B1533
0 owner reports and 18 manufacturer filings across 9 model years from Ford.
Where B1533 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Ford Maverick | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Exterior Lighting | 3 | — |
| 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Exterior Lighting | 3 | — |
| 2022 Ford Bronco | Exterior Lighting | 2 | — |
| 2021 Ford Bronco | Exterior Lighting | 2 | — |
| 2023 Ford Explorer | Equipment | 2 | — |
| 2022 Ford Bronco Sport | Exterior Lighting | 1 | — |
| 2021 Ford Bronco Sport | Equipment | 1 | — |
| 2022 Ford Escape | Exterior Lighting | 1 | — |
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.
What it gets filed under
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names B1533. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SSM 518452023-08-04 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manual, Section 417-01.
- SSM 516962023-06-09 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 19-Aug-2022 may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is off and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Worksho
- SSM 516472023-05-17 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. Switch and/or module replacement will not resolve this condition. Headlamp operation is not affected while the vehicle is ON.
- SSM 516452023-05-16 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles may exhibit a condition where the low beams turn on by themselves while the vehicle is OFF for 10 or more minutes with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manua
- SSM 516282023-05-11 · Equipment — Electrical
- Some 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles may exhibit a condition of intermittent headlamp operation while the vehicle is OFF and have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. Switch and/or module replacement will not resolve this condition. Headlamp operation is not affected while the vehicle is ON. A new
- SSM 515752023-04-25 · Exterior Lighting
- Some 2020-2022 Escape vehicles may exhibit a condition where the low beams turn on by themselves when vehicle is OFF for 10 minutes or more with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1533 stored in the body control module (BCM). This may be due to the internal logic within the headlamp switch. To correct this condition, replace the headlamp switch (service base PN: 11654). Refer Workshop Manual, Section
What B1533 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIB1533 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 B1533
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardWhy does this page not define B1533?
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 B1533 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. 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.