Ford bulletin SSM 51846
What it saysSome 2021 F-150 vehicles not equipped with a 360 camera system (feature code J3KAB, found by double-clicking the top left vehicle identification number (VIN) on OASIS) may exhibit an inoperative rear camera on demand… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 4, 2023, received Aug 14, 2023, about the back over prevention. It names 1 model year (2021). 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 F-150 vehicles not equipped with a 360 camera system (feature code J3KAB, found by double-clicking the top left vehicle identification number (VIN) on OASIS) may exhibit an inoperative rear camera on demand feature when the rear camera button is pressed. This condition does not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. Inform customers that a Ford Power-Up software update correcting this condition is currently being delivered OTA. Software will update automatically if vehicle connectivity is enabled in the vehicles settings and the OTA is scheduled by the customer using the center display screen. Schedule a service visit in November 2023 for customers who have disabled vehicle connectivity or report they did not receive the update by November 2023. Monitor OASIS for additional information.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51846 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2023 | 10240725 | PDF, 30 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 1,309 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
On the 2021 Ford F-150, the 22 owners who gave an odometer reading for Back Over Prevention reported it at a median of 35,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
A 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 back over prevention
Source: same model, same component group19 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 under the same component group (back over prevention), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25N17 | Other | Mar 25, 2026 | Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Req… |
| SSM 52312 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2024 | Some 2024 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a pop up message stating the Owner's Manual is not available while the vehicle is in motion. A prelimin… |
| OTAPU0102SVDFXF | Service bulletin | Feb 15, 2024 | Software Update 24-PU0102-SVD-FX for 2023 MY F-150 vehicles is now available. Quality improvements include: - Ford Blue Cruise Map expirat… |
| OTAFPUPU1113UNX | Service bulletin | Feb 1, 2024 | Software Update 23-PU1113-UNX-DC for 2021-2023 MY F-150 vehicles is now available. Quality Improvements include - Restores TCU module DID v… |
| SSM 52215 | Service bulletin | Jan 29, 2024 | Some 2022 F-150 Lightning vehicles equipped with a 15 inch center display screen (minor feature code HJGAY) may exhibit a 360 degree camera… |
| SSM 52184 | Service bulletin | Jan 17, 2024 | Some 2023 F-150 hybrid vehicles built on 24-Oct-2022 and through 26-Oct-2022 equipped with a 3.5L Power Boost engine may exhibit DTC U0438:8… |
| TSB 23-2416 | Service bulletin | Dec 13, 2023 | Some 2021 F-150 vehicles not equipped with a 360 camera system… |
| OTA SU7 P1 F150 | Service bulletin | Dec 13, 2023 | Software Update SU7 P1 for 2021- 2023 MY F150 vehicles is now available. Quality improvements include: -21 MY Increases availability of B… |
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 51846 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 51846 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 51846 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2021 Ford F-150. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.