TSB SSM-54540 — Ford Service bulletin
SSM-54540 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for 2 Ford models, 2026 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
What the bulletin says. Some 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require replacement of the engine thermostat due to various concerns. Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-03A Engine Cooling > Thermostat Housing > Removal and Installation has been updated with…
NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.
Vehicles and model years SSM-54540 names
| Vehicle | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Bronco Sport | 2026 |
| Ford Escape | 2026 |
Every document filed under SSM-54540
| Document ID | Filed | Type |
|---|---|---|
| SSM 54540 | January 31, 2026 | Service bulletin |
What SSM-54540 covers
Engine — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.
Questions buyers ask
What is TSB SSM-54540?
SSM-54540 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Ford, covering 2 Ford models across the 2026 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: Some 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require replacement of the engine thermostat due to various concerns. Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-03A Engine Cooling > Thermostat Housing > Removal and Installation has been updated with…
Which vehicles does SSM-54540 cover?
NHTSA's file names Ford Bronco Sport (2026); Ford Escape (2026). 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-54540 a recall, and is the repair free?
No. SSM-54540 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-54540?
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-54540, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.
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-54540. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.