Ford bulletin TSB 23-2251
What it saysSome 2019-2023 Ranger (non-Tremor) vehicles may exhibit a shudder/vibration when accelerating. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 14, 2023, received Sep 1, 2023, about the power train. It names 5 model years (2019–2023). 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 communicationSome 2019-2023 Ranger (non-Tremor) vehicles may exhibit a shudder/vibration when accelerating. This may be due to an excessive rear axle pinion angle (rear wheel drive (RWD) vehicles) or the pinion and driveshaft assemblies (four-wheel drive (4WD) non-Tremor vehicles). To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to adjust the rear axle pinion angle on 4x2 vehicles or replace the rear axle pinion and driveshaft on 4x4 non-Tremor vehicles.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2251 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2023 | 10241524 | PDF, 131 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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 576 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 225 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.
On the 2019 Ford Ranger, the 28 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 50,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 40 MPH, and the vehicle then shifted into 4WD-Low independently. As a result of the failure, the vehicle dramatically decelerated and skidded to a complete stop. The 4WD warning light was illuminated.
2023 Ford Ranger · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 28, 2025 · ODI 11651300
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. On several occasions, while driving and approaching a stop, the transmission failed to downshift, which made it difficult to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
2019 Ford Ranger · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 31, 2019 · ODI 11292277
On multiple occasions the transmission has slipped when changing gears .This has happened when trying to merge into traffic . One time almost causing someone to rear-end me . It also fails to downshift some times when stopping , causing me to brake much harder than normal .
2021 Ford Ranger · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jan 2, 2023 · ODI 11499822
In depth: 2021 Ford Ranger transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2019 Ford Ranger transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group34 other manufacturer communications filed against the Ford Ranger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2408 v2 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason for update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update theParts list to add 3.3L to W… |
| SSM 55257 | Service bulletin | Oct 19, 2026 | Some 2024 Ranger vehicles equipped with a rotary selectable drive mode control may exhibit a condition where the Drive Mode will change unco… |
| TSB 26-2408 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2309. Reason For Update: update the Model section to remove Aviator 10R80, update the Parts list to add 3.3L to… |
| TSB 26-2359 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an incorrectly illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagno… |
| TSB 26-2309 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2241. Reason For Update: update the parts list to correct the claim quantity of the part number JB3Z-4B496-B fro… |
| 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 26-2301 | Service bulletin | Jun 30, 2026 | Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may require the replacement of the ambient air temperature sensor for various conce… |
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 23-2251 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 23-2251 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 23-2251 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2023 Ford Ranger, 2022 Ford Ranger, 2021 Ford Ranger, 2020 Ford Ranger, 2019 Ford Ranger. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.