Ford bulletin SSM 54116
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 7, 2025, received Aug 12, 2025, about the unknown or other. It names 56 model years (2019–2024). 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationVarious 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a partially or fully black center display screen at start-up using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This does not affect rear camera operation. This may be due to interference from the phone being connected into the media hub using a universal serial bus (USB) cable during SYNC system boot up. To correct his condition, advise the customer to disconnect the USB cable from the phone. If the center display screen displays normally, reconnect the phone. If the concern persists, disconnect the phone from the USB cable, cycle the ignition off and open the driver's door so the interior lights come on. Close the door, start the vehicle and wait for the center display screen to boot up past the start-up animation and display the home screen, then reconnect the phone using the USB cable. If the concern persists after this procedure, follow normal Workshop Manual diagnostics for a blank screen concern.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54116 | Service bulletin | Aug 7, 2025 | 11021803 | not yet checked |
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 13 more model years on this site.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 54116 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 54116 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 54116 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 56 model years: 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford EcoSport, 2021 Ford EcoSport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.