Ford bulletin SSM 51863
What it saysDuring replacement of the electronic front stabilizer bar disconnect assembly on 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles, removal and replacement of the sta-bar harness is required. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 15, 2023, received Sep 2, 2023, about the suspension. It names 3 model years (2021–2023). 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 communicationDuring replacement of the electronic front stabilizer bar disconnect assembly on 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles, removal and replacement of the sta-bar harness is required. To assist engineering with root cause analysis of failed sta-bar disconnect assemblies, include the sta-bar harness with the part in the same package when returning warranty replacement sta-bar disconnect assembly. The sta-bar disconnect assembly return should also be packaged in the original box with all protective insulators in place to properly protect it during shipping. Use the Report a Vehicle Concern link at the bottom of OASIS to submit a report with photos attached (if possible) for any front stabilizer bar disconnect concerns.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 51863 | Service bulletin | Aug 15, 2023 | 10241594 | PDF, 35 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the stabilizer bar for the 2023 Bronco →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 847 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 76 of them name Electrical System, Suspension — 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.
Bronco base had no option for tow package but for $195 option 66C is a factory install auxiliary switches. Switch 1 is wired to 30 amps or 360 watts @12 v. This option has 2 parts. The second parts are not attached.
2022 Ford Bronco · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 23, 2022 · ODI 11480772
2nd day of ownership and rear view camera failed. Called Ford and they said it was two months until they have an appointment
2023 Ford Bronco · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 8, 2023 · ODI 11506258
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 suspension
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco under the same component group (suspension), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54807 | Service bulletin | May 6, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Bronco vehicles may exhibit various cruise control, pre-collision and/or front stabilizer bar disconnect related warning mess… |
| TSB 25-2613 | Service bulletin | Jan 8, 2026 | This article supersedes TSB 24-2408 to update the parts list. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a loud fr… |
| TSB 25-2575 | Service bulletin | Nov 28, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 24-2104 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibi… |
| SSM 53869 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2025 | Some 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles built on or before 01-Jan-2025 equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine and 10R60 automatic transmission may exhi… |
| TSB 24-2104 | Service bulletin | Apr 11, 2024 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2400 to update the parts list. Some 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles may encounter a Sta-bar Disconnect Service Requ… |
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 51863 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 51863 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 51863 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco, 2022 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Bronco. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.