Ford bulletin SSM 52549
What it saysSome 2024 F-150 Lightning vehicles placed in emergency tow state may exhibit a missing pop-up message from the instrument panel cluster (IPC) during early vehicle re-entry with the key in the OFF position. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 18, 2024, received May 23, 2024. It names 1 model year (2024). 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 2024 F-150 Lightning vehicles placed in emergency tow state may exhibit a missing pop-up message from the instrument panel cluster (IPC) during early vehicle re-entry with the key in the OFF position. If the vehicle has not fully entered sleep mode or locked, entry through any door within 10-30 minutes may not induce pop-up message visibility when the key is still in the OFF position. Changing the ignition key state to ON will result in a visible emergency tow pop-up message in the IPC. This may be due to the IPC software. Replacement or reprogramming of the IPC will not resolve this condition. Inform customers that engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition and will be released via a software update delivered over-the-air (OTA) expected in Q4 2024. Software will update automatically if vehicle connectivity is enabled in the vehicle's settings. Schedule a service visit for customers who have disabled vehicle connectivity or who report that they did not receive the update in Q4 2024. Monitor OASIS for additional information.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52549 | Service bulletin | May 18, 2024 | 11000298 | PDF, 69 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 232 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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.
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 52549 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 52549 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 52549 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2024 Ford F-150. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.