Ford bulletin TSB 23-2132
What it saysSome 2018-2023 Mustang vehicles (non-Shelby GT-350) may exhibit various concerns with the active exhaust system. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 4, 2023, received May 31, 2023, about the engine. It names 6 model years (2018–2023). 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.
Get the next Ford Mustang bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2018-2023 Mustang vehicles (non-Shelby GT-350) may exhibit various concerns with the active exhaust system. These may include Exhaust Mode Selection Not Available messages, and/or illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostics trouble codes (DTCs) P26C5, P26C6, P26FE, P2BF9, P2BFB, P26C7, P2BF5, P2BF8, P2BFD and/or P2BFA. This may be due to an improperly seated exhaust system. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to diagnose the tailpipe actuator.
Trouble codes it names: P26C5 P26C6 P26C7 P26FE P2BF5 P2BF8 P2BF9 P2BFA P2BFB P2BFD
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2132 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2023 | 10236033 | PDF, 553 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W520111-S424 | Exhaust Actuator Nuts | 3 | eBay Motors → |
| W711687-S300 | Rear Underbody Shield Tree Fastener | 2 | eBay Motors → |
| W718128-S417 | Rear Underbody Shield Push Pin Fastener | 6 | eBay Motors → |
| KR3Z-14A411-G | Exhaust Actuator Harness-GT500/Mach | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| JR3Z-14A411-H | Exhaust Actuator Harness-2.3L/5.0L | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| JR3Z-6554-A | Exhaust Actuator Service Kit | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| KR3Z-5230-P | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-GT500 | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| JR3Z-5230-FC | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-5.0L | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| KR3Z-5230-H | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-2.3L | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| KR3Z-5230-M | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-5.0L Bullitt | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| MR3Z-5230-C | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-5.0L Mach 1 (A) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| MR3Z-5230-E | Muffler and Tailpipe Assembly-5.0L Mach 1 (B) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| BR3Z-5A231-B | Exhaust Clamp-2.3L | 2 | eBay Motors → |
| FR3Z-5A231-A | Exhaust Clamp-5.0L | 1 | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (5 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.
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.
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 exhaust system for the 2023 Mustang →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.
Email me new Ford bulletins for the Mustang
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Ford files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 582 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 172 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 2018 Ford Mustang, the 32 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 27,000 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 2018 Ford Mustang. While the vehicle was coming to a stop with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle shook violently and stalled. The contact had to shift into park and turn off the vehicle. When the vehicle was restarted, it resumed normal operation. None of the dealers could diagnose the failure.
2018 Ford Mustang · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 26, 2019
Catastrophic engine failure while driving at highway speeds in dense traffic led to seized engine and highly dangerous situation. Root cause wasn't determined due to volume of damage. Three pistons, rods, and crankshaft where shattered beyond recognition along with a cracked block.
2021 Ford Mustang · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 2, 2023
The last two times I have went to start my vehicle it acts as if it is not in the park position. The brake is stiff and wont budge. I have to wiggle the shifter as much as it will let me fpr a couple minutes before it lets loose to start
2023 Ford Mustang · Engine · filed with NHTSA Dec 12, 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 group16 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Mustang 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 54742 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles may set diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0420:82 in the image processing module a (IPMA) during a diagnost… |
| 25H03 | Other | Sep 3, 2025 | Harvest Program 25H03 Certain 2024 - 2025 Model Year Bronco, Bronco Sport, Corsair, Escape, Explorer, Maverick, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicle… |
| 25P20 | Other | Jul 26, 2025 | Certain 2025 Model Year Bronco, Explorer, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicles Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor Replacement On all affected vehicle… |
| SSM 53991 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2025 | Some 2025 Mustang GTD vehicles may set diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U0420:82 in the image processing module a (IPMA) during a diagnostic se… |
| SSM 53974 | Service bulletin | Jun 24, 2025 | Some 2024-2025 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the air conditioning compressor belt due to vari… |
| SSM 52630 | Service bulletin | Jun 19, 2024 | Some 2023-2024 Escape/Corsair vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L EcoBoost engine, 2024 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost eng… |
| 24H01 | Service bulletin | May 24, 2024 | Certain 2024 Model Year Mustang Vehicles - Left Hand Cylinder Head and Exhaust Cam Replacement |
| SSM 52542 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2024 | Some 2020-2022 Mustang GT500 vehicles may exhibit a lack of power and/or an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with 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 TSB 23-2132 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 TSB 23-2132 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 TSB 23-2132 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2023 Ford Mustang, 2022 Ford Mustang, 2021 Ford Mustang, 2020 Ford Mustang, 2019 Ford Mustang, 2018 Ford Mustang. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.