P0A1E
1 owner report and 47 manufacturer filings across 9 model years from Ford, Lincoln.
Where P0A1E shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 7 | — |
| 2022 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 7 | — |
| 2023 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | — |
| 2022 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | — |
| 2021 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | — |
| 2025 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 4 | 1 |
| 2026 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 4 | — |
| 2023 Lincoln Aviator | Power Train | 4 | — |
| 2024 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 3 | — |
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
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are what was said, not a finding that it was true.
2025 Hybrid PIU/Explorer) for a CEL with PCM codes P0A1E:00:A8 for a starter/generator control module fault
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0A1E. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SSM550592026-08-03 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may be unable
- SSM 547952026-05-04 · Engine
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may be unable to enter electric-only drive modes as expected during normal drive cycles. This m
- SSM 547832026-04-27 · Power Train
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may be unable to enter electric-only drive modes as expected during normal drive cycles. This m
- SSM 522442024-02-09 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine and 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L hybrid engine may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) and auto start/stop disabled. This may be due to a loose wir
- TSB 23-23472023-11-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This article supersedes TSB 23-2279 to update the Service Procedure. Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine and 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L hybrid engine may exhibit a powertrain malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain c
- TSB 23-22792023-09-01 · Power Train
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine and 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L hybrid engine may exhibit a powertrain malfunction indicator lamp with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the belt integrated starter generator (BISG).
What P0A1E means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP0A1E 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 P0A1E
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0A1E 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.