Ford bulletin SSM 54362
What it saysSome 2021-2025 Bronco vehicles may exhibit an illuminated red brake warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C0049:01 stored in the anti-lock brake system (ABS) module. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 10, 2025, received Nov 12, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 5 model years (2021–2025). 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 2021-2025 Bronco vehicles may exhibit an illuminated red brake warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C0049:01 stored in the anti-lock brake system (ABS) module. Replace the brake fluid reservoir and the brake fluid level sensor electrical connector. Do not disconnect the brake fluid level sensor electrical connector, cut the connector 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) from the connector end and leave the brake fluid level sensor electrical connector attached to brake fluid reservoir. Include these parts in the same package when returning warranty replacement brake fluid reservoirs. The brake fluid reservoir with the electrical connector still connected should be packaged in the original box to protect it during shipping. For claiming, use causal part 2L210 and labor operations 2140A and 2219D45WR.
Trouble codes it names: C0049
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54362 | Service bulletin | Nov 10, 2025 | 11025491 | PDF, 66 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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 960 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 157 of them name Electrical System, Service Brakes — 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 vehicle had an open safety recall at the time the dealership sold it to me. The recall existed before the sale and the dealership knew or should have known about it. The dealer submitted loan paperwork and accepted funding but never delivered the vehicle to me. I was not informed of the open recall before signing.
2025 Ford Bronco · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 27, 2026
When towing the vehicle in neutral tow mode, while using a suplimental braking system in the bronco, the brakes changed from a not active "vacuum " state, to and Active "powered" state, causing the brakes to lock up on the bronco. This has happened on multiple occasions. Very dangerous and damaging
2024 Ford Bronco · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Feb 16, 2025
Sunday April 19 2026, in a drive thru while stopped, the following alerts popped up with their corresponding dash lights: Check Brake System Park Brake limited service function Pre-collision assist not available Service Advance Track Brake pedal lost vacuum / pressure and became hard.
2025 Ford Bronco · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Apr 21, 2026
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 group75 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2380 | Service bulletin | Sep 24, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2575 to update the Parts list to add the applicable body wiring harnesses and underbody shield bolts. Some ve… |
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| SYNC-26.2.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Aug 18, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Privacy robustness updates -Resolves various user interface and data display bugs within the Towing menu |
| SSM 55079 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code IDBAL) may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTC)… |
| 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… |
| SSM 55028 | Service bulletin | Jul 21, 2026 | Some 2021-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an "Updating SYNC" message on the vehicle center display screen after an over the air… |
| SSM 55021 | Service bulletin | Jul 20, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Bronco/Bronco Sport/Corsair/F-150/F-Super Duty/Maverick/Mustang/Mustang Mach-E/Ranger vehicles may exhibit a no audio/sound c… |
| ABS-26.11.1.2B | Over-the-air update | Jul 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ABS software update that filters out intermittent, invalid wheel-speed sensor data, preventing temporary shut… |
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 54362 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 54362 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 54362 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2025 Ford Bronco, 2024 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.