Ford Explorer 1998–1999 — technical service bulletin
Bulletin 12146 · NHTSA communication 613167 · issued Nov 1, 1998
Technical service bulletin
communication type
Engine and Engine Cooling
component
1998–1999
model years
4
vehicle entries
Official summary
Some vehicles equipped with 5.0l engines may exhibit an upper engine tapping noise on cold start. *mjs
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.