Ford bulletin SSM 55221
What it saysFor 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 6, 2026, received Oct 12, 2026, about the power train. It names 23 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2022–2026). 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.
For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing. This updated procedure improves the diagnosis of customer reported transmission concerns and aids in locating the proper root cause. During diagnosis and testing, details regarding whether the condition is more prevalent when the vehicle is hot or cold, throttle percentage at the time of occurrence, vehicle speed, the specific shift involved, and whether the issue occurs during transmission engagements (N>R, N>D, R>D, and/or D>R) should be noted in the warranty claim. Engineering requests including these detailed operating conditions that will significantly assist with root cause analysis. Diagnosis, testing, and repair should use established labor times outside this article.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55221 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | 11038438 | PDF, 67 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 5 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 23 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,860 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,369 of them name Electrical System, 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 2022 Ford Maverick, the 28 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 36,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I am filing a complaint regarding the outcome of Safety Recall 25SC4 on my vehicle. Following the completion of the recall service at the dealership on 9/11/2026, my vehicle's electric driving range immediately suffered an approximate 25% reduction from the previous week charging capacity. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.
2022 Lincoln Corsair · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 6, 2026 · ODI 11769450
If the vehicle sits for more than 36 hours, it enters a deep sleep mode and develops an unresolved battery drain issue, rendering it inoperable. This vehicle has been in the shop four times with three battery replacements having less than $30,000 MI if a person or to drive this out of town or park at a rest stop, it could lead them…
2025 Ford Maverick · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2026 · ODI 11769796
I pulled my 2022 Maverick into my parking spot at work and everything went dead. I had to use my key to open my tailgate. The tow service jumped the battery and it started, however, when they went to take it off the tow truck at the Ford dealership, it had to be jump started again. I was told the battery was bad and they changed it.
2022 Ford Maverick · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 9, 2023 · ODI 11537342
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport electrical problems → · 2022 Ford Bronco Sport transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Ford Escape electrical problems → · 2022 Ford Escape electrical 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 group62 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 26-2341 v2 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| SSM 55142 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Tempera… |
| 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 26-2341 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2171. Reasons for update: update the Parts list to add a note to clarify the application of the part numbers W52… |
| 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 26-2270 | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2140. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct the part description of the part number JM5Z-7N473-C… |
| 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… |
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 55221 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 55221 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 55221 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 23 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, 2024 Ford Edge and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.