TSB SSM-51251 — Ford Service bulletin

SSM-51251 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for 2 Ford models, 2011–2016 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

What the bulletin says. Some 2011-2022 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine may exhibit a ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as Typewriter Noise because of its similarity to the sound of a mechanical typewriter. When engine temperatures reach…

NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.

1Document filed
2Vehicles named
6Model years

Vehicles and model years SSM-51251 names

VehicleModel years
Ford F-250 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Ford F-350 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Every document filed under SSM-51251

Document IDFiledType
SSM 51251 December 13, 2022 Service bulletin

What SSM-51251 covers

Engine — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.

← All Ford F-250 TSB years TSB lookup by model

Questions buyers ask

What is TSB SSM-51251?

SSM-51251 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Ford, covering 2 Ford models across the 2011–2016 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: Some 2011-2022 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine may exhibit a ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as Typewriter Noise because of its similarity to the sound of a mechanical typewriter. When engine temperatures reach…

Which vehicles does SSM-51251 cover?

NHTSA's file names Ford F-250 (2011–2016); Ford F-350 (2011–2016). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.

Is TSB SSM-51251 a recall, and is the repair free?

No. SSM-51251 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.

How do I get the full text of SSM-51251?

Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under SSM-51251, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under SSM-51251. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.