Ford bulletin SSM 54401
What it saysSome 2021-2025 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a stuck in park condition with no diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 25, 2025, received Dec 1, 2025, about the service brakes. It names 5 model years (2021–2025). 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.
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 2021-2025 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a stuck in park condition with no diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). This may be due to connector C211 pin push out on circuit CCB61 or an open on circuit CCB61 between the antilock brake system (ABS) module and the body control module (BCM). Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-05 Automatic Transmission External Controls > Diagnosis and Testing > External Controls - Pinpoint Test for "Stuck In Park" has been updated with improved diagnostics. Refer to revised WSM sections for normal diagnosis.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54401 | Service bulletin | Nov 25, 2025 | 11025819 | PDF, 64 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.
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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,938 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,046 of them name Power Train, Service Brakes — 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 85 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 55,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The parking brake has repeatedly engaged without action from the owner/operator. This seems to happen at random. The dash warning light does show upon occurrence. There is no known cause for, or understanding of, this malfunction. The Ford certified dealer could not confirm as it did not occur under their supervision when serviced.
2024 Ford F-150 · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA May 15, 2025
Passenger side rear axle retention bolt sheared off. Discovered during routine maintenance / tire rotation. Unknown how safety was at risk -- dealer told me once discovered that the vehicle would be repaired under warranty, and they could do in 24 hours, so no discussion about unsafe to drive as others have reported they were told.
2022 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2022
EIWE (Electronic Integrated Wheel End) failure or malfunction. Ford has multiple Field Service Engineers aware of the issue with no fix found. Multiple vehicles not only at one dealership but across the country have confirmed issues. Ford Customer Relations is aware and has an open case with me and many other owners.
2023 Ford F-150 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 9, 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 service brakes
Source: same model, same component group14 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 under the same component group (service brakes), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITRM-26.DC | Over-the-air update | Sep 9, 2026 | 26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function |
| SSM 54993 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 F-150 Raptor vehicles may exhibit increased sensitivity or braking force when applying the brake pedal at slower speeds. To r… |
| SSM 54940 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a U2100:00 diagnostic trouble code (DTC) for initial configuration incomplete stored in the traile… |
| ITRM-26.B04 | Over-the-air update | Jun 12, 2026 | 26C10 Recall remedy -Addresses instances where the trailer lights and trailer brakes may not function |
| SSM 54733 | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Bronco/Expedition/Navigator/F-150/Ranger vehicles may exhibit a "Check Brake System" message in the instrument panel cluster… |
| ABS-25.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Feb 13, 2026 | "25S77 Recall remedy: -Addresses a potential loss of brake boost while driving. Hydraulic braking assist will still be available" |
| ABS-25.30.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Oct 23, 2025 | "25S77 Recall remedy: -Addresses a potential loss of brake boost while driving. Hydraulic braking assist will still be available" |
| SSM 54250 | Service bulletin | Sep 26, 2025 | Some 2024-2025 Escape Hybrid/Maverick Hybrid/Nautilus Hybrid/F-150 non-Lightning/F-Super Duty/Bronco and 2025 Expedition/Navigator/Ranger ve… |
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 54401 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 54401 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 54401 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2025 Ford F-150, 2024 Ford F-150, 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.