Ford bulletin TSB 23-2161
What it saysSome 2018-2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L diesel engine, 2016-2022 F-650/F-750 vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine, and 2017-2022 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine and built on or before… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 23, 2023, received May 31, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 50 model years (2016–2022). 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 the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some 2018-2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L diesel engine, 2016-2022 F-650/F-750 vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine, and 2017-2022 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine and built on or before 08-Mar-2022 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P21DD, P20BA. P20B9, P204C, P208A, P208B, P208C, P203B, P205B, P21CD and/or U02A2 in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to water intrusion within connectors C3613 and/or C4851/C3610 on the reductant harness going to the reductant pump/heater assembly and the reductant level sensor/quality module. This may also be due to movement of the wiring harness causing terminal fretting. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the reductant tank harness, the reductant pump/heater assembly and/or the reductant tank, as well as securing the wiring harness using a cable zip tie fastener.
Trouble codes it names: P203B P204C P205B P208A P208B P208C P20B9 P20BA P21CD P21DD U02A2 C3610 C3613 2 of 13 read from the document itself
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2161 | Service bulletin | May 23, 2023 | 10236685 | PDF, 779 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4L3Z-9276-AA | Sealing Pump To Tank Gasket | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| KC3Z-5J250-A | Inboard Frame Mounted Reductant | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| HC3Z-14407-A | Inboard Frame Mounted Reductant | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| KC3Z-5J250-B | Outboard Frame Mounted Reductant | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| HC3Z-14407-B | Outboard Frame Mounted Reductant | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| JL3Z-5J250-A | Reductant Tank (F-150) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| JL3Z-14407-AA | Reductant Tank Harness (F-150) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| FC4Z-5J250-H | Reductant Tank (F-650/F-750) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| FC4Z-14407-C | Reductant Tank Harness (F-650/F-750) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| HC3Z-5J229-B | Reductant Tank Pump/Heater | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W520804-S439 | Reductant Tank Retaining J-nut (F-Super Duty) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W719567-S439 | Reductant Tank Retaining J-nut (F-Super Duty) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W503300-S450 | Reductant Tank Retaining Strap Bolts | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W520803-S439 | Reductant Tank Retaining Strap J | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W716694-S300 | Needed | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 232161A | 2017-2022 F-250 - F-550 6.7L DIT Pick Up: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And… | 0.6 hrs |
| 232161B | 2017-2022 F-250 - F-550 6.7L DIT Pick Up: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And… | 1.5 hrs |
| 232161C | 2017-2022 F-250 - F-550 6.7L DIT Pick Up: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And… | 1.3 hrs |
| 232161D | 2017-2022 F-350 - F-550 Chassis Cab 6.7L DIT: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And… | 0.6 hrs |
| 232161E | — | 1.6 hrs |
| 232161F | 2017-2022 F-350-F-550 Chassis Cab 6.7L DIT: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And… | 1.4 hrs |
| 232161G | 2016-2022 F-650/F-750 6.7L DIT: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace… | 0.5 hrs |
| 232161H | 2016-2022 F-650/F-750 6.7L DIT: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232161J | 2016-2022 F-650/F-750 6.7L DIT: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace… | 1.4 hrs |
| 232161K | 2018-2021 F-150 3.0L Diesel: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace Harness… | 0.6 hrs |
| 232161L | 2018-2021 F-150 3.0L Diesel: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace Harness… | 1.4 hrs |
| 232161M | 2018-2021 F-150 3.0L Diesel: Retrieve DTCs, Inspect Connectors And Replace Harness… | 1.4 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (7 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2017 Ford F-550 SD; 2018 Ford F-550 SD; 2019 Ford F-550 SD; 2020 Ford F-550 SD; 2021 Ford F-550 SD; 2022 Ford F-550 SD; 2020 Ford F-600 SD; 2021 Ford F-600 SD; 2022 Ford F-600 SD; 2016 Ford F-650; 2017 Ford F-650; 2021 Ford F-650; 2017 Ford F-650 SD; 2018 Ford F-650 SD; 2019 Ford F-650 SD; 2020 Ford F-650 SD; 2021 Ford F-650 SD; 2022 Ford F-650 SD; 2016 Ford F-750; 2017 Ford F-750; 2018 Ford F-750; 2021 Ford F-750; 2017 Ford F-750 SD; 2018 Ford F-750 SD; 2019 Ford F-750 SD; 2020 Ford F-750 SD; 2021 Ford F-750 SD; 2022 Ford F-750 SD.
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 22 model years this bulletin names have filed 10,671 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 681 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 2018 Ford F-150, the 68 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 28,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
This vehicle is equipped with a feature that shuts the engine and ignition off after 30 minutes of idle without driver interaction. These vehicles have "up-fitter switches" which can be tied to things like auxiliary warning lights. When the vehicle shuts down, the headlights/tail lights turn off as well as power to any auxiliary loads.
2018 Ford F-350 Super Duty · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 14, 2019
Brand new truck. Initial problem 6-8/2022: The truck would shut off after 15 minutes and then would not start for 45 minutes, I repeated this 4 times. Then while I was driving and turning around in a parking lot it actually stopped, everything went dead, no lights, key didn't have any affect, nothing, and then it started after 10-15…
2022 Ford F-250 Super Duty · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 18, 2023
I got the truck back from the place I bought it, after they called me saying that it was recalls that the Ford agency didn't do, I bought the truck a week ago from this post, my truck came equipped with birds eye camera, meaning that I have front, sides, back and on top of the cabin, cameras, they are not working at all, besides the…
2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 29, 2019
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group225 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55208 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble co… |
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| TSB 26-2391 | Service bulletin | Sep 3, 2026 | This bulletin updates 26-2206. Reason for update: update the Service Procedure to revise Steps 19-21, adding Step 22, and adding Figure 15-1… |
| 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… |
| SSM 55116 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 0… |
| SYNC-26.2.8.3 | Over-the-air update | Aug 18, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Privacy robustness updates -Resolves various user interface and data display bugs within the Towing menu |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Aug 6, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
| TSB 26-2360 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model Statement above may exhibit an intermittent extended crank with no relevant diagnostic trouble code… |
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 23-2161 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 23-2161 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 23-2161 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 50 model years: 2021 Ford F-150, 2020 Ford F-150, 2019 Ford F-150, 2018 Ford F-150, 2022 Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2017-2022 F-Super Duty: built on or before 8 Mar 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.