Ford bulletin SSM 51845
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 4, 2023, received Aug 14, 2023, about the exterior lighting. It names 4 model years (2020–2023). 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 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manual, Section 417-01.
Trouble codes it names: B1533
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51845 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2023 | 10240724 | PDF, 29 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,047 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 283 of them name Electrical System — 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 2020 Ford Explorer, the 61 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 12,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Vehicle wouldn't start using push button start, several modules/components reported errors: traction control, parking break, steering, shifting. The vehicle drove fine less than 24 hours prior to 3/3/2024. Following a week at the dealership, Ford Motor Company and the Ford dealership determined the main wiring harness was the culprit.
2023 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer Hybrid. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, there was a burning odor present. The message "Pull Over Possible Powertrain Damage" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the high voltage junction box had overheated and was burned.
2021 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 24, 2023
When trying to move the vehicle out of park, either reverse or drive the vehicle jerks into gear hard and then stalls. Tried multiple times to get the vehicle out of the drive way starts up no issue, no check engine light yet keeps stalling. This is new owned for 3 days with less than 200 miles on it
2020 Ford Explorer · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 1, 2020
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 exterior lighting
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (exterior lighting), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2200 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an inoperative dark car mode. The vehicle may exhibit at least one of t… |
| SSM 54008 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2025 | Some 2021-2025 F-150 non-Lightning, 2023-2025 F-Super Duty, 2024-2025 Ranger, and 2025 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a perceived improper fu… |
| SSM 52941 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2024 | Some 2020-2025 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit multiple warning messages, various driveability concerns and/or an ill… |
| SSM 52896 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2024 | Some 2023-2025 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with the 3.0L EcoBoost engine and up to 15,000 miles (24,140 km) may exhibit an illuminate… |
| SSM 51628 | Service bulletin | May 11, 2023 | Some 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic tro… |
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 51845 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 51845 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 51845 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.