2021 Ford Bronco Sport Brakes Problems

On November 11, 2025, my 2021 Ford Bronco Sport experienced a complete brake system failure while driving. The brake pedal suddenly became extremely hard, and there was no braking power at all. The vehicle had to be stopped using the parking brake. This same issue occurred previously in July 2025, when the brake vacuum booster failed and was replaced at the Ford dealership. The problem has now recurred less than six months later. The vehicle is not safe to drive and is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the brakes failed completely without warning while the vehicle was in motion. If traffic conditions had been heavier, a collision could have occurred. The issue has not yet been confirmed by the dealership for this most recent occurrence, but the same Ford dealer that repaired it in July handled the prior failure. The vehicle will be towed there again for inspection. No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared before or during either failure. The only symptom was a sudden loss of brake assist and a hard, unresponsive brake pedal. This appears to be a repeated failure of the brake vacuum or brake assist system, which I understand has been part of a previous Ford recall (21C31) affecting 2021 Bronco Sport models. But my VIN number was not included in the Recall. This is my second reporting and needs to be recalled.

While driving, the brake pedal suddenly required extreme pressure to stop the vehicle safely. I pulled over and parked in a parking lot. Upon opening the hood, I heard a hissing sound. During inspection, I found that the brake booster vacuum hose had broken at the check valve connection near the brake fluid reservoir. A temporary fix restored brake assistance. With the resulting significant loss of brake assist, I was forced to apply near full body weight on the brake pedal to slow and stop the vehicle. This could have easily resulted in a serious crash if traffic conditions were different. The issue has not yet been inspected by a dealer or any others, but the vehicle and the failed component are available for inspection upon request. No warning signs, symptoms, or lights were experienced or observed before the hose failure.

Upon starting the vehicle, brakes were extremely hard to press down and barely responded. A great deal of effort was needed to bring the car to a stop at below 5 miles an hour. If I had been driving instead of pulling out of a parking lot, this could have caused a significant accident.

Brake Valve Failure while driving

Like the other people state. Rear brakes make a moaning noise when backing up. First thing in the morning when trying to back the vehicle out of the garage. I put it in reverse, and it holds like the brakes are sticking. You have to hit the throttle to make the care move and you hear a pop noise like the brakes released. My garage is not on a incline or any kind of slope. We took the car to the dealer and they stated Ford knows about it but there is no fix. You need new brakes and rotors that cost over $800. If Ford knows about it why do I have to pay when they know it's a problem?

While in reverse when you press on the breaks they squeal.

Brakes Made loud squeaks noise when in reverse. Have taken into dealer multiple times and not fixed. They say an issue with Bronco Sports but my vin does not show on recall. Worried about brake failures or issues that could arise. They replaced front rotors and deglazed pads. Spent 462.19 and problem never fixed.

Since the purchase of the Bronco Sport in 2021, I have intermittently taken it in for required service. However, there have been times when I have had to take it in for hearing noise coming from when I make turns, and it sounded like my break pads were making the sound of wear. A recent report did address the break pad concern, and they were replaced. Intuitively something told me to check my fluid levels and the engine air filter, along with the cabin air filter. They both needed replacing, which I did on my own. The mechanic who put on my break asked me questions about the Bronco, I explained to him that I was having issues with take off, and have had to take it in for recalls since make the purchase. He asked me to open the hood. What he found was oil leaking around was oil leaking around my turbo. I was shocked. Because it had not been long since it was serviced. I was told to not drive it too far because there were reports of some Broncos catching on fire. When I would take it in to Town AND Country Ford, where it was purchased, they would tell me that they could not find anything wrong repeatedly, supposedly one of the recalls was fixed. Yet, I still hear the noise when I make turns. Another Ford dealership around the corner from where I live and I decided to take it there to see if I could get different results. No help. They have changed my oil I hope. Then there is Bates Ford in Lebanon, Tennessee. I have taken it there for oil change and informed them of issues. This is the last dealership who inspected the Bronco. They did not tell me about the oil leak. I drive 10 miles to work weekly. 100 miles every other month to visit elderly relatives. So, I have not put too much wear and tear on the Bronco and do not drive it hard. Please, If you are able to help in this area, it is much appreciated. I have 54,000 miles on it

When in reverse the rear breaks give off a loud squealing noise. This vehicle has been brought back to the dealership 4 times so far with no solutions we just are told that’s what these vehicles do. Completely unacceptable for ford or any repair shop to say basically it is what it is. There is obviously a defect somewhere within the breaking system/products that ford used. Breaks should not be squealing like that and we shouldn’t have to be responsible to pay for new rear brakes, rotors, pistons and calipers to “see” if that fixes the problem. There are numerous complaints about the same issue and ford doesn’t seem to care and they continue to put out subpar vehicles.

I was backing out of a parking lot of my employment on the early evening of 8.22.24. I heard the familiar whale moaing noise coming from the rear brakes ( has been in and out of the Ford Shop for to address this know issue; still no permanent solution), I immediately noticed when I went to touch the brake pedal it would not push down. The pedal was stiff and required me to heavily push down to get the vehicle to stop. I noticed a severe grinding noise. Fortunately I was able to turn my car back around and safely park it. I pushed the parking brake button and it was not on and then it would not go off. It finally did after several minutes. A friend who knows cars went back with me to look at what could possibly