Service bulletin 21M08

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

The communication, as NHTSA indexes it (as of 2026-10-19)
Type	Service bulletin
NHTSA id	10211997
Published by NHTSA	2022-05-20
Manufacturer's number	21M08
Manufacturer's date	2022-05-20
NHTSA component	UNKNOWN OR OTHER; LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LOCK

NHTSA's summary

Certain 2021-2022 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with a Power Release Tailgate - Unintended Tailgate Opening - In the affected vehicles, some customers report experiencing an unintended tailgate opening and may have previously serviced their vehicle for this concern. Ford has developed an enhanced remedy for customers who may want this enhanced repair performed on their vehicle.

The document

The document is the manufacturer's. This site does not hold it. NHTSA files a document at one of these two addresses; we have not asked NHTSA which.

Components

Latches and locks

Vehicles listed
FORD F-150	2021, 2022

Listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned: the document says which.

Other bulletins for the same vehicles and component
SSM 52468	2024-05-03. Service bulletin. Some 2021-2024 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a side door ajar and/or a hood ajar warning message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with or without diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P166B, B1175, B1176, B11C1 and/or B11C0. This may be due to a misalignment of the the door or hood and/or their strikers. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement, check the door and/or hood and their strikers for proper alignment. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-03 alignment procedures. If the doors and hood are properly aligned, continue with normal diagnostics.
SSM 51546	2023-05-04. Service bulletin. Some 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles built on or before 03-Feb-2022 may intermittently exhibit doors unable to lock/unlock and/or difficult to open in freezing temperatures. This may be due to moisture from rain/snow entering the interior door latch lock indicator cable assembly. An updated interior door handle cable and door latch lock indicator cable assembly (front right side-15221A00 / front left side-15221A01; rear right side1640180 / rear left side-1640181) has been released to prevent moisture intrusion. If this condition is experienced, the interior door handle cable and door latch lock indicator cable assembly should only be replaced, not the latch assembly. Refer to Workshop Manual, Section 501-14. For claiming, use causal part: 15221A00, 15221A01, 1640180, or 1640181 and applicable labor operations in Section 12 of the Service Labor Time Standards Manual.
21M08 S2	2022-12-02. Service bulletin. Certain 2021-2022 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with a Power Release Tailgate - Unintended Tailgate Opening REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Vehicles Covered By This Program: Updated affected vehicle build dates. Technical Information: Updated with revised instructions to account for wiring harness changes that were implemented into production. As a result, the Labor Allowances and Parts Requirements / Ordering Information have also been updated accordingly. Parts Requirements / Ordering Information: All parts are on open order. Special Service Support Center (SSSC) contact is no longer required to order tailgate actuator ground wiring kit
TSB 22-2228	2022-06-27. Service bulletin. Some 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a condition where a front and/or crew cab rear door will not open from the exterior handle when the doors are unlocked or where the exterior handle seems blocked from reaching full travel (full stroke). This may be due to the engagement of the resettable inertia lock feature within the handle reinforcement mechanism. If this is the case, the mechanism can be reset to allow full handle function. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to reset the inertia lock.
21M08	2022-06-15. Service bulletin. In the affected vehicles, some customers report experiencing an unintended tailgate opening and may have previously serviced their vehicle for this concern. Ford has developed an enhanced remedy for customers who may want this enhanced repair performed on their vehicle.
SSM 50543	2022-02-28. Service bulletin. Some 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles may intermittently exhibit doors unable to lock/unlock and/or difficult to open in freezing temperatures. This may be due to moisture from rain/snow entering the interior door latch lock indicator cable assembly. An updated interior door handle cable and door latch lock indicator cable assembly (front right side-15221A00 / front left side-15221A01; rear right side-1640180 / rear left side-1640181 ) has been released to prevent moisture intrusion. If this condition is experienced in freezing temperatures, the interior door handle cable and door latch lock indicator cable assembly should only be replaced, not the latch assembly. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-14. For claiming, use causal part: 15221A00, 15221A01, 1640180, or 1640181 and applicable labor operations in Section 12 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.
SSM 49804	2021-06-01. Service bulletin. Some 2021 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a side door ajar and/or a hood ajar warning message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) with or without diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P166B, B1175, B1176, B11C1 and/or B11C0. This may be due to a misalignment of the the door or hood and/or their strikers. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement, check the door and/or hood and their strikers for proper alignment. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-03 alignment procedures. If the doors and hood are properly aligned, continue with normal diagnostics.
SSM 49591	2021-03-03. Service bulletin. Some 2021 F-150 vehicles built at the Dearborn Truck Plant on 04-Dec-2020 and through 11-Dec-2020 equipped with a power tailgate may experience the latches not cinching after reaching the closed position. This is due to a software issue with the rear trunk gate module (RGTM). To resolve the issue, update the RGTM to the latest level using the appropriate diagnostic scan tool. If the concern is still present, continue with normal diagnostics found in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-04. For claiming, use causal part 14B291 and applicable labor times in section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.