10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 16,102 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Purchased the Bronco Sport brand new in September 2021. Almost from the outset, the vehicle has been a nightmare. We just purchased our third battery. The vehicle died at an intersection and had to be towed to the dealership. They replaced the battery but it again failed. We have experienced numerous electrical issues with the vehicle as well as with the brakes and the power train. We have had the shift system fault notification come on several times. We took it in to the dealership who made some repairs and the notification went away for awhile. However, most recently, we were driving the vehicle down the interstate when it suddenly would not accelerate. We were very lucky to be able to maneuver the vehicle onto the shoulder. After a few minutes, the vehicle started and we were able to drive it home very slowly on side roads. We took the Bronco Sport to the dealership again and notified them of the multiple trips we had made there to fix this code issue. The dealership did a diagnostic and had a transmission specialist look at the car. The conclusion was that we needed a brand new transmission to the tune of $11K. Additionally, the dealership stated that we likely had rear differential issues as well - the subject of one of the many recalls on this lemon of a vehicle. We have not had the diagnostic performed as we are waiting on Ford to let us know if they will buy back the vehicle. Again, we purchased the car new and it has about 80K miles on it. There is no discernible reason for the transmission to fail on a car this new which has primarily been driven to and from work. A quick Google and social media search shows this is a pervasive problem with the 2021 Bronco Sport - many owners are experiencing electrical, power train and transmission issues. NHTSA needs to investigate this matter before someone is seriously injured or killed because of the failure of Ford in manufacturing the 2021 Bronco Sport.
- Cypress, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle sputtered while accelerating or making a left or right turn. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a failed high-pressure purge valve. The high-pressure purge valve was replaced. The contact stated that after the repair, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle seemed as if the vehicle was going to stall after refueling the vehicle. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed a failed high-pressure sensor for the fuel injector. The vehicle was repaired, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the alternator and suspension. The contact had the vehicle towed to a certified mechanic who completed the repairs. The contact stated that the vehicle had not experienced the failures again; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Medford Ford Inc, (186 NJ-70, Medford, NJ 08055); who determined that the coolant reservoir was empty. The coolant reservoir was refilled. The dealer also retrieved DTC: P3402. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact learned of a Customer Satisfaction Program however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Marlton, NJ, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, intermittently while the vehicle was in drive the vehicle stalled and while the vehicle was in reverse the vehicle accelerated forward. The contact stated there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The failure occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear differential unit needed to be repaired. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V011000 (Power Train), 24V267000 (Electrical System; Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,660.
- Waveland, MS, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the service warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact also stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V019000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,534. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- West Covina, CA, USA
Clutch A within the automatic transmission failed as well as the water pump casing had a crack in a known weakness at just under 79,000 miles. The water pump has a noticeable leak from a crack in the cast made. The dealership said this is not the first Bronco Sport with the issue and that it is fairly common since Ford has put out a TSB on the issue. The transmission has slipping from clutch A between first and second gear when accelerating under normal conditions. The technician noted it in there report and recommended a transmission replacement and an oil flush. The symptoms are a sudden shift to neutral with a run away engine rev or you can have hard shifting from first to second gear that can also result with a sudden loss of power until the clutch finally engages second gear.
- Yukon, OK, USA
On 12/18/24 while driving the Bronco Sport, the transmission became very "herky-jerky" while driving on local roads. I was able to get to a safe space when the transmission gave out completely. The vehicle, which was ordered new and purchased in late October of 2021 had 64000 miles on it at the time of this incident. Once it was towed to the dealership they confirmed the transmission was in need of approximately $12K worth of repairs and that there was also a water pump issue that needed addressed.
- Lake Villa, IL, USA
The transmission/ powertrain failed on my ford bronco sport badlands 2021. Had a software update about 2 months ago from ford and the automatic shifting of the bronco sport badlands 2021 became rougher and rougher at low speeds, causing a jerking of the vehicle. When shifting from a stop the vehicle missed a shift and then continued to make whirring noises at all speeds. Upon returning home & to a stop, the vehicle can no longer engage in reverse. No warning lamps or messages were displayed by the vehicle. No event occurred such as an accident that would impact the transmission either. The car has not yet been fixed and can be inspected upon request.
