Ford bulletin SSM 54190
What it saysIf the vehicle is built with minor feature code "(IEPAA) - LESS CELLPHONE INTERFACE SYSTM", the vehicle is not misbuilt. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Sep 1, 2025, received Sep 8, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2026). A manufacturer communication 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.
If the vehicle is built with minor feature code "(IEPAA) - LESS CELLPHONE INTERFACE SYSTM", the vehicle is not misbuilt. Do not submit a claim for this condition. To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build information by double-clicking the vehicle identification number (VIN) in the upper left corner in the Professional Technician System (PTS).
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54190 | Other | Sep 1, 2025 | 11022905 | PDF, 71 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2026 Ford F-650 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 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.
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 group26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54976 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 F-53 Motorhome Chassis/F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis and 2024-2026 F-650/F-750/E-Series vehicles equipped with a 6R140 tra… |
| 25N15 S1 | Other | Apr 20, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25N15 - Supplement #1 Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One… |
| SSM 54601 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2026 | Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may no… |
| 25H05 | Other | Nov 19, 2025 | This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. F… |
| TSB 25-2322 | Service bulletin | Jul 18, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2200 to update the parts list to add the new camshaft and tappet service kit and add F-650/F-750. Some of the… |
| TSB 24-2210 | Service bulletin | Jul 9, 2024 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2426 to update the list of modules needing a software update in the Service Procedure. Some 2023 F-Super Duty… |
| SSM 52345 | Service bulletin | Mar 8, 2024 | Some 2022-2024 various Ford/Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may experience concern where customers are receiving an error message when… |
| SSM 52333 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2024 | Many body control module C (BCMC) warranty return parts are coming back with no trouble found. To verify that the BCMC is at fault prior to… |
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 54190 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication 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 54190 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 54190 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Ford E-Series, 2026 Ford F-650 SD. 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: 2026 E-Series/F-650/F-750: built on or after 18 Jul 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.