Ford bulletin SSM 54646
What it saysSome 2020-2024 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after installing a replacement fuel filler door assembly (7827936). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 29, 2026, received May 5, 2026, about the structure. It names 5 model years (2020–2024). 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 2020-2024 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after installing a replacement fuel filler door assembly (7827936). This may be due to a concern with the replacement fuel filler door assembly. If diagnostics in the Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-14 Body > Handles, Locks, Latches and Entry Systems > lead to fuel filler door switch replacement, install a new fuel filler door assembly ordered from depot stock to correct this condition. Suspect parts have been cleared from parts depot inventory.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54646 | Service bulletin | Apr 29, 2026 | 11032252 | PDF, 69 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.
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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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,124 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 38 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.
I am filing this complaint to report an unreasonable and hazardous delay by the manufacturer regarding NHTSA Campaign 25V455000 (Ford Recall 25S75) for a low-pressure fuel pump defect. As the original owner of a 2021 Ford Explorer Platinum Hybrid, I received notice of this critical safety recall 14 months ago.
2021 Ford Explorer · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Sep 10, 2026 · ODI 11763480
When starting at intersections or stopping you can hear and feel the fuel in the tank sloshing back and forth. I've taken my vehicle to the dealership and they confirmed the noise and documented it. They reached out to Ford which said they knew of the issue and at this time there is no fix
2020 Ford Explorer · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Feb 21, 2020 · ODI 11310542
My check engine light has come on multiple times flashing and numerous issues with loss of power while driving. My vehicle will begin running rough and begin shaking while using the throttle.
2022 Ford Explorer · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Aug 15, 2026 · ODI 11757205
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 structure
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55279 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2026 | 2025-2027 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on or after 05-Mar-2025 and 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles built on or a… |
| RGTM-26.AF | Over-the-air update | Aug 27, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Rear Gate latch calibration update to permit unlatching via the release button when the system has lost posit… |
| SSM 55069 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Some 2020-2025 Explorer vehicles equipped with a power roof opening panel may exhibit a sunshield with localized bunching or binding/inopera… |
| SSM 55060 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Explorer vehicles built on or before 27-Feb-2026 and equipped with the panoramic glass roof may exhibit an uneven gap at the… |
| SSM 54882 | Service bulletin | May 29, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a no crank/no start/discharged battery condition with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) B1… |
| SSM 54829 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power autofold exterior mirrors may exhibit concerns with the… |
| DDM-26.21.5 | Over-the-air update | May 5, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Prevents window bounce backs after using the one touch up feature" |
| SSM 54516 | Service bulletin | Jan 23, 2026 | 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may require level III ballistic panels to be replaced due to broken mounting tabs. Individual… |
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 54646 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 54646 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 54646 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2024 Ford Explorer, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.