Ford claim type 31 — the missing FSA opcode
Quick answer: Ford recall and field service action work files as claim type 31, and the claim needs the FSA article plus its option opcode. A recall line carrying no opcode fails that requirement. The opcode comes from the dealer bulletin for that article, not from the labor time standards.
Type 31 at a glance
Recall claim missing its FSA article and option opcode — Ford FSA claim type.
| What Type 31 is | A claim type, not a rejection code. Ford claim types are numeric, and 31 is the one recall and field service action work files under. |
|---|---|
| Where it fails | A recall line reaches submission with no opcode on it, or with an operation that is not the bulletin's FSA opcode for that article. |
| Where the opcode lives | The dealer bulletin for the article. Recall lines skip the labor time standards entirely. |
| How it clears | Pull the article's bulletin, take the labor operation and option suffix from its allowances table, and file with the article as the subcode. |
| Commonly left off | The attestation operation on supply-constrained recalls, and supplemental allowances the bulletin says to claim in addition. |
What causes a claim type 31 rejection, and what actually clears it
Recall opcodes come from the bulletin, not the time standards
For ordinary warranty work the labor time standards are the source of an operation. Recall work is different: the opcode comes out of the dealer bulletin for that article, which publishes its own labor allowances table. Software flash actions in particular publish miscellaneous time operations with one or two character option suffixes, because flash time varies with module count.
The attestation operation dealers leave off
On supply-constrained recalls Ford restricts parts to VIN-specific ordering through its field service support desk, and the dealer files an attestation with that order. The bulletin publishes a companion operation, suffix Y, at a tenth of an hour, to pay for the administrative time of filing it. It sits in the labor allowances table like any other operation and is claimed on the same FSA claim as the repair. The order is filed against the VIN rather than the repair order, so the attestation operation is still claimable even when the parts were ordered on an earlier visit.
Supplemental allowances do not close the action
Some bulletins carry a supplemental allowances table instructing the dealer to claim those operations in addition to the primary. Those rows are typically identifiable by their own prefix or by an up-to cap in the description, and they never close the field service action. Treating a supplemental operation as the closing repair leaves the action open on the VIN.
Programming recalls are capped by the tool, not by the clock
Where a programming action pays as actual time, the payable hours are bounded by the date and time stamps the diagnostic and repair system records in the vehicle's history, not by what the technician clocked. The gap can be large: a technician clocking well over twenty hours on a programming recall may be payable for roughly six once the stamps are reconciled. One dealership warranty administrator put the share of programming recalls needing that reconciliation at around forty percent, so it is routine rather than exceptional.
The software verification code that has to be on the repair order
Field service action software repairs on repair orders opened after mid-January 2025 require a Ford-issued software verification approval code, which prints on the repair order as an authorization code field. The bulletin's supplemental table pays a small allowance for obtaining it. If the code is not on the repair order, that allowance is not supportable.
How to stop a claim type 31 rejection recurring
The checks that keep it off the next claim.
- 01
Source every recall opcode from the article's dealer bulletin, never from the labor time standards.
- 02
File recall work as claim type 31 with the article as the subcode and the option suffix the bulletin publishes.
- 03
On supply-constrained recalls, claim the attestation operation alongside the repair operation when the repair replaces parts. Skip it for software or inspection-only actions.
- 04
Read the supplemental allowances table. Those operations are claimed in addition and do not close the action.
- 05
Confirm the software verification approval code is on the repair order before claiming the allowance for obtaining it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ford claim type 31?
- Ford recall and field service action work files as claim type 31, and the claim needs the FSA article plus its option opcode. A recall line carrying no opcode fails that requirement. The opcode comes from the dealer bulletin for that article, not from the labor time standards.
- Where does the FSA opcode come from?
- The dealer bulletin for the article publishes a labor allowances table, and the opcode and its option suffix come from there. Recall lines skip the labor time standards entirely, which is why searching them for a recall operation returns nothing useful.
- What is the Y-suffix operation on a recall claim?
- On supply-constrained recalls Ford restricts parts to VIN-specific ordering and the dealer files an attestation with the order. The bulletin publishes a companion operation with a Y suffix, a tenth of an hour, paying for that administrative time. It is claimed on the same FSA claim as the repair when the repair replaces parts.
- Do supplemental labor allowances close the field service action?
- No. Supplemental operations are claimed in addition to the primary repair operation and never close the action. Filing one as though it were the closing repair leaves the action open on the VIN.
Where this page comes from
Forge prepares and files Ford claims for the dealerships it works with, so what is described here is behavior observed on real claims as of August 2026rather than text quoted from a policy manual. Portals change, and a rule’s behavior can change with them. Treat this as a practitioner’s note, check it against your own claims, and follow your dealer agreement and your manufacturer’s published policy where the two differ.
No dealership, claim, or repair order is identified on this page. Forge is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ford Motor Company, and product and portal names are the property of their respective owners.
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