Ford bulletin SSM 54635
What it saysSome 2024-2025 Mustang Mach-E/F-150 vehicles may exhibit a crackling noise from speakers during phone calls when using wireless Apple CarPlay or wireless Android Auto. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 7, 2026, received Mar 11, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 4 model years (2024–2025). 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 2024-2025 Mustang Mach-E/F-150 vehicles may exhibit a crackling noise from speakers during phone calls when using wireless Apple CarPlay or wireless Android Auto. This may be due to wireless interference. To isolate the wireless interference as a possible cause, turn off the wireless projection application in SYNC Connectivity settings in the vehicle's center touch screen and connect the phone through universal serial bus (USB) cable. If the call quality issue through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is addressed, this confirms that wireless projection was the cause. Engineering is aware of this condition and working on a software solution expected at the end of Q4 2026. As a temporary solution, customers can connect their phones with a USB cable. Reprogramming or replacement of any modules will not correct the condition. Use the "Submit Global Concern Report (GCR)" link at the upper right of the OASIS report to submit a vehicle concern report if the wireless projection is found to be the cause of the condition.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54635 | Service bulletin | Mar 7, 2026 | 11029934 | PDF, 71 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 423 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 124 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.
**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
The main screen of the Mach is is uncontrollably restarting at random. This means the backup camera and any visual camera sensors are effectively unsable. Same with radio, hvac, car settings, etc. tons of people on Reddit complaining too
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2026 · ODI 11770009
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving the electronic front door latches on my 2024 Ford Mustang Mach E. During a 12V battery discharge, the electric latches can fail, preventing the doors from opening in the outside.
2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 14, 2025 · ODI 11680603
In depth: 2024 Ford F-150 electrical problems →
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 group240 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 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… |
| 26B07 | Other | Sep 24, 2026 | Recommended Repair Prior to Sale Customer Satisfaction Program 26B07 Certain 2021-2025 Model Year F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E Vehicle… |
| TSB 26-2421 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | This bulletin updates 25-2622. Reason for update: * Update the Service Procedure to: - Remove Step related connecting a battery charger - Ad… |
| 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 54635 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 54635 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 54635 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2025 Ford F-150, 2024 Ford F-150, 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.