Ford bulletin TSB 23-2163
What it saysSome 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles built on or before 25-Jul-2022 may exhibit a rattle noise from the tailgate when driving on rough roads. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 24, 2023, received May 31, 2023, about the equipment. It names 2 model years (2021–2022). 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.
Get the next Ford Bronco 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 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 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles built on or before 25-Jul-2022 may exhibit a rattle noise from the tailgate when driving on rough roads. The rattle may diminish with the spare tire removed. This may be due to the design of the tailgate and tailgate hinges. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the tailgate and the upper and lower tailgate hinges.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2163 | Service bulletin | May 24, 2023 | 10236686 | PDF, 121 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| M2DZ-7826800-B | Upper Tailgate Hinge | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| M2DZ-7842900-A | Lower Tailgate Hinge | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| M2DZ-7840010-A | Tailgate | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W721746-S450B | Hinge to Tailgate Bolts | 4 | eBay Motors → |
| M2DZ-9940380-A | Tailgate Insulator Pad | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| M2DZ-9942528-A | Bronco Badge-Version 1-Chrome | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| M2DZ-7842528-B | Bronco Badge-Version 2-Black | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| N2DZ-7842528-Y | Bronco Badge-Version 3-Raptor | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| N2DZ-7842528-Z | Ford Badge | — | eBay Motors → |
| W715684-S439 | Hinge To Body Bolt | 6 | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 232163A | 2021-2022 Bronco: Replace The Tailgate And Both Hinges (Can Be Claimed With… | 2.6 hrs |
| 232163B | Additional Time To Paint The New Tailgate And Hinges (Can Be Claimed With Operation… | 1.6 hrs |
| 232163C | Additional Time To Paint The New Tailgate And Hinges, Vehicles With Tri Coat Paint… | 2.2 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 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.
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 Bronco
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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 617 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
water is leaking from the passenger side roof through the passenger side door airbag when it rains. The passenger side top door airbag is constantly getting wet from this leak as water passes through
2021 Ford Bronco · Structure · filed with NHTSA Dec 29, 2021 · ODI 11445408
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group24 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 52476 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2024 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory install… |
| SSM 52385 | Service bulletin | Mar 25, 2024 | Some 2024 Bronco vehicles equipped with a factory hard top build on 07-Feb-20204 and through 13-Feb-2024 may have a hard top rear cap that i… |
| SSM 52370 | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | Some 2023-2024 F-150 and 2024 Bronco/Transit vehicles may exhibit Apple Carplay Bluetooth connectivity concerns. This may be due to the acce… |
| SSM 52328 | Service bulletin | Mar 4, 2024 | Some 2021-2024 Bronco/F-150, 2023-2024 Escape/F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with SYNC 4 may experience a concern during accessory protocol… |
| TSB 24-2040 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | Some 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit paint damage on the rear quarter panel due to contact with the soft top rear window. This may be… |
| TSB 24-2032 | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2024 | Some 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles built on or before 28-Feb-2023 may exhibit water entry into the rear trunk. This may be due to a lack of body… |
| SSM 52225 | Service bulletin | Jan 31, 2024 | Some 2023 Bronco vehicles equipped with a B&O sound system and built on 28-Jul-2023 and through 29-Aug-2023 may experience an intermittent l… |
| TSB 24-2021 | Service bulletin | Jan 24, 2024 | This article supersedes TSB 23-2213 to revise Figure 1, add 2024 vehicles and the part list. Some 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles may exhibit a wh… |
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 23-2163 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 23-2163 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 23-2163 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 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. The document itself sets the build window: 2021-2022 Bronco: built on or before 25 Jul 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.