Ford bulletin SSM 51984
What it saysSome 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles with 2.3L engine built on or before 20-Jul-2023 may exhibit an intermittent malfunction indicator light (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P1026 and/or P1299 present… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 12, 2023, received Nov 3, 2023, about the power train. 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 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.
Some 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles with 2.3L engine built on or before 20-Jul-2023 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 there is no coolant flow, replace the L1MZ-8A365-AAD engine-to-degas bottle hose. If if there is any coolant flow, 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 51984 | Service bulletin | Oct 12, 2023 | 10244833 | PDF, 45 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 control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) for the 2023 Explorer →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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 388 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 116 of them name Power Train, 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 2022 Ford Explorer, the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 26,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine randomly disconnected from the transmission and the vehicle started idling while losing motive power while attempting to accelerate. During the failure the message "Brake Applied; Power Reduced" was displayed.
2022 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 3, 2022 · ODI 11492160
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 · ODI 11495334
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 · ODI 11553342
In depth: 2022 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group67 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Explorer under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| TSB 26-2431 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2226. Reason For Update: update the Service Procedure for 2021-2022 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles with the new Fo… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| TSB 26-2395 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, an… |
| SSM55059 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 20… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| TSB 26-2287 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | This article supersedes 25-2302. Reason for update: update the labor time allowance for F-150 vehicles, update the Parts list to replace the… |
| SSM 54902 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford D… |
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 51984 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 51984 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 51984 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.