Corroded, loose, or water-intruded connector pins at the rear lighting control module B or its harness; Damaged or chafed wiring in the rear body harness, especially where it flexes near the trunk hinge or tailgate; Low or unstable battery voltage causing the module to drop offline intermittently; A failing rear lighting control module B that powers up but transmits invalid status frames; Network bus faults such as a shorted or open data line between the rear module and the supervising module; Software or configuration mismatch after a module replacement or battery disconnect; Poor ground connection shared by the rear lighting module and its sensors

DTC codes / U05xx · Network communication / U0553

U0553Invalid Data Received From Lighting Control Module - Rear B

Q: What does code U0553 mean?

Invalid Data Received From Lighting Control Module - Rear B. U0553 means the module that supervises the vehicle's communication network received implausible or missing data from the rear lighting control module designated B, so it cannot trust that module's status reports. The supervising module sets this code when the data frames arrive corrupted, out of range, or not at all within the expected timing window, even though the rear lighting module may still be physically present on the bus.

U0553 means the module that supervises the vehicle's communication network received implausible or missing data from the rear lighting control module designated B, so it cannot trust that module's status reports. The supervising module sets this code when the data frames arrive corrupted, out of range, or not at all within the expected timing window, even though the rear lighting module may still be physically present on the bus.

SystemNetwork

Code typeGeneric (all makes)

SeverityMedium

Fix difficultyProfessional

AreaNetwork communication

Symptoms you may notice

Illumination of the check engine light or a body control warning message on the dash
Rear lighting functions such as brake lights, turn signals, or reverse lamps behaving erratically or defaulting to a fail-safe state
A warning that a lighting system or driver assistance feature is unavailable
Intermittent flickering or delayed operation of the rear lamps when the module's data is lost
Often no symptoms besides the warning light, with all lamps working normally during a static check

Common causes, most likely first

Corroded, loose, or water-intruded connector pins at the rear lighting control module B or its harness
Damaged or chafed wiring in the rear body harness, especially where it flexes near the trunk hinge or tailgate
Low or unstable battery voltage causing the module to drop offline intermittently
A failing rear lighting control module B that powers up but transmits invalid status frames
Network bus faults such as a shorted or open data line between the rear module and the supervising module
Software or configuration mismatch after a module replacement or battery disconnect
Poor ground connection shared by the rear lighting module and its sensors

How to diagnose and fix it

Record all stored codes and freeze-frame data, then clear codes and road test to see whether U0553 returns immediately or only under specific conditions
Inspect and clean the connectors at the rear lighting control module B, checking for corrosion, pushed-back pins, and water traces
Perform a voltage drop and continuity test on the module's power and ground circuits while wiggling the rear harness
Check battery state of charge and charging system output, as low voltage is a frequent trigger for communication codes
Scope or measure the network data bus at the rear module to confirm signal integrity and rule out a shorted or open line
If wiring and power are sound, substitute a known-good module of the same part specification and recheck for U0553
After any repair, clear codes and verify the module communicates reliably through several ignition cycles and a full lighting function test

Why the rear lighting module reports bad data

A module that still operates the lamps can simultaneously send invalid data frames, so a working brake light does not clear the rear lighting module as the cause.
Water intrusion into the rear quarter panel or tailgate area is a common hidden cause that corrodes pins without any visible lamp failure.
This code often appears after a battery replacement or jump start because the module boots with a low-voltage condition and logs invalid data before recovering.
A faulty ground shared with the rear lighting module can corrupt its data output even when the module itself is healthy.
Technicians who replace the rear lighting module without checking the bus termination or harness routing frequently see the code return within days.

Can I keep driving with U0553?

The vehicle is generally safe to drive because the rear lamps usually default to a fail-safe mode, but avoid driving at night or in heavy traffic until the fault is diagnosed. If brake lights or turn signals stop working entirely, park the vehicle until repaired.

Tools that help

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Guidance is general and written for all OBD-II vehicles. Exact tests and values vary by model, so confirm the fault before replacing parts.