- Woodstock, GA, USA
Immediately after the driver started the car, many notifications popped up on the dashboard including: cross traffic system fault, service vehicle soon, full accessory power active, hill start assist not available, service AdvanceTrac, Engine Coolant Over Temperature, and Cross Traffic System Fault. The gauge showed fuel empty and other dashboard indicators were illuminated such as engine, battery, oil, seatbelt, airbag, faulty blindspot monitoring, and traction control. Driver took pictures of these notifications and indicators for documentation. Driver turned off the car and discovered recall # 25S02 for the vehicle. Owner recognized the notification explosion from similar experience on May 5, 2024 in reference to recall # 24V267000. In May 2024, the notification system showed all of the above alerts before the vehicle shut off and lost power. At this time, the vehicle was traveling at 60 mph on the interstate. Driver was fortunately able to exit and get to a parking lot before losing steering control. Vehicle would not restart, even with a jump. The vehicle was towed to dealer, however, dealer would not honor the issued recall as it was "not yet active". The dealer replaced the battery and alternator (deemed to caused by faulty battery included in recall) at expense to the driver. Driver was not reimbursed. The manufacturer was notified for May 2024 incident and again after February 4, 2025 incident. Vehicle was towed on 2/5/25 to dealer for service. Despite the active recall, there is "no current remedy" for the problem. Driver is expected to pay all costs (i.e., tow, service parts, rental car) to HOPEFULLY be reimbursed by the manufacturer once the recall solution is released. The fact that the same issue occurred with a second recall under a year is a huge inconvenience and safety risk. Current recall states, "vehicles in this recall were previously repaired under 24V-267 and will need to have the new remedy completed".
- North Charleston, SC, USA
Driver was driving on the interstate. The car flashed several electrical system failure issues and notified that the alternator no longer functioned and that the system would then pull from the battery. The battery light came on and then flashed several warnings along with sounds. Driver was luckily able to exit the interstate and make it to a parking lot off before vehicle lost all power. Once parked and turned off, the accessories like radio and dashboard screen and lights were still functioning. The car would not start until we jumped it. Afterwards the car would not switch gears and then again flashed the electric system was experiencing failure. This and along with some whirring sounds from under the hood (what I could hear from driver seat), gave me enough reason to stop trying altogether to avoid further issues. After turning the car off, the dashboard flashed errors saying that features like electric braking, lane assist, and others were not available. Car was towed to dealership. Owners notified Ford dealership of recall # 24V267000 for the vehicle on 5/5/24. Dealership said it was not yet active recall (although issued by Ford on 4/11/2024), refused to pay for new battery and alternator needed (caused by the defunct battery- part of the recall). Owner paid out of pocket and was not reimbursed for replacement parts covered by the recall. The vehicle shutting off abruptly while driving at a high speed could have caused injuries or deaths.
- North Charleston, SC, USA
I bought a 2021 Bronco Sport Brand new and ever since the car has been a problem. The rear axle wasn-??t getting enough lubricants so it was grinding and I didn-??t know what it was at the time but I took it to a Ford dealership and was told after spending 200$ on diagnostic testing that absolutely nothing was wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle kept doing the same thing grinding noises so I took it in again and got the same results now mind you this is way before my power train was up. The car felt so unstable and unsafe it got to the point where I had to just leave it at the dealership until Ford could help me with some financial assistance. While at the dealership Ford told the mechanic to check the transmission and upon checking the transmission the mechanic found a problem. The total of repairs came up to over 10k for a vehicle that doesn-??t even have 65k miles on it. I was sold a brand new lemon. This was my first new car purchase and it has literally been the worst experience in my life. The brakes were recalled the fuel injection system now the battery which I-??ve already spent 500$ on a new one last year has guess what? Been recalled as of 1/17/2025. So after thousands of dollars in rental car and Uber rides which I have yet to be reimbursed for my vehicle is still at the Ford dealership has been there for over 3 months out of 10k in repairs Ford offered to pay only 4,100. What a rip off buying this junk was. I really thought Ford would do the right thing and take care of its customers but I was wrong dead wrong. Biggest mistake of my like.
