Ford bulletin SSM 52279
What it saysSome 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit DTCs B1D08:11 and/or B1D09:11 stored in the trailer module (TRM) with a Trailer Brake System Fault See Manual message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) when a trailer is not… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 21, 2024, received Mar 5, 2024, about the trailer hitches. 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.
Get the next Ford F-150 bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit DTCs B1D08:11 and/or B1D09:11 stored in the trailer module (TRM) with a Trailer Brake System Fault See Manual message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) when a trailer is not connected to the vehicle. This may be due to water intrusion at the back side of the trailer tow connector. Inspect connector C4099 for signs of corrosion or damage. If corrosion or damage is present, replace the female side of the C4099 connector using service pig tail kit (3U2Z-14S411-JXC) and the trailer tow connector. If corrosion or damage is not present, refer to the Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 417-01 Exterior Lighting, Diagnosis and Testing for additional diagnosis. For claiming, use causal part 14489 and applicable labor operations in Section 01 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
Trouble codes it names: B1D08 B1D09
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52279 | Service bulletin | Feb 21, 2024 | 10250833 | PDF, 58 KB |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3U2Z-14S411-JXC | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Ford’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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.
Email me new Ford bulletins for the F-150
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,587 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 trailer hitches
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 under the same component group (trailer hitches), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52466 | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2024 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit DTCs B1D08 And/Or B1D09 stored in the trailer module (TRM) with a Trailer Brake System Fault See M… |
| SSM 52313 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2024 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit DTCs B1D08:11 and/or B1D09:11 stored in the trailer module (TRM) with a Trailer Brake System Fault… |
| SSM 51601 | Service bulletin | May 5, 2023 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 and 2022-2023 F-Super Duty/Expedition/Navigator/Maverick vehicles equipped with an integrated trailer module (iTRM) may… |
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 52279 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 52279 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 52279 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.