Ford bulletin SSM 53856
What it says2025 Expedition XL vehicles will not open or close the power liftgate/tailgate by pressing the button on the key fob. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 30, 2025, received Jun 2, 2025, about the structure. It names 1 model year (2025). 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 communication2025 Expedition XL vehicles will not open or close the power liftgate/tailgate by pressing the button on the key fob. Expedition XL vehicles are designated as Special Service Vehicles (SSV) and the rear liftgate/tailgate power open/close feature is omitted from being operated via the key fob.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 53856 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2025 | 11018770 | PDF, 68 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
In June 2025, I bought a new 2025 Ford Expedition King Ranch. While washing my SUV by hand, I discovered a manufacturing defect on the roof—Ford Manufacturing had left exposed welding and rivets. The issue is quite noticeable, with depressions around the rivets and welds so deep they could hold golf balls.
2025 Ford Expedition · Structure · filed with NHTSA Feb 2, 2026 · ODI 11715033
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 structure
Source: same model, same component group18 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Expedition under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55107 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | Some 2027 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with power running boards may exhibit an intermittent condition where the power running boa… |
| 26B11 | Other | Jun 5, 2026 | Certain 2025 Model Year Expedition and Navigator Vehicles Front and Rear Door Paint Correction and Upper Moulding Isolator Installation |
| PDM-26.21.5 | Over-the-air update | May 12, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Prevents window bounce backs after using the one touch up feature |
| DDM-26.21.5 | Over-the-air update | May 5, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Prevents window bounce backs after using the one touch up feature" |
| TSB 26-2154 | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a concern where both the liftgate and tailgate open when commanded by t… |
| BCM-26.230.0 | Over-the-air update | Apr 1, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses instances where the rear right hand door may fail to unlock when using the passive entry feature |
| TSB 26-2110 | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a sharp-angled contour at the bottom rear edge of the front door(s). Th… |
| SSM 54602 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2026 | Some 2025 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built on or before 27-Jun-2025 may exhibit a condition where the door upper moulding(s) on any of th… |
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 53856 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 53856 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 53856 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2025 Ford Expedition. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.