TSB 985A13 — Ford Service bulletin

985A13 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for 6 Ford models, 1990–1991 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

What the bulletin says. THE USE OF PETROLEUM-BASED GREASE AS A LUBRICANT IN SERVICING DISC BRAKES IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE.

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

1Document filed
6Vehicles named
2Model years

Vehicles and model years 985A13 names

VehicleModel years
Ford Bronco 1990, 1991
Ford F-150 1991
Ford F-250 1991
Ford F-350 1991
Ford Mustang 1990, 1991
Ford Ranger 1990

Every document filed under 985A13

Document IDFiledType
985A13 March 18, 1998 Service bulletin

What 985A13 covers

Brakes & stability — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.

← All Ford Bronco TSB years TSB lookup by model

Questions buyers ask

What is TSB 985A13?

985A13 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Ford, covering 6 Ford models across the 1990–1991 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: THE USE OF PETROLEUM-BASED GREASE AS A LUBRICANT IN SERVICING DISC BRAKES IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE.

Which vehicles does 985A13 cover?

NHTSA's file names Ford Bronco (1990–1991); Ford F-150 (1991); Ford F-250 (1991); Ford F-350 (1991); Ford Mustang (1990–1991); Ford Ranger (1990). 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 985A13 a recall, and is the repair free?

No. 985A13 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 985A13?

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 985A13, 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 985A13. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.