TSB SSM-54326 — Ford Service bulletin
SSM-54326 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for 3 Ford models, 2018–2021 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
What the bulletin says. 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 or opens/pops up while driving. This could be due to an incorrect adjustment of the tailgate step assembly. Before replacing any components…
NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.
Vehicles and model years SSM-54326 names
| Vehicle | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Ford F-250 | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| Ford F-350 | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
Every document filed under SSM-54326
| Document ID | Filed | Type |
|---|---|---|
| SSM 54326 | October 24, 2025 | Service bulletin |
What SSM-54326 covers
Body & structure — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.
Questions buyers ask
What is TSB SSM-54326?
SSM-54326 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Ford, covering 3 Ford models across the 2018–2021 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: 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 or opens/pops up while driving. This could be due to an incorrect adjustment of the tailgate step assembly. Before replacing any components…
Which vehicles does SSM-54326 cover?
NHTSA's file names Ford F-150 (2018–2020); Ford F-250 (2018–2021); Ford F-350 (2018–2021). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.
Is TSB SSM-54326 a recall, and is the repair free?
No. SSM-54326 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.
How do I get the full text of SSM-54326?
Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under SSM-54326, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under SSM-54326. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.