Ford bulletin SSM 53236
What it saysSome 2021-2023 F-150 non-Lightning, 2022-2024 F-150 Lightning/Expedition/Navigator, and 2024 Ranger vehicles may exhibit a "trailer brake module fault" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with diagnostic… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 17, 2024, received Jan 2, 2025. It names 13 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2021–2024). 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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2021-2023 F-150 non-Lightning, 2022-2024 F-150 Lightning/Expedition/Navigator, and 2024 Ranger vehicles may exhibit a "trailer brake module fault" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) U0137 and/or U0252 stored in the body control module (BCM),
Trouble codes it names: U0137 U0252
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53236 | Service bulletin | Dec 17, 2024 | 11012136 | PDF, 72 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 themFord 10 model years
Lincoln 3 model years
A 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 13 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,199 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.
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 53236 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 53236 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 53236 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 13 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Expedition, 2023 Ford Expedition, 2022 Ford Expedition, 2023 Ford F-150, 2022 Ford F-150, 2021 Ford F-150 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.