Ford bulletin SSM 54388
What it saysSome 2021-2023 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with nickel, cobalt and manganese (NCM) standard/extended range battery with minor feature codes HTHAD/HTHAE and 2022-2025 e-Transit vehicles equipped NCM standard range… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 18, 2025, received Dec 1, 2025, about the fuel/propulsion system. It names 7 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 2021-2023 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with nickel, cobalt and manganese (NCM) standard/extended range battery with minor feature codes HTHAD/HTHAE and 2022-2025 e-Transit vehicles equipped NCM standard range battery with minor feature codes HUKAL/HUKAA may require a high voltage battery module replacement. Technicians can now replace the affected battery module for high voltage batteries with a state of health (SOH) of 70% or higher. It is no longer necessary to replace the complete high voltage battery assembly for vehicles with 70% SOH or higher. Additionally, the battery health chart has been updated to display the actual battery SOH as a percentage and now requires the selection of checkboxes corresponding to the specific high voltage battery module(s) being replaced. After a high voltage battery module replacement and battery reinstallation, relaunch the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) "BECM - Battery Health" application which will prompt for confirmation of a successful repair.<br /><br /> To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build information
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54388 | Service bulletin | Nov 18, 2025 | 11025811 | PDF, 72 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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 621 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 70 of them name Fuel/Propulsion 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.
Driving approaching a corner and suddenly the vehicle showed on screen "Stop Safely Now" coasting to a stop. Only 180 miles on car. 78 percent charge. 230 miles to empty. Once in Park couldn't move out of park. Ford towing service indicated 3 hours out. Stuck on corner in traffic at intersection in my mind a dangerous situation
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Oct 5, 2023 · ODI 11548356
The HVBJB subassembly in ALL Ford Mach-e vehicles has known defects with 'under-designed' main contactors that are known to fail under normal charging and driving conditions as outlined in current open Ford recall notice for my vehicle 22s41.
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2022 · ODI 11473254
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 group8 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (fuel/propulsion system), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54991 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with a lithium iron/ion phosphate (LFP) standard range battery (minor feature code HTHAH) ma… |
| SSM 54803 | Service bulletin | May 5, 2026 | Some 2025 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 30-Jun-2025 and 2024 F-150 Lightning vehicles may exhibit a flashing light on the air c… |
| 23B64 | Other | Apr 8, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 23B64 Certain 2020-2024 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Equipped with High Voltage Batteries Battery Energ… |
| TSB 26-2005 | Service bulletin | Jan 19, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2058 to update: service procedure enhancements, and increase labor operation allowances. Some of the vehicles… |
| TSB 25-2622 | Service bulletin | Jan 17, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * Stuck in park * "Service Ve… |
| SSM 54334 | Service bulletin | Oct 28, 2025 | Some 2023-2025 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) standard range battery (minor feature code HTHAH) built… |
| SSM 54317 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2025 | Some 2021-2025 F-150, 2022-2025 Expedition/Navigator, 2023-2025 F-Super Duty, 2024-2025 Ranger and 2026 Transit vehicles may exhibit a disch… |
| TCU-25.2.5.5 | Over-the-air update | Jul 17, 2025 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) remaining awake. Te… |
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 54388 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 54388 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 54388 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2025 Ford E-Transit, 2024 Ford E-Transit, 2023 Ford E-Transit, 2022 Ford E-Transit, 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.