P0A1E on Ford vehicles
P0A1E is named on 8 Ford model years (2021–2026): 43 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report in NHTSA’s files, across Explorer, F-150.
Which Ford model years name P0A1E
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 | — |
| 2024 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 3 | — |
A model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.
What Ford owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, scrubbed of anything identifying. Unverified reports filed with NHTSA — 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
Ford filings that name P0A1E
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Ford filed with NHTSA whose summary names P0A1E. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- TSB 23-2279 Service bulletin2023-09-01 · 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).
- TSB 23-2347 Service bulletin2023-11-10 · 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
- SSM 52244 Service bulletin2024-02-09 · 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
- SSM 54783 Service bulletin2026-04-27 · 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 54795 Service bulletin2026-05-04 · 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
- SSM55059 Service bulletin2026-08-03 · 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
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. The record above is what Ford and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardIs P0A1E a known problem on Ford vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 43 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report naming P0A1E on 8 Ford model years (2021–2026). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.
Which Ford models does P0A1E appear on most?
2023 Explorer (7 documents), 2022 Explorer (7 documents), 2023 F-150 (6 documents).
Does P0A1E on a Ford mean it is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.