Ford bulletin TSB 23-2174
What it saysSome 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) built on or before 30-Aug-2021 may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) C00A6… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 26, 2023, received Aug 2, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 4 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2021). 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 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 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD) built on or before 30-Aug-2021 may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) C00A6 and/or C0631. This may be due to the front axle disconnect actuator/intermediate shaft. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the front axle disconnect actuator/intermediate shaft with a revised intermediate shaft.
Trouble codes it names: C00A6 C0631
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2174 | Service bulletin | Jul 26, 2023 | 10240240 | PDF, 196 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| LB5Z-3B477-A | Wheel Hub Nut | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W715932-S439 | Lower Strut-to-wheel Knuckle Bolt | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W520517-S440 | Lower Strut-to-wheel Knuckle Nut | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W719506-S440 | Upper Stabilizer Bar Link Nut | — | eBay Motors → |
| W717521-S440 | Engine Mount Nut | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W719326-S439 | Engine Mount Bolt | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| N1MZ-3A329-A | Intermediate Shaft | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| N1MZ-3A427-F | Halfshaft | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| L1MZ-4382-C | Engine Mount Bolt | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W720050-S440 | Control Arm Nut (Aviator) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W719503-S439 | Control Arm Bolt (Aviator) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W711310-S440 | Control Arm Nut (Aviator) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W520216-S440 | Control Arm Nut (Aviator) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| N1MZ-3B476-A | Front Axle Assembly Breather Hose | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W712961-S439 | Steering Shaft Bolt (3.0L) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| W716979-S439 | Rear Subframe Bolt (3.0L) | 2 | eBay Motors → |
| W719413-S439 | Subframe Bolts Mid/Front (3.0L) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| XY-75W140-QL | Needed | — | eBay Motors → |
| CXY-75W140-1L | Needed | — | eBay Motors → |
| 3U2Z-14A088-AB | Motorcraft® Wire Splice Kit | — | eBay Motors → |
| L1MZ-6758-A | Tube Assembly (3.0L) | — | eBay Motors → |
| AT4Z-9E936-A | Gasket (3.0L) | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 232174A | — | 2 hrs |
| 232174B | 2020-2021 Explorer 4WD 3.3L TiVCT, 3.3L Hybrid: Retrieve DTCs And Install… | 2.6 hrs |
| 232174C | 2020-2021 Explorer 4WD 3.0L EcoBoost: Retrieve DTCs And Install Intermediate Shaft… | 7.2 hrs |
| 232174D | 2020-2021 Aviator AWD 3.0L EcoBoost 3.0L PHEV: Retrieve DTCs And Install… | 7.8 hrs |
| 232174E | Additional Time To Check And Correct Caster/Camber And Front Toe (Can Be Claimed… | 1.1 hrs |
| 232174F | Additional Time To Check And Correct Caster/Camber And Front Toe For Vehicles With… | 1.3 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 2 model years
Lincoln 2 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,867 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 961 of them name Power Train, 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 2020 Ford Explorer, the 188 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 44,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately…
2021 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 20, 2023 · ODI 11556088
On my 2020 police interceptor through a no issue for the transmission, failing at early mileage, jerking in a drive and slamming gears when shifting and low gears, I believe the component is the CDF drum in the transmission, which is thousands of dollars to fix Ford offered to replace it under warranty, but the issue typically doesn’t…
2020 Ford Explorer · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 18, 2026 · ODI 11757821
The contact owns a 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH in the left lane, the rear end locked up, and the vehicle fishtailed before coming to a complete stop between the left lane and the shoulder of the roadway. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start.
2021 Lincoln Aviator · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2026 · ODI 11766329
In depth: 2021 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2020 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2020 Ford Explorer electrical 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group120 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 55256 | Service bulletin | Oct 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2027 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto foldi… |
| SSM 55241 | Service bulletin | Oct 12, 2026 | Some 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles may exhibit a "Door Fault Service Required", "Transmission Not In Park" and/or "Hill Start Assist Not Availa… |
| SSM 55220 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience Android Auto connection or general Bluet… |
| TSB 26-2325 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a front courtesy lamp that is inoperative. This may be due to a concern… |
| 25E10-S1 | Emissions | Sep 30, 2026 | NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-20… |
| 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… |
| TCU-26.2.11.5 | Over-the-air update | Sep 24, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses key off load battery usage caused by the Telematics Control Unit's Wi-Fi not powering down properly… |
| BCM-26.DC | Over-the-air update | Sep 4, 2026 | Quality improvements include: - Enables the Open On Approach feature |
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 23-2174 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 23-2174 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 23-2174 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 2021 Lincoln Aviator, 2020 Lincoln Aviator. 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: 2020-2021 Explorer AWD: built on or before 30 Aug 2021; 2020-2021 Aviator AWD: built on or before 30 Aug 2021 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.