Ford bulletin SSM 51894
What it saysSome 2021 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a lack of steering assist upon start-up along with a Steering Assist Fault message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with DTC U3001:68 and/or U3001:89 along with U3000:96… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 28, 2023, received Sep 4, 2023, about the steering. 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 may exhibit a lack of steering assist upon start-up along with a Steering Assist Fault message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with DTC U3001:68 and/or U3001:89 along with U3000:96 in the power steering control module (PSCM). This may be due to low battery voltage when attempting to start the vehicle. Power steering assist will be restored when battery voltage is at or above 12 volts and the DTCs are cleared. Replacement of the PSCM is not necessary. Flash the PSCM to the latest software level and clear the DTCs afterwards. Once cleared, cycle the ignition to verify normal system operation. If the DTCs return, refer to Workshop Manual Section 211-02 for normal diagnostics. For claiming, use causal part 3504 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Trouble codes it names: U3000 U3001
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51894 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2023 | 10241619 | PDF, 29 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. 179 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.
On the 2021 Ford F-150, the 32 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 30,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The F150 7pin flat The brake pin does not operate properly, fails to get signal from brake pedal. While pulling 6000lb trailer the trailer brakes failed to operate. I currently have a dealer app. On Feb 23 for a safety recall on this truck. They told me they would look at 7 pin at that time
2021 Ford F-150 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 19, 2022 · ODI 11453003
In depth: 2021 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 steering
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54820 | Service bulletin | May 13, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U023A:08 in the steering column control module (SCCM) after reprogra… |
| SCCM-24.AA.AC | Over-the-air update | Feb 25, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Addresses battery usage caused by the Steering Column Control Module keeping the Controller Area Network bus… |
| SU6 P2 F150 | Service bulletin | Oct 26, 2023 | Software Update SU6 P2 for 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles is now available. Quality Improvements include: -Robustness actions to improve steerin… |
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 51894 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 51894 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 51894 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.