Ford bulletin SSM 52078
What it saysSome 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit DTC U023A:08 after reprogramming the SCCM. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 20, 2023, received Nov 21, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 3 model years (2021–2023). 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 may exhibit DTC U023A:08 after reprogramming the SCCM. Do not replace or reprogram the SCCM, image processing module A (IPMA) or their components for this condition at this time. This DTC does not alert the customer, will not affect vehicle durability and no additional diagnosis or service is required for this condition at this time. Engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition that will reprogram the IPMA and is expected in late December 2023. Monitor OASIS for additional information.
Trouble codes it names: U023A
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52078 | Service bulletin | Nov 20, 2023 | 10245391 | PDF, 51 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,586 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 489 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.
1. The back up brake assistant is not working. This has been defective since August 2022. It caused me to have an accident running into a post, filing an insurance claim for repairs. I have taken it to 2 different Ford dealers for service and to get the back up brake fixed. No resolve from FORD. 2.
2022 Ford F-150 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 16, 2022
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
Sporadically the vehicle will not start. 200 miles on the 2023 powerboost and this has happened 3 times. Vehicle says pull over safely now and will not allow me to put into gear. picture of battery on dash. Vehicle always sitting in heated insulated garage. Waited a day and then it starts.
2023 Ford F-150 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Dec 21, 2023
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 group167 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| TSB 26-2391 | Service bulletin | Sep 3, 2026 | This bulletin updates 26-2206. Reason for update: update the Service Procedure to revise Steps 19-21, adding Step 22, and adding Figure 15-1… |
| TSB 26-2395 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, an… |
| SSM 55116 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 0… |
| SYNC-26.2.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Aug 18, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Privacy robustness updates -Resolves various user interface and data display bugs within the Towing menu |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Aug 6, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
| TSB 26-2360 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model Statement above may exhibit an intermittent extended crank with no relevant diagnostic trouble code… |
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 52078 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 52078 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 52078 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 Ford F-150, 2022 Ford F-150, 2021 Ford F-150. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.