2021 Ford BRONCO SPORT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Ford BRONCO SPORT has 1006 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 12.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (20% of all complaints), specifically: the dash cluster was dead and the start button led just flashed on and off. the battery, checked with a vom, showed normal voltage. the vehicle would not start. i unhooked one of the battery terminals and waited 10 minutes for the system to reset. after reconnecting the battery the vehicle lit . ⚠️ 31 fire reports filed.

31 fire reports 22 crash reports 7 injuries

1006

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

12.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

206 complaints

20%

• The dash cluster was dead and the start button LED just flashed on and off. The battery, checked with a VOM, showed normal voltage. The vehicle would not start. I unhooked one of the battery terminals and waited 10 minutes for the system to reset. After reconnecting the battery the vehicle lit
• On morning of Sept 2, 2021 I was driving home from my overnight shift as a nurse getting off about 0635, driving down a major street in the downtown area. I was approx 6 blocks from my hospital approaching a busy intersection and my Bronco Sport [2021] lost all power. Because my speed was only 30mph
• Both interior liftgate lights inoperative. However, the "liftgate ajar light", and came on without warning as I was driving. I had not opened the litigate. Radio system skips & pops. fails to load tor loads slowly. Brakes failed to fully engage quickly on a slow turn, causing a total loss acciden

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 7 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“The dash cluster was dead and the start button LED just flashed on and off. The battery, checked with a VOM, showed normal voltage. The vehicle would not start. I unhooked one of the battery terminals and waited 10 minutes for the system to reset. After reconnecting the battery the vehicle lit ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

172 complaints

17%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO STEVEN'S JERSEY CITY FORD (740 NJ-440, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07305) BUT NOT YET DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT
• NOT EVEN 200 MILES, ENGINE BEGAN RATTLING AND STALLING OUT. I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AT A GREEN LIGHT. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. BRAND NEW BADLANDS PACKAGE. 2 LITER 4CYL ECOBOOST 250HP
• while driving my shifter was accidentally tapped and went into neutral I went to a parking lot & at a slow speed I could put the car into reverse or park so if you are driving at 65 MPH it can be shifted and will be a safety issue I'm sure

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO STEVEN'S JERSEY CITY FORD (740 NJ-440, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07305) BUT NOT YET DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

161 complaints

16%

• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure
• First time the engine lights came on and turned off the car could not restart, needed a new engine the first engine had 830 miles. Second time car stalled and the car would not start they replaced the engine again this time that engine had about 1,200 miles. Third time the car did the same thing wit
• I started my car on 2/15. Drove about .5 miles down the street through a fast food place. Drove another .9 miles down the street. I heard a pop and pulled over immediately and the car was already on fire. The car had around 3542 miles on it. I had just leased it in September. Ford says this was the

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 11 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

126 complaints

13%

• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that an abnormal squealing noise would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they had kept the vehicle for over a week; she was later informed that the manufacturer was notified, and the nois
• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that parts were
• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that he was afraid to drive th

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 5 crashes

“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that an abnormal squealing noise would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they had kept the vehicle for over a week; she was later informed that the manufacturer was notified, and the nois”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

106 complaints

11%

• THE VEHICLE STALLED [HALTED] ON MY DAUGHTER WHILE IN MOTION IN MOVING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE AND WAS TOWED TO DEPAULA FORD ALBANY NY. THE VEHICLE STALLED AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND ONLY HAS 1449 MILES. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE DISA
• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V625000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded
• The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while she was at the stoplight. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that she was able to pull into the nearby parking lot however, the failure re

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 7 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“THE VEHICLE STALLED [HALTED] ON MY DAUGHTER WHILE IN MOTION IN MOVING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE AND WAS TOWED TO DEPAULA FORD ALBANY NY. THE VEHICLE STALLED AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND ONLY HAS 1449 MILES. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE DISA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1006 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: The dash cluster was dead and the start button LED just flashed on and off. The battery, checked with a VOM, showed normal voltage. The vehicle would not start. I unhooked one of the battery terminals and waited 10 minutes for the system to reset. After reconnecting the battery the vehicle lit
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO STEVEN'S JERSEY CITY FORD (740 NJ-440, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07305) BUT NOT YET DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that an abnormal squealing noise would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they had kept the vehicle for over a week; she was later informed that the manufacturer was notified, and the nois
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)