuttering at times.
2021 Lincoln Corsair · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 11, 2025 · ODI 11698723
In three occasions the automatic transmission has stopped working, operating under normal city driving conditions. Turning the car off and on again, it has worked properly. The car has less than 4000 miles. I took it to the Ford repair shop and there is a defect in the hybrid transmission, and it will take 4-6 weeks to be solved.
2020 Ford Escape · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 16, 2021 · ODI 11429336
At 3k miles the turbocharger and parts within the transmission failed on my 2025 ford maverick, there were no warning lamps or messages on the dash but I had the symptoms of lack of power, the truck struggled to climb hills, it sounded like the turbo sound was coming through the air vents, and going uphill it almost stalled.
2025 Ford Maverick · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 28, 2026 · ODI 11760204
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2021 Ford Escape transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2020 Ford Escape transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group60 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 26-2428 | 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… |
| SSM 55088 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2026 | Some 2023-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L may exhibit a lack of air conditioning (A/C) cooling while at a stop and idling in… |
| TSB 26-2328 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim qu… |
| 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… |
| TSB 26-2210 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Engine misfire condition * Illuminat… |
| SSM 54825 | Service bulletin | May 15, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 Escape vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnosti… |
| 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… |
| SSM 54797 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
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 54939 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 54939 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 54939 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 25 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2026 Ford Bronco Sport, 2025 Ford Bronco Sport, 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.