Ford bulletin SSM 51625
What it saysSome 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine may exhibit an intermittent malfunction indicator light (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P1026 and/or P1299 present in the powertrain control module… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 11, 2023, received May 16, 2023, about the engine. It names 2 model years (2022–2023). A service bulletin 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine may exhibit an intermittent malfunction indicator light (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P1026 and/or P1299 present in the powertrain control module (PCM) and an engine over-temperature message displayed on the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after a cold engine start. The vehicle will also exhibit reduced performance when it enters fail safe cooling open loop mode. If the engine is not overheating, clear the DTCs to reset the fail safe cooling open loop mode. Start and idle the engine while viewing coolant flow at the top inner (engine side) degas bottle hose port through the semitransparent top. If coolant flow is blocked, replace the L1MZ-8A365-AAD engine-to-degas bottle hose. If flow is steady, return to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-03A diagnostics.
Trouble codes it names: P1026 P1299
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51625 | Service bulletin | May 11, 2023 | 10236336 | PDF, 28 KB |
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 themA 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 381 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 43 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.
4 days after purchase car started shutting off after cranking. Sometimes it would be just once and sometimes it could be up to 4 times within the first 1-2 min of attempted driving. It would re-crank easily each time but by the time you would reach for seatbelt, it would stall.
2022 Ford Explorer · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 29, 2022
Vehicle purchased in May 2023 (51323) at koons silver spring. Vehicle had computer and 'random stalling' issues where the car would not start/stay on in August 2023. Called dealership, vehicle towed to Koons for repair. Service team said they could not replicate issue.
2023 Ford Explorer · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 3, 2023
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 group26 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2349 | Service bulletin | Jul 31, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 25-2415. Reason for update: To add production build dates of the right-side engine valve cover. Some of the vehicle… |
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explor… |
| SSM 54795 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may… |
| SSM 54774 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator (MIL) lamp with engine… |
| SSM 54756 | Service bulletin | Apr 20, 2026 | 2021-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine may require air conditioning (A/C) compressor belt removal for various re… |
| 24N12 S2 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | Certain 2021 - 2022 Model Year Various Vehicles Engine Valve Inspection Test This submission includes : Technical Instructions Updated word… |
| SSM 54275 | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2025 | Some 2021-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine, 2021-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.0L plug… |
| SSM 54262 | Service bulletin | Oct 2, 2025 | Some 2019-2020 Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost, 2020 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.0L plug-in hyb… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford SSM 51625 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 SSM 51625 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 SSM 51625 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.