- Antioch, TN, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the transmission failed to shift to park. The battery warning light was illuminated, and the "Charging System Service Now" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
- Trinidad, TX, USA
Complained numerous times about a clunk noise art parking lot speeds Finally on my Ford dealer 7/10/24 they diagnosed TSB 24-2185 and had me pay $433.53 to replace Vent Hose not covered under my powertrain warranty My mileage was 48986 on that date If part was labeled as RDU Vent hose why not covered under power train warranty? The day I was there, they has another Bronco in with this same issue they told me The service department told they wouldn't be surprised if thus became a recall. I don't see any recall to this day for this issue Ford knows about
- Arlington, VT, USA
The car has now on three separate occasions lost power while driving. As I slow down coming to stop or reducing speed car will completely lose power and then struggle to restart. Both occasions were on busy roads. Additionally, when you put fuel in the car it does not turn on right away it smells like fuel is burning and fumes enter into the cabin. When you push start after fueling it struggles to turn car on to drive. There is full accessory power but no power to drive the car even when giving it gas. It requires multiple attempts at starting the vehicle and it will tremble and shake once it starts running and stutters as if about to shut off even when you start driving it. Today it powered down again while driving and we avoided and accident but it is becoming dangerous to drive the vehicle due to its unpredictable shutting down.
- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Tranmission failed at 137k miles. Inspection revealed the tranmission was beyond repair and would have to be replaced. Last maintenance was tranmission fluid change at 95k miles by Ford dealer.
- Ben Wheeler, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle sputtered. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for a service appointment to have the recall repairs performed. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to the dealer, the contact was informed that the appointment needed to be rescheduled due to dealer scheduling. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
- San Antonio, TX, USA
The car caught fire the morning of Dec 11, 2024 while the vehicle's owner was driving their children to school. There are photos and a fire report is being generated. The vehicle's owner and her children could have been killed. Early indications are that the fire was caused by the same faulty engine/exhaust system defect that the owner has been complaining to Ford about for years. It is assumed the fire report will confirm that. For the past two or more years the vehicle has been emitting exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment of the vehicle while driving. This has caused the vehicle's owner and her children to get sick and forced them to drive the vehicle with the windows down at all times even in cold weather. Ford's dealers have confirmed the problem several times, but either could not or refused to fix it. A summary of the vehicle's service history is included below: 35,662 miles Customer states inside of vehicle smells like exhaust. 37,431 miles Inside of vehicle smells like exhaust. 39,856 miles inside of vehicle smells like exhaust. confirmed customers concern found cat warped at mating surface to turbo replacement required. 46,832 miles Fumes getting inside the Cab, seems to be blowing in from vents. Misdiagnosed as blower motor electrical smell and missed broken catalyst. 47,300 miles Customer had car towed into shop stating car was shaking and smelled flumes inside the car. Verified concern that exhaust smell was present in car and loud noise was coming from engine, found catalytic converter had broken at flange to turbo causing exhaust leak. Recommend new catalytic converter, removed and replaced catalytic converter. Low pressure fuel injectors are leaking. Verified customer concern, found fuel seeping out of all 3 low side injectors, recommend injector replacement, remove and replaced all 3 low side fuel injectors, found no other leak at this time. Found injectors were leaking fuel. 47,829 miles Check engine light. Remove and replace purge valve.
- Pasadena, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started losing motive power. A message advising a power train failure was displayed. The driver was able to exit the highway at 15 MPH. The vehicle was driven to a nearby dealer, where the computer was rebooted; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times, and the transmission was rebuilt. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated while her husband was driving 70-80 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical power and stalled. The check engine and the power train warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart but failed to exceed 15 MPH. The driver continued driving on the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 1,310.
- Lake In The Hills, IL, USA
Bought 12-1-23 got recall 24V-267 fix and then the vehicle started to die at red lights if the autostart/stop wasn't turned off. On 12/9/24 apparently the turbo went out. Unsure how only 95,345 miles. The driver window get stuck down anytime at a drive thru. Will have to turn off vehicle completely and restart for it to roll back up.
- Little Rock, AR, USA
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while her son was at a stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle shut off without warning, and started to roll backwards. The contact's son applied the parking brake and later restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the battery was drained. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN); however, the contact expressed concern that the same failure might return. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, an audible warning chime was coming from the vehicle with the temperature gauge was hot(H). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where coolant was added; however, the failure returned. The vehicle was later taken to a dealer where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred twice. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
- Lexington, KY, USA
- Waveland, MS, USA