Ford bulletin SSM 50873
What it saysSome 2017-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners may experience a condition of missing authorization, command and control, battery charging details or phone-as-a-key setup buttons/selections in their FordPass… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 21, 2022, received Jun 30, 2022, about the electrical system. It names 66 model years (2017–2022). 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 2017-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners may experience a condition of missing authorization, command and control, battery charging details or phone-as-a-key setup buttons/selections in their FordPass or LincolnWay App. This condition is due to an error within the FordPass or LincolnWay App and not due to a concern on the vehicle. Verify that the customers FordPass or LincolnWay App is at the latest version. Replacement or reprogramming of the telematics control unit (TCU)/gateway module (GWM)/remote function actuator (RFA) will not resolve this condition. If the condition persists, utilize the FordPass Guides or Lincoln Way Concierge teams.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 50873 | Service bulletin | Jun 21, 2022 | 10214832 | PDF, 119 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 themand 22 more on this site: 2020 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2019 Ford Fiesta, 2020 Ford Fusion, 2019 Ford Fusion, 2018 Ford Fusion, 2017 Ford Fusion, 2022 Ford Mustang, 2021 Ford Mustang, 2020 Ford Mustang, 2019 Ford Mustang, 2018 Ford Mustang, 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Ford Ranger, 2021 Ford Ranger, 2020 Ford Ranger, 2019 Ford Ranger, 2022 Ford Transit Connect, 2021 Ford Transit Connect, 2020 Ford Transit Connect, 2019 Ford Transit Connect.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 Ford F-550 SD; 2020 Ford F-550 SD; 2021 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-550 SD.
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 62 model years this bulletin names have filed 31,235 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3,276 of them name Electrical System — 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 2017 Ford Fusion, the 92 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 29,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Ford is aware of a design defect that causes the vct system to wear out within a short amount of time in brand new expeditions. When the vct system wears out, the vehicle immediately transitions into "limp mode" , which causes the vehicle to immediately (unsafely) decelerate to a speed of 15mph (or less on hills), creating dangerous…
2019 Ford Expedition · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 24, 2020 · ODI 11376121
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the horn failed to work when depressed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure.
2019 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 26, 2021 · ODI 11404975
Brand new truck. Initial problem 6-8/2022: The truck would shut off after 15 minutes and then would not start for 45 minutes, I repeated this 4 times. Then while I was driving and turning around in a parking lot it actually stopped, everything went dead, no lights, key didn't have any affect, nothing, and then it started after 10-15…
2022 Ford F-250 Super Duty · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 18, 2023 · ODI 11533102
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport electrical problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport electrical problems → · 2022 Ford Escape electrical problems → · 2021 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group482 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2449 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2428. Reason for update: to update the Service Procedure to remove the fuel tank isolation valve replacement and… |
| SSM 55262 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | Some 2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with power running boards built on or before 13-Sep-2026 may exhibit an intermittent condit… |
| 26-2431 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason for update: update the Service procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with new Ford D… |
| TSB 26-2439 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and radio system… |
| SSM 55258 | Service bulletin | Oct 19, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit an intermittent electronic static/buzzing/screeching/humming noise from the front a… |
| SSM 55256 | Service bulletin | Oct 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2027 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto foldi… |
| SSM 55255 | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera may exhibit a distorted or corrupted 360-degree camera image in the c… |
| TSB 26-2442 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement abov… |
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 50873 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 50873 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 50873 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 66 model years: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2019 Ford EcoSport, 2018 Ford EcoSport, 2022 Ford Edge, 2021 Ford Edge and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.