NHTSA recall 21V983000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 21V983000 |
| Manufacturer's number | 21S53 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Reported | 2021-12-16 |
| Owners notified | 2022-05-31 |
| Component | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH |
| Units potentially affected | 57591 |
| Part numbers | JL3A-9943150-BC, JL3A-9943150-AC |
| Report | Annual report 2, for 2025 quarter 2 to 2026 quarter 1 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2026-04-13 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 57591 |
| Reported remedied | 38917 (67%) |
| Reported unreachable | 1011 |
| Reported removed | 23 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2026 quarter 1, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.
What can happen
Unexpected tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches, free of charge. An interim notification letter was mailed January 31, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S53.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
| 2018 FORD F-150 |
|---|
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| 21M06 S1 | 2022-12-02. Service bulletin. Certain 2015-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with a Power Release Tailgate - Unintended Tailgate Opening REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Parts ordering information and full repair instructions are now available to support completion of this customer satisfaction program. |
|---|---|
| 21M06 | 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. |
| 21M06 | 2022-05-20. Service bulletin. Certain 2015-2020 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. |
| 20M04 | 2021-08-02. Service bulletin. On your vehicle, moisture and water entering a power door lock actuator housing could cause the actuator motor to momentarily freeze in cold temperatures and may also cause actuator motor corrosion over time. Frozen water within a power door lock actuator housing or corrosion of the power door lock actuator motor could result in an inoperative power door lock function on the affected door. |
| 21M04 | 2021-07-01. Service bulletin. In some of the affected vehicles, moisture and water entering a power door lock actuator housing can cause the actuator motor to momentarily freeze in cold temperatures and may also cause actuator motor corrosion over time. Frozen water within a power door lock actuator housing or corrosion of the power door lock actuator motor could result in an inoperative power door lock function on the affected door. |
| 20N03 | 2020-05-05. Service bulletin. This is a one-time repair program for vehicle owners that report unintended tailgate opening.Affected vehicles are eligible for this repair through April 3, 2030 or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. If a vehicle has already exceeded the mileage limit, this extended warranty coverage will last through October 31, 2020. |
| 18N03-S7 | 2019-12-05. Service bulletin. Customer Satisfaction Program 18N03 - Supplement #7 Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 and 2017-2018 Model Year F-250-F-550 Vehicles - Door Latch Freezing Concerns |
| 18N03-S6 | 2019-05-07. Service bulletin. Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 and 2017-2018 Model Year F-250-F-550 Vehicles - Door Latch Freezing Concerns |
| 18N03-S4 | 2019-04-08. Service bulletin. Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 and 2017-2018 Model Year F-250-F-550 Vehicles - Door Latch Freezing Concerns |
| 18N03-S4 | 2019-04-01. Service bulletin. Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 and 2017-2018 Model Year F-250-F-550 Vehicles - Door Latch Freezing Concerns |
A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.