Ford bulletin SSM 54705
What it saysSome 2021-2025 F-150 vehicles may exhibit an "Active Air Dam System Fault See Manual" warning message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and/or an AAD hanging/not retracting. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 31, 2026, received Apr 6, 2026, about the structure. 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2021-2025 F-150 vehicles may exhibit an "Active Air Dam System Fault See Manual" warning message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and/or an AAD hanging/not retracting. This may be due to a broken AAD actuator to air dam bolt or bolts. If diagnostics lead to ADD actuator as the causal part, a new lower-level service bolt and u-nut are available. It is not necessary to replace the AAD actuator if only the bolt(s) are damaged.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54705 | Service bulletin | Mar 31, 2026 | 11030820 | PDF, 69 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W705271-S437 | — | — | eBay Motors → |
| W520822-S439 | — | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 29, 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.
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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.
Find the body for the 2025 F-150 →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.
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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,936 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving her vehicle at various speeds , her vehicle felt as though someone hit the back of her vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle speeds up and slows down intermittently without warning.
2021 Ford F-150 · Structure · filed with NHTSA Dec 21, 2021
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 group14 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford F-150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2092 V2 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One tim… |
| SSM 55118 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some of the following vehicles: * 2023-2025 F-Super Duty built on or before 02-Feb-2025 * 2024-2026 Ranger/Bronco/Mustang * 2024-2025 F-15… |
| 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" |
| SSM 54564 | Service bulletin | Feb 11, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 F-150 and 2024-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with one-touch up/down front windows may exhibit a window not responding t… |
| 26P02 | Other | Feb 10, 2026 | Certain 2025-2026 Model Year F-150 and F-250-600 vehicles Driver Door Module (DDM) & Passenger Door Module (PDM) Software Updat |
| SSM 54507 | Service bulletin | Jan 19, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above equipped with one-touch up/down front windows may exhibit a window not responding t… |
| 25P35 | Other | Dec 23, 2025 | Certain 2025-2026 Model Year F150, F250-F600 Vehicles. Front Door Lower Window Glass Run Replacement |
| SSM 54326 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2025 | Some 2018-2025 F-150 and 2018-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a tailgate step may exhibit a step assembly that binds/will not open… |
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 54705 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 54705 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 54705 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.