C003A
1 owner report and 9 manufacturer filings across 5 model years from Ford, Mercedes-Benz.
Where C003A shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Ford Escape | Service Brakes | 3 | — | Brake pads → |
| 2025 Ford Ranger | Service Brakes | 3 | — | Brake pads → |
| 2025 Ford Bronco | Service Brakes | 2 | — | Brake pads → |
| 2025 Ford Mustang | Service Brakes | 1 | — | Brake pads → |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | Power Train | — | 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.
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What it gets filed under
9 manufacturer filings name C003A. 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 C003A.
- TSB 26-2102 Service bulletin2026-03-13 · Service Brakes
- Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an illuminated yellow/red anti-lock brake system (ABS) warning indicator with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C0037:01, C0037:07, C0037:2F, C0037:4A, C0037:64, C003A:01, C003A:07, C003A:2F, C003A:4A, and/or C003A:64 stored in the ABS module.
- SSM 54102 Service bulletin2025-08-01 · Service Brakes
- Some 2025 Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.3/2.7L EcoBoost engine built on or before 12-June-2025 and 2025 Ranger Raptor vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine built on or before 18-June-2025 may exhibit various illuminated brake system warning lamps/fault messages at start up with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C003A:4A, C003A:64, C0037:4A, C0037:64, C2005:1D, C2005:78, C2006:1D, and/or
- SSM 54013 Service bulletin2025-07-03 · Service Brakes
- Some 2025 Ranger vehicles may exhibit various illuminated brake system warning lamps/fault messages at start up with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C003A:4A, C003A:64, C0037:4A, C0037:64, C2005:1D, C2005:78, C2006:1D, and/or C2006:78 stored in the antilock brake system (ABS) module. To correct this condition, clear the DTCs, turn the ignition off and then back on, engage and disengage the park br
- SSM 53988 Service bulletin2025-06-26 · Service Brakes
- Some 2025 Bronco vehicles equipped with a 2.3/2.7L EcoBoost engine built on or before 12-June-2025 and 2025 Bronco Raptor vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine built on or before 18-June-2025 may exhibit various illuminated brake system warning lamps/fault messages at start up with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C003A:4A, C003A:64, C0037:4A, C0037:64, C2005:1D, C2005:78, C2006:1D, and/or
- SSM 53875 Service bulletin2025-06-04 · Service Brakes
- Some 2025 Bronco and Ranger vehicles may exhibit various illuminated brake system warning lamps/fault messages at start up with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C003A:4A, C003A:64, C0037:4A, C0037:64, C2005:1D, C2005:78, C2006:1D, and/or C2006:78 stored in the antilock brake system (ABS) module. To correct this condition, clear the DTCs, turn the ignition off and then back on, engage and disengage
- TSB 17-0040 Service bulletin2017-04-20 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — Abs Warning Light
- Some 2017 Escape vehicles equipped with 17 inch wheels built on or before 10-October-2016 may exhibit an illuminated electric park brake warning indicator with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) C1034, C1A43, C2005, C2007, C2008 and/or U2002. Four wheel drive (4WD) vehicles may also exhibit an anti-lock brake system (ABS) lamp illuminated with DTCs C003A or C0037. Follow the Service Procedure steps t
What C003A means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIC003A sits in the generic range of the OBD-II standard, so it means the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States — but WhichTrim does not carry a definition for it and will not invent one. What is on this page is the record: who named it and on what.
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 C003A
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with C003A 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.