Ford bulletin SSM 54980
What it saysSome 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is running with the vehicle stationary in drive with no throttle input and brakes… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 2, 2026, received Jul 8, 2026, about the power train. It names 3 model years (2022–2024). 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 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is running with the vehicle stationary in drive with no throttle input and brakes applied. An intermittent engine rocking or rolling motion in one direction may also be observed while the concern is present with the hood open. The noise may be present with no drivability concerns, relevant diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) stored, warning indicators illuminated and/or warning messages displayed. The noise may reduce or be eliminated after several minutes of driving when the powertrain warms up. This condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. 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 Q3 of 2026. Replacement of the engine or transmission will not resolve this condition. Monitor Professional Technician System (PTS) for additional information and schedule
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54980 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | 11034857 | PDF, 71 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,148 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 635 of them name Power Train, 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 2022 Ford Maverick, the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 18,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Transmission Failure. Following a 550 mile road trip over two days. The transmission would fail to engage in Drive and Reverse until the engine was throttled to 4000-4500RPM. Transmission felt like a Manual with failing clutch, would slip until slowly engaging after running at high RPMs for a few seconds.
2022 Ford Maverick · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 29, 2022 · ODI 11481721
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 · ODI 11619385
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 · ODI 11546175
In depth: 2023 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Ford Maverick engine problems → · 2022 Ford Maverick transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2022 Ford Maverick engine 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 group37 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Maverick 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… |
| 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 54939 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shud… |
| 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 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… |
| TSB 26-2194 | Service bulletin | Apr 26, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles.… |
| TSB 26-2058 | Service bulletin | Feb 20, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2567 Reason for update: update the model years Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may e… |
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 54980 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 54980 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 54980 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2024 Ford Maverick, 2023 Ford Maverick, 2022 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.