Ford bulletin TSB 25-2121
What it saysSome of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a click/pop noise while turning the steering wheel from straight ahead to full lock during low speed turning events. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 28, 2025, received Mar 31, 2025. It names 6 model years (2020–2025). 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 of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a click/pop noise while turning the steering wheel from straight ahead to full lock during low speed turning events. This noise may be due to front upper strut mount washer movement under steering loads.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 25-2121 | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2025 | 11016084 | PDF, 172 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| W719506-S440 | Front Stabilizer Bar Link Upper Nut | — | eBay Motors → |
| W714660-S439 | Brake Caliper Anchor Plate Bolts | — | eBay Motors → |
| W520517-S440 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle Nuts | — | eBay Motors → |
| W721102-S439 | — | — | |
| W520115-S440 | Strut Rod Nut | — | eBay Motors → |
| LB5Z-3A197-A | ZC-37-A As Needed As Needed Motorcraft® Wheel and Tire Cleaner | — | eBay Motors → |
| W715932-S439 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle Bolts Standard bolt (no eccentric cam) | — | eBay Motors → |
| W715295-S439 | Lower Strut-To-Wheel Knuckle-Camber Bolts Bolt with eccentric cam | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 252121A | 2020-2025 Explorer: Visually Inspect And Replace One (1) Front Upper Strut Mount… | 1.5 hrs |
| 252121B | 2020-2025 Explorer: Visually Inspect And Replace Both (2) Front Upper Strut Mounts… | 2.1 hrs |
| 252121C | 2020-2025 Explorer: Additional Time To Check And Adjust Front Camber, Caster And Toe… | 1.4 hrs |
| 252121D | 2020-2025 Explorer With Lane Departure: Additional Time To Check And Adjust Front… | 1.6 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 pages), read Sep 29, 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 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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,218 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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.
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 25-2121 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 25-2121 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 25-2121 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2025 Ford Explorer, 2024 Ford Explorer, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2022 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer. 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: 2020-2025 Explorer: built on or before 5 Jan 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.