Ford bulletin SSM 54521
What it saysSome 2026 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine and 2025-2026 F-150 Raptor vehicles equipped with a 5.2L or 3.5L engine may exhibit a lack of power while in transport mode and up to 1 hour after exiting… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 28, 2026, received Feb 4, 2026, about the vehicle speed control. It names 2 model years (2025–2026). 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 2026 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine and 2025-2026 F-150 Raptor vehicles equipped with a 5.2L or 3.5L engine may exhibit a lack of power while in transport mode and up to 1 hour after exiting transport mode. This may be due to these vehicles having a feature to limit power and top speed in transport mode. This feature automatically disables after exiting transport mode, waiting 1 hour, then cycling the ignition status to key OFF for at least 10 seconds and then starting the vehicle. Top speed may be limited to as low as 40 mph (65 km/h) and maximum acceleration is reduced. This condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnostics or service is required for this condition. If this condition persists after exiting transport mode, waiting 1 hour and cycling the ignition, refer to the Workshop Manual for normal diagnostics.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54521 | Service bulletin | Jan 28, 2026 | 11028165 | 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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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 140 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 33 of them name Power Train — 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.
When using cruise control (Blue Cruise fully automated driving or just regular cruise control), The truck changes the speed setting to 90MPH without any driver input and begins sudden acceleration. This has happened multiple times in speed limit areas from 70-75 on the interstate.
2026 Ford F-150 · Vehicle Speed Control · filed with NHTSA Aug 15, 2026
Vehicle demonstrates an intermittent lag during acceleration, particularly during throttle position changes. Typical throttle response is appx 0.5s as measured by stopwatch. When the issue is replicated the delay can exceed 1 second.
2025 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 28, 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 vehicle speed control
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 under the same component group (vehicle speed control), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55131 | Service bulletin | Aug 27, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Nautilus/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature in… |
| 26B10 | Other | Jun 30, 2026 | Certain 2025-2026 Model Year F-150, 2026 Model Year Mustang, Navigator, and 2026-2027 Model Year Expedition Vehicles Accelerator Pedal Inspe… |
| SSM 54753 | Service bulletin | Apr 17, 2026 | Some 2026 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine and 2025-2026 F-150 Raptor vehicles equipped with a 5.2L or 3.5L engine may ex… |
| SSM 53858 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2025 | Some 2025 F-150 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated anti-lock brake system (ABS) warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U3012:… |
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 54521 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 54521 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 54521 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Ford F-150, 2025 Ford F-150. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.