TSB 21R01 — Ford Service bulletin

21R01 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for the Ford Explorer, 2011–2017 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

What the bulletin says. Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Toe Link Replacement Under Safety Recall 21S32, some of the affected vehicles exposed to a highly corrosive environment where road salt is used extensively during winter months, have experienced a seized toe link ball joint…

NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.

1Document filed
1Vehicle named
7Model years

Vehicles and model years 21R01 names

VehicleModel years
Ford Explorer 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Every document filed under 21R01

Document IDFiledType
21R01 November 4, 2022 Service bulletin

What 21R01 covers

Suspension — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.

← All Ford Explorer TSB years TSB lookup by model

Questions buyers ask

What is TSB 21R01?

21R01 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Ford, covering the Ford Explorer across the 2011–2017 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Toe Link Replacement Under Safety Recall 21S32, some of the affected vehicles exposed to a highly corrosive environment where road salt is used extensively during winter months, have experienced a seized toe link ball joint…

Which vehicles does 21R01 cover?

NHTSA's file names Ford Explorer (2011–2017). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.

Is TSB 21R01 a recall, and is the repair free?

No. 21R01 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.

How do I get the full text of 21R01?

Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under 21R01, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under 21R01. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.