Park safely, use a compatible scanner, and record every code and status before clearing anything.
This reference supports the stated topic only. Model, model year, equipment, current rule or individual vehicle conditions may differ; check the original source before acting.
Read the Ford original: Gasoline OBD System Operation Summary MY 2024–2025 Source date: 2024-04-16; research checked: 2026-11-01.
Read and record
- Confirm the vehicle is safely parked and follow the scanner's connection instructions.
- Save every stored, pending and permanent code, exact suffix and module name.
- Export freeze frame and readiness status if supported.
- Record the dashboard message and recent symptoms; do not erase a code to test-drive an unsafe vehicle.
Understand coverage
Basic readers focus on emissions data. ABS, SRS, transmission and EV modules may require enhanced brand-specific coverage.
Read the status, not just the five-character code
A confirmed or stored code has met its system conditions; a pending code may be waiting for confirmation. A permanent emissions code can remain after a repair until the vehicle completes its own verification. History codes describe an earlier event and may not be active now. Scan-tool wording varies, so save the status exactly as displayed rather than rewriting all of them as current faults.
A generic emissions scan can miss ABS, SRS, transmission, body and manufacturer EV modules. If the dashboard warning concerns one of those systems, a clean generic scan is an incomplete result. Record the scanner model and app version so a shop knows what was and was not read.
A first scan worth saving
- Every code in every accessible module, preserving suffixes and status.
- Freeze frame and readiness monitor status, if available.
- Exact dashboard text, flashing pattern and symptoms when the fault occurred.
- Recent service, refueling, battery work and the model-year/engine identification.
Sources and scope
- Ford — Gasoline OBD System Operation Summary MY 2024–2025 Document: 2024-04-16 · Research checked: 2026-11-01
- California Bureau of Automotive Repair — OBD test reference Document: date not recorded · Research checked: 2026-11-01
Research snapshot: 2026-11-01. Source documents may have newer revisions. Verify current instructions and VIN eligibility with the manufacturer.