Ford bulletin SSM 54181
What it saysSome 2022-2025 E-Transit vehicles may exhibit an unsuccessful programmable module installation (PMI) and/or software updates on the GWM using the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) scan tool. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 29, 2025, received Sep 2, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 4 model years (2022–2025). 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 2022-2025 E-Transit vehicles may exhibit an unsuccessful programmable module installation (PMI) and/or software updates on the GWM using the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) scan tool. FDRS may also show the GWM in the toolbox topology view as having diagonal lines through it, indicating that there is a data error for the GWM. This may be due to missing module configuration data in the Ford database. To correct this condition, select the envelope icon at the top right corner of FDRS, select "Refresh Vehicle Files", then click "Continue". Once the "Refresh Vehicle Files" completes, start a new FDRS session and then reattempt GWM programming. Engineering is working to correct this module data. The concern is expected to be resolved by October 2025.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54181 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2025 | 11022286 | PDF, 67 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 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.
This is the second time this occurred. Please refer to 11757120. While travelling approximately 65 mph the vehicle had a complete shutdown including the engine and all electrical systems in the chassis. When a vehicle has a complete shutdown while driving it is inherently dangerous and life threatening.
2024 Ford Transit · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 20, 2026 · ODI 11758299
Rear A/C stopped working at 8k miles. Took it in under warranty. They have zero motors in the U.S. and have not provided a solution. I can not safely transport our children or an elderly woman in 100 degree heat without A/C. They say it is still usable and will not guarantee to pay for rental
2025 Ford Transit · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 15, 2026 · ODI 11764340
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 group68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 26-2442 | 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… |
| TCU-26.2.11.4 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the WiFi not powering down properly when the vehicle goes to s… |
| 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 |
| SSM 55141 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2026-2027 Transit vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B00DF:4A stored in the restraints control module (RCM) when a diag… |
| SSM 55125 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some 2026 Transit vehicles may exhibit a no audio/sound condition. This may be due to the software in the audio control module (ACM). To det… |
| 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 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… |
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 54181 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 54181 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 54181 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Ford E-Transit, 2022 Ford E-Transit, 2025 Ford Transit, 2024 Ford Transit. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.