Ford bulletin TSB 23-2156
What it saysSome 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair, 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles may exhibit a condition where the door(s) do not open using the exterior door handle(s). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 19, 2023, received May 31, 2023, about the latches/locks/linkages. It names 13 model years across Ford and Lincoln (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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2020-2023 Escape/Corsair, 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles may exhibit a condition where the door(s) do not open using the exterior door handle(s). This may be due to an enabled permanent engagement inertia lock within the exterior door handle, this condition occurs when the doors are closed or opened with excessive force. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to properly disengage the permanent engagement inertia lock clip to allow the exterior door handle(s) to fully extend and open the door(s) from the exterior.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2156 | Service bulletin | May 19, 2023 | 10236579 | PDF, 368 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W721069-S300 | Front And Rear Door Trim Panel Pins | — | eBay Motors → |
| W713297-S300 | Front And Rear Door Trim Panel Pins | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 232156A | 2020-2023 Escape: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following The… | 0.9 hrs |
| 232156B | 2020-2023 Escape: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following The… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232156C | — | 0.7 hrs |
| 232156D | 2020-2023 Escape: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following The… | 1.2 hrs |
| 232156E | 2020-2023 Corsair: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 0.9 hrs |
| 232156F | 2020-2023 Corsair: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232156G | 2020-2023 Corsair: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 0.7 hrs |
| 232156H | 2020-2023 Corsair: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 1.2 hrs |
| 232156J | 2021-2023 Bronco Sport: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip… | 0.9 hrs |
| 232156K | 2021-2023 Bronco Sport: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232156L | 2021-2023 Bronco Sport: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip… | 0.7 hrs |
| 232156M | 2021-2023 Bronco Sport: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip… | 1.2 hrs |
| 232156N | 2022-2023 Maverick: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 0.9 hrs |
| 232156P | 2022-2023 Maverick: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232156Q | 2022-2023 Maverick: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 0.7 hrs |
| 232156R | 2022-2023 Maverick: Disengage The Permanent Engagement Inertia Lock Clip Following… | 1.4 hrs |
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.
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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 themFord 9 model years
Lincoln 4 model years
A 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 13 model years this bulletin names have filed 5,333 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
On the 2020 Ford Escape, the 54 owners who gave an odometer reading for Latches/Locks/Linkages reported it at a median of 46,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
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 latches/locks/linkages
Source: same model, same component group2 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (latches/locks/linkages), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52160 | Service bulletin | Jan 4, 2024 | When replacing the liftgate latch assembly on 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles, the service part number called out in the parts catalog for t… |
| SSM 51900 | Service bulletin | Aug 30, 2023 | Some 2023 Escape vehicles built on or before 03-May-2023 and not equipped with a keyless entry keypad may exhibit the door keypad code menu… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford TSB 23-2156 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 23-2156 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 23-2156 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 13 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2023 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.