Ford bulletin TSB 23-2259
What it saysSome 2020-2022 Escape built and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles, built on or before 28-Sep-2022, equipped with a 1.5L Ecoboost engine and a 8F35 transmission may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 16, 2023, received Sep 1, 2023, about the engine. It names 6 model years (2020–2023). 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 bulletin for your model 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 2020-2022 Escape built and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles, built on or before 28-Sep-2022, equipped with a 1.5L Ecoboost engine and a 8F35 transmission may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0420 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the catalytic converter. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the catalytic converter.
Trouble codes it names: P0420
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 23-2259 | Service bulletin | Aug 16, 2023 | 10241542 | PDF, 64 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.
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 catalytic convertor for the 2023 Bronco Sport →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.
Email me new Ford bulletins for one of these models
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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,976 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 701 of them name 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.
On the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, the 53 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 52,000 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 owned a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to slow the vehicle, he became dizzy then suddenly fainted, and as a result, he briefly lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after colliding with the curb.
2021 Ford Escape · Engine · filed with NHTSA May 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available.
2022 Ford Escape · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jan 8, 2024
While driving on I-95 southbound, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. This occurred without any warnings, no warning lights in dashboard flashed. This occurred for a total of three times. I had no power, no braking capabilities, no control over the vehicle
2023 Ford Bronco Sport · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 19, 2024
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 group34 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25M03 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25M03 Certain 2020-2025 Model Year Escape, 2021-2025 Model Year Corsair and 2022- 2025 Model Year Maverick Veh… |
| 25B33 | Other | Jun 1, 2026 | Certain 2023-2025 Model Year Escape and Corsair, 2024-2025 Model Year Nautilus, 2025-2026 Model Year Bronco Sport and 2025 Model Year Maver… |
| SSM 54822 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2026 | All 2026 Maverick non-Lobo vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine and built on or after 04-May-2026 and all 2026 Bronco Sport vehicles built o… |
| 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… |
| SSM 54738 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | Some 2023-2025 Escape 1.5L/F-Super Duty/Transit vehicles may exhibit a lack of cooling from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning… |
| SSM 54631 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | Some 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. This may requir… |
| SSM 54540 | Service bulletin | Jan 31, 2026 | Some 2025-2026 Escape/Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require replacement of the engine thermostat due to var… |
| TSB 25-2581 | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | This article supersedes TSB 25-2511 to update the Service Procedure and Parts List. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above… |
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 23-2259 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 23-2259 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 23-2259 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2022 Ford Escape, 2021 Ford Escape, 2020 Ford Escape. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.