Ford bulletin SSM 54783
What it saysSome 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 27, 2026, received Apr 28, 2026, about the power train. It names 10 model years (2020–2026). 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 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may be unable to enter electric-only drive modes as expected during normal drive cycles. This may be due to the software within the belt integrated starter generator (BISG). For vehicles with this condition, follow Pinpoint Test G located in the Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-06D and repair the vehicle as necessary. Note that the BISG is on backorder status at the time of this publication and Ford is working to make parts available. Engineering is investigating this concern. Monitor PTS for updates.
Trouble codes it names: P0A1E
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54783 | Service bulletin | Apr 27, 2026 | 11031640 | 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.
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 10 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,794 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,579 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.
On the 2020 Ford Explorer, the 186 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 43,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately…
2021 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2023
On my 2020 police interceptor through a no issue for the transmission, failing at early mileage, jerking in a drive and slamming gears when shifting and low gears, I believe the component is the CDF drum in the transmission, which is thousands of dollars to fix Ford offered to replace it under warranty, but the issue typically doesn’t…
2020 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2026
Passenger side rear axle retention bolt sheared off. Discovered during routine maintenance / tire rotation. Unknown how safety was at risk -- dealer told me once discovered that the vehicle would be repaired under warranty, and they could do in 24 hours, so no discussion about unsafe to drive as others have reported they were told.
2022 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2022
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group153 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| 26U05 | Other | Jul 14, 2026 | Recommended Repair Prior to Sale Update Prior to Sale 26U05 Certain 2026 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Transmission Fluid Cooler Coolant Hose Pu… |
| TSB 26-2294 | Service bulletin | Jul 9, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2066. Reason for update: To remove "(2024 only)" from the Issue statement to include 2021-2025 vehicles that may… |
| 26N04 | Other | Jul 9, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N04 Certain 2015-2017 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with a 6R80 Transmission Transmission Molded Leadfr… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| TSB 26-2304 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2383. Reason for update: to add 2023-2026 F-150 2.7L vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model Statemen… |
| TSB 26-2287 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | This article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for F-150 vehicles, update the Parts list to replace the… |
| TSB 26-2281 | Service bulletin | Jun 12, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2091. Reason for update: To update the production cutoff date for Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed… |
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 54783 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 54783 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 54783 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2026 Ford Explorer, 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 Ford Explorer, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.