B1238
0 owner reports and 6 manufacturer filings across 2 model years from Ford.
Where B1238 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Ford Bronco | Not specified | 4 | — | |
| 2026 Ford Bronco | Electrical System | 2 | — | Battery → |
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
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What it gets filed under
6 manufacturer filings name B1238. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names B1238.
- SSM 55079 Service bulletin2026-08-13 · Electrical System
- Some 2025-2026 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code IDBAL) may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) B128A:01, B128A:11, B128A:12, B128A:13, B1288:11, B1288:12 and/or B1238:17 stored in the audio front control module (ACM) with no customer facing symptoms related to those DTCs. Clear the DTCs and if the DTCs return with no customer facing symptoms, this condi
- SSM 54925 Service bulletin2026-06-12 · Electrical System
- Some 2025-2026 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code IDBAL) may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B128A:01, B128A:11, B128A:12, B128A:13, B1288:11, B1288:12 and/or B1238:17 stored in the audio front control module (ACM) with no customer facing symptoms related to those DTCs. Clear the DTCs and if the DTCs return with no customer facing symptoms, this cond
- SSM 54479 Service bulletin2026-01-07 · Unknown Or Other
- Some 2025 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code IDBAL) may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B128A:01, B128A:11, B128A:12, B128A:13, B1288:11, B1288:12 and/or B1238:17 stored in the audio front control module (ACM). To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build information by clicking "Additional Information" under Vehi
- SSM 54164 Service bulletin2025-08-25 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2025 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code IDBAL) may exhibit an intermittent no audio condition and/or speaker fault with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B128A:01, B128A:11, B128A:12, B128A:13, B1288:11, B1288:12 and/or B1238:17 stored in the audio control module (ACM). To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build info
What B1238 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIB1238 is a manufacturer-specific code: the second character is a 1, which under the OBD-II standard hands the definition to whoever built the vehicle. The same code can mean one thing on a Ford and something unrelated on a Hyundai. Any site that prints a single definition for it is guessing.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about B1238
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardWhy does this page not define B1238?
Because it cannot be defined honestly. The second character of a trouble code says who owns its meaning, and a 1 or a 3 hands that to the manufacturer. Sites that print one definition for a manufacturer-specific code are showing you one automaker's meaning and hoping it is yours.
Can I keep driving with B1238 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.