Ford bulletin SSM 51696
What it saysSome 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 19-Aug-2022 may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is off and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 9, 2023, received Jun 13, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2021–2022). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 19-Aug-2022 may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is off and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manual, Section 417-01. For claiming, use casual part 11654 and the applicable labor operations of Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Trouble codes it names: B1533
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51696 | Service bulletin | Jun 9, 2023 | 10237794 | PDF, 28 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 485 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 234 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 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the 17 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 30,696 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
After charging for the first time at a DC fast charge station to 80%, I resumed my trip and drove about 3 miles to merge onto the expressway, my screen panel said "safely stop now", with a turtle logo and battery icon coming on. my car then came to a complete stop within a few seconds in the middle of the on-ramp leaving me stranded.
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 6, 2023
Was driving 55+ mph on freeway, was told by the car to 'stop safely' Had no accelleration, no power steering, came to a stop at a stop sign, could not shift to neutral to move it
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 25, 2022
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 group105 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Mustang Mach-E 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| ECG-26.2.11.4 | Over-the-air update | Sep 11, 2026 | Quality improvements include: - Enhanced system performance, disk usage limits and memory monitoring -Enhanced charge data monitoring |
| SYNC-26.2.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Aug 18, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Privacy robustness updates -Resolves various user interface and data display bugs within the Towing menu |
| SSM 55080 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 25-Jun-2023, 2022-2025 E-Transit and 2022-2023 F-150 Lightning vehicles may experi… |
| SSM 55071 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature intermitten… |
| SSM 55031 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as i… |
| SSM 55028 | Service bulletin | Jul 21, 2026 | Some 2021-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an "Updating SYNC" message on the vehicle center display screen after an over the air… |
| SSM 55021 | Service bulletin | Jul 20, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Bronco/Bronco Sport/Corsair/F-150/F-Super Duty/Maverick/Mustang/Mustang Mach-E/Ranger vehicles may exhibit a no audio/sound c… |
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 51696 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 51696 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 51696 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E: built on or before 19 Aug 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.