Ford bulletin SSM 54559
What it saysSome 2026 F-Super Duty and F-650/F-750 vehicles equipped with a 10R140 automatic transmission may exhibit fluid leakage from the transmission fluid pan area. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 9, 2026, received Feb 12, 2026, about the power train. It names 6 model years (2026). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Some 2026 F-Super Duty and F-650/F-750 vehicles equipped with a 10R140 automatic transmission may exhibit fluid leakage from the transmission fluid pan area. Prior to performing any repairs, thoroughly clean the transmission fluid pan area to ensure accurate identification of the leak source. Before replacing the transmission fluid pan or gasket, verify the torque of the fluid pan bolts and stud bolts. If the torque is incorrect, tighten the pan bolts and stud bolts to the specified torque following the proper torque sequence in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01. After tightening, verify that the leak has been repaired. If the pan bolts and stud bolts are already torqued correctly, proceed with standard leak diagnosis. Should the diagnosis indicate that pan replacement is required, mark the area of the pan where the leak is present. This information will assist engineering with root cause analysis. For claiming, use causal part 7A194 and labor operation 7000E.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54559 | Service bulletin | Feb 9, 2026 | 11028800 | 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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2026 Ford F-550 SD; 2026 Ford F-650 SD; 2026 Ford F-750 SD.
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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3 of them name Power Train — 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.
I purchased my 2026 Ford F-350 Platinum from Sandy Sansing Ford Lincoln on June 11, 2026. I was not informed that the vehicle has two unrepaired/unresolved Recall's. Both of the recalls were issued in March, 2026. The Dealership had this vehicle on their lot from September, 2025 to the date that I purchased it.
2026 Ford F-350 Super Duty · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jun 30, 2026 · ODI 11747451
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group64 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55218 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R140 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford… |
| TSB 26-2088 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 24-2249. Reason for update: update the claim quantity of the torque converter nuts, part number and claim quantity… |
| TSB 26-2406 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
| TSB 26-2252 | Service bulletin | Sep 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illumi… |
| SSM 55098 | Service bulletin | Aug 18, 2026 | Some 2013-2016 Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine and 2015-2019 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2L diesel engine may… |
| SSM 54900 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 10R100 or 10R140 transmission may exhibit an intermittent failure to engage forward or… |
| SSM 54899 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | Some 2023-2026 F-53 Motorhome Chassis/F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis and 2024-2026 F-650/F-750/E-Series vehicles equipped with a 6R140 tra… |
| TSB 26-2263 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2112. Reason For Update: add 2026 model year vehicles, update LV fluid XT-10-QLVC and CXT-10-LV6 description to… |
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 54559 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 54559 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 54559 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2026 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2026 Ford F-350 Super Duty, 2026 Ford F-450 Super Duty, 2026 Ford F-550 SD, 2026 Ford F-650 SD, 2026 Ford F-750 SD. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.