Ford bulletin 25B51
What it saysCertain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explorer, 2019-2020 Model Year Fusion, 2016-2018 Model Year Focus RS, 2022-2024 Model… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated May 9, 2026, received Jun 5, 2026, about the engine. It names 41 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2016–2024). A manufacturer communication 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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explorer, 2019-2020 Model Year Fusion, 2016-2018 Model Year Focus RS, 2022-2024 Model Year Maverick, 2016-2019 Model Year MKC and 2019-2024 Model Year Ranger Vehicles Equipped with a 2.0L or 2.3L Engine and Engine Block Heater System Block Heater Replacement
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | 11033577 | PDF, 502 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Recommend Repair Prior to Sale”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS7Z-6A051-B | Engine Block Heater | — | eBay Motors → |
| HS7Z-6B018-A | Hybrid Only | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (12 pages), read Sep 30, 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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themFord 34 model years
Lincoln 7 model years
A 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 41 model years this bulletin names have filed 18,557 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 4,089 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2016 Ford Explorer, the 351 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 28,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Catalytic converter and it was confirmed by independent service center my car only has 88k miles There is a catalytic converter recall on year 2020 but Ford refuses to do a recall for the year 2021 and I have another car that have the same catalytic converter problem with only 84k miles and it’s also 2021 and Ford refuses to do any work…
2021 Ford Explorer · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 31, 2026 · ODI 11754102
Purchased a 2020 Explorer on feb 11, noticed smoke from the hood right when I arrived home from the dealer, contacted them and they said it might be normal for a new vehicle to have some smoke in the beginning, later I noticed that the interior heat is only blowing cold air so I was about to take it to the nearest dealer to check it out…
2020 Ford Explorer · Engine · filed with NHTSA Feb 14, 2020 · ODI 11309159
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds there was a humming sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that intermittently the vehicle hesitated to start. The tire pressure warning light illuminated; however, the tires were new, and the air pressure was correct.
2020 Ford Fusion · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 14, 2025 · ODI 11648279
In depth: 2022 Ford Bronco engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco engine problems → · 2022 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems → · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport engine problems →
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group84 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55283 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | Some 2023-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" message and an il… |
| SSM 55228 | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cove… |
| SSM 55217 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with 3.0L EcoBoost/hybrid engine may exhibit blue or black exhaust smoke on startup for th… |
| SSM 55211 | Over-the-air update | Oct 2, 2026 | 2023-2026 Escape and 2025-2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger wastegate… |
| SSM 55157 | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2026 | Some 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an intermittent vibration and/or crunching noise after a cold start while the engine is… |
| SSM 55142 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Tempera… |
| 26L02 | Other | Aug 25, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine Timing Belt and Oil Pump Belt Inte… |
| 26L01 | Other | Aug 25, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26L01 Certain 2018-2024 Model Year Various Vehicles 2.0L Panther Diesel Engine Timing Belt and Tensioner Inter… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford 25B51 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication 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 25B51 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 25B51 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 41 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Bronco, 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Bronco Sport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.