Ford bulletin TSB 22-2396
What it saysSome 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 25, 2022, received Nov 1, 2022, about the power train. It names 8 model years (2016–2020). 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 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. The noise may be present in all gear ranges including neutral when the vehicle is moving but will not be present when the vehicle is stationary or in park.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 22-2396 | Service bulletin | Oct 25, 2022 | 10225458 | PDF, 114 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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,251 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 930 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 2016 Ford Fusion, the 208 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 83,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Was driving it to a shop to do a transmission fluid exchange and got a big Stop Safely Now warning on the dash with an AdvanceTrac warning as well. Car stopped dead on a freeway off ramp - was very fortunate to get an immediate SoCal Freeway Service tow off the ramp in Los Angeles to a safe place, and after AAA told me I might wait 4…
2016 Ford C-MAX · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 2, 2023 · ODI 11547715
The contact owns a 2018 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop at a red light, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality; however, the failure had since become a regular failure.
2018 Ford C-MAX · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2023 · ODI 11539404
The car suddenly stopped accelerating while turning left into an intersection from a stoplight, heading towards to a freeway on-ramp; there was a grinding sound. I was able to move to the curb lane before anyone hit me or others behind me. The car would not go into any gears and kept rolling even when in Park.
2018 Ford Fusion · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2026 · ODI 11769835
In depth: 2020 Ford Fusion transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2019 Ford Fusion transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2018 Ford Fusion transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2017 Ford Fusion 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 group3 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25B61 | Other | Feb 17, 2026 | Certain 2013-2014 Model Year Escape and 2013-2016 Fusion Vehicles Equipped with a 6F35 Transmission Shift Cable Bushing Inspection and Pro… |
| SSM 52314 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2024 | During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the cr… |
| 22N12 S1 | Service bulletin | May 26, 2023 | Certain 2015-2018 Model Year Edge, 2019-2020 Fusion and MKZ Vehicles Equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost Engine and 6F35 Transmission Rattle Noise… |
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 TSB 22-2396 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 TSB 22-2396 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 TSB 22-2396 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2018 Ford C-MAX, 2017 Ford C-MAX, 2016 Ford C-MAX, 2020 Ford Fusion, 2019 Ford Fusion, 2018 Ford Fusion and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.