Ford bulletin TSB 23-2185
What it saysSome 2023 Bronco vehicles built on or before 12-Jun-2023 equipped with a 2.7L engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P051B stored in the powertrain control… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 20, 2023, received Jun 28, 2023, about the engine. It names 1 model year (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.
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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 2023 Bronco vehicles built on or before 12-Jun-2023 equipped with a 2.7L engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P051B stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the software in the PCM. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to reprogram the PCM.
Trouble codes it names: P051B
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2185 | Service bulletin | Jun 20, 2023 | 10238285 | PDF, 89 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 232185A | 2023 Bronco 2.7L: Reprogram The PCM (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) | 0.3 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), 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 control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) for the 2023 Bronco →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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 42 of them name Power Train, 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.
Within the first 500 miles on my brand new bronco, I noticed a strange burning smell after driving it one day. The next morning when I started it, I heard what I thought was a heat shield rattle, and as I continued to drive my bronco to work throughout the week the noise got worse.
2023 Ford Bronco · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Feb 16, 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 group23 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25B51 | Other | May 9, 2026 | Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explor… |
| 24N12 S2 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | Certain 2021 - 2022 Model Year Various Vehicles Engine Valve Inspection Test This submission includes : Technical Instructions Updated word… |
| SSM 54451 | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2025 | Some 2025 Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with only… |
| SSM 54275 | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2025 | Some 2021-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine, 2021-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.0L plug… |
| 25H03 | Other | Sep 3, 2025 | Harvest Program 25H03 Certain 2024 - 2025 Model Year Bronco, Bronco Sport, Corsair, Escape, Explorer, Maverick, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicle… |
| PCM-25.10.0 | Over-the-air update | Sep 2, 2025 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a potential Malfunction Indicator Lamp caused by two Diagnostic Trouble Codes triggered by a random… |
| 24N12 -S1 | Other | Aug 25, 2025 | NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD Safety Recall 24S55 – Supplement #1 Dated: August 15, 2025 Customer Satisfaction Program 24N12 Dat… |
| 25P20 | Other | Jul 26, 2025 | Certain 2025 Model Year Bronco, Explorer, Mustang, and Ranger Vehicles Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor Replacement On all affected vehicle… |
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 23-2185 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 23-2185 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 23-2185 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 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: 2023 Bronco: built on or before 12 Jun 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.