Ford bulletin TSB 23-2219
What it saysSome 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles may exhibit no 3rd gear engagement and/or a grinding noise going into 3rd and/or 4th gear. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 1, 2023, received Sep 26, 2023, about the power train. It names 3 model years (2021–2023). 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.
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 communicationSome 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles may exhibit no 3rd gear engagement and/or a grinding noise going into 3rd and/or 4th gear. This may be due to the transmission shifting system and clutch interaction such as a lack of full clutch disengagement during shifts and/or placing weight upon the gear shift lever while driving. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the 3rd and/or 4th gears and/or synchronizers as needed.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2219 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2023 | 10242848 | PDF, 93 KB |
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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 847 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 62 of them name Power Train — 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 · ODI 11507718
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group43 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Bronco under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55284 | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | Some 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles equipped with a MT88 manual transmission may exhibit no 3rd gear engagement and/or a grinding noise going int… |
| SSM 55073 | Service bulletin | Aug 10, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Bronco vehicles may require the removal and installation of the transfer case for various reasons. Installation requires Loct… |
| PCM-26.20.0 | Over-the-air update | Jul 2, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Powertrain Control Module calibration update to prevent a DTC that may lead to a wrench light |
| PCM-26.10.0 | Over-the-air update | Jul 2, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Updates the Powertrain Control Module documentation to ensure vehicles can receive the latest updates |
| TSB 26-2291 | Service bulletin | Jun 19, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2006. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct the ambient air temperature service part number. Some… |
| SSM 54902 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R60 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford D… |
| TSB 26-2210 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Engine misfire condition * Illuminat… |
| 26B12 | Other | May 28, 2026 | Certain 2026 Model Year Aviator, Explorer and Bronco Vehicles with 10R60 Transmissions: Transmission and Fluid Cooler Replacement |
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 23-2219 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 23-2219 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 23-2219 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco, 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.