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RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

Ford Explorer 2022–2023technical service bulletin

Bulletin SSM 51333 · NHTSA communication 10232394 · issued Feb 1, 2023

Technical service bulletin
communication type
Engine and Engine Cooling
component
2022–2023
model years
2
vehicle entries

Official summary

Some 2022-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine may exhibit an intermittent check engine light on with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P1026 and/or P1299 present in the powertrain control module (PCM) and an engine over-temperature message displayed on the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after a cold start in cold (at or below freezing) ambient temperatures. The vehicle may also enter fail safe cooling open loop mode when this concern occurs. If the engine does not show any obvious signs of overheating and Workshop Manual, Section 303-03A diagnostics are inconclusive, clear the DTCs

What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.