Ford bulletin SSM 54531
What it says2025 F-150/Bronco Sport/Maverick vehicles are no longer equipped with illumination around the universal serial bus (USB) ports within the media hub located in the instrument panel and/or forward section of the floor… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 30, 2026, received Feb 4, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 3 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 communication2025 F-150/Bronco Sport/Maverick vehicles are no longer equipped with illumination around the universal serial bus (USB) ports within the media hub located in the instrument panel and/or forward section of the floor console. The lack of illumination around the USB ports is not a defect or fault and the replacement of any parts is not a warrantable repair. Confirm media hub operation by plugging a device into the USB port and confirm it connects to the vehicles entertainment system and charges the device. The media hub provides increased charging compared to prior model years. Do not submit a claim for this condition.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54531 | Service bulletin | Jan 30, 2026 | 11028168 | PDF, 64 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 220 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 43 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.
If the vehicle sits for more than 36 hours, it enters a deep sleep mode and develops an unresolved battery drain issue, rendering it inoperable. This vehicle has been in the shop four times with three battery replacements having less than $30,000 MI if a person or to drive this out of town or park at a rest stop, it could lead them…
2025 Ford Maverick · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2026 · ODI 11769796
**2025 Ford F-150 – Repeated Wiring Harness Damage** I am reporting two separate incidents involving a 2025 Ford F-150 that resulted in significant damage to vehicle wiring harnesses and required replacement of major wiring components. On March 4, 2026, the vehicle sustained wiring damage during a dog-related incident.
2025 Ford F-150 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 28, 2026 · ODI 11760396
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 group194 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2449 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2428. Reason for update: to update the Service Procedure to remove the fuel tank isolation valve replacement and… |
| 26-2431 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason for update: update the Service procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with new Ford D… |
| TSB 26-2442 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement abov… |
| SSM 55221 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section… |
| 25E10-S1 | Emissions | Sep 30, 2026 | NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-20… |
| SSM 55208 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble co… |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Sep 24, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
| SYNC-26.2.8.5 | Over-the-air update | Sep 18, 2026 | 26C37 Recall remedy Prevents a potential rearview camera image obstruction caused by a menu displaying on top of it |
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 54531 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 54531 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 54531 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2025 Ford Bronco Sport, 2025 Ford F-150, 2025 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.