Ford bulletin SSM 54290
What it saysSome 2025 Escape/Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8-inch instrument panel cluster (IPC) display may exhibit a condition where the fuel gauge displays up to the 8th mark below full fuel level when the fuel tank is full. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 14, 2025, received Oct 22, 2025, about the fuel/propulsion system. It names 2 model years (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 2025 Escape/Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8-inch instrument panel cluster (IPC) display may exhibit a condition where the fuel gauge displays up to the 8th mark below full fuel level when the fuel tank is full. This condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required at this time. Inform customers that they can continue to drive the vehicle and engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition that is expected by the end of Q1 2026. Replacement/reprogramming of the IPC will not resolve this condition. Monitor PTS for additional information and schedule service appointments for customers once the repair becomes available. If this condition is encountered, enter a vehicle identification number (VIN) and click the "Submit Global Concern Report (GCR)" link at the upper right of the PTS "Vehicle ID" screen. Fill out the GCR form, referencing this article number in the report.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54290 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2025 | 11024416 | PDF, 70 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 81 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
On XXX at approximately 2:45pm MDT I was traveling on XXX in . I had approximately a quarter tank of gas. I received a low fuel alert, stating 50 miles to empty. My plan was to stop at the next exit approximately 10 miles away.
2025 Ford Escape · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Aug 19, 2026 · ODI 11757994
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 fuel/propulsion system
Source: same model, same component group17 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (fuel/propulsion system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55177 | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Maverick and 2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with an 8-inch instrument panel cluster (IPC) display may exhibit a conditio… |
| SSM 55140 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Maverick vehicles built on or before 05-Dec-2025 and 2024-2026 Nautilus vehicles built on or before 04-Sep-2025 may exhibit l… |
| SSM 54963 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Maverick and 2026 Transit/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with an 8-inch instrument panel cluster (IPC) display may exhibit a… |
| SSM 54857 | Service bulletin | May 21, 2026 | 2020-2026 Explorer/Escape/Corsair, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport/Bronco, 2022-2026 Maverick, 2024-2026 Mustang/Ranger/Nautilus vehicles equipped wi… |
| SSM 54823 | Service bulletin | May 15, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Maverick vehicles built on or before 05-Dec-2025 and 2024-2026 Nautilus vehicles built on or before 04-Sep-2025 may exhibit l… |
| SSM 54785 | Service bulletin | Apr 28, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick hybrid vehicles may exhibit various electrical symptoms and/or a no crank/no start condition related to an intermitt… |
| SSM 54746 | Service bulletin | Apr 15, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick hybrid vehicles may exhibit a no crank/no start condition with a discharged battery due to a 12V battery drain. This… |
| 23B64 | Other | Apr 8, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B64 Certain 2020-2024 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Equipped with High Voltage Batteries Battery Energ… |
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 54290 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 54290 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 54290 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 Ford Escape, 2025 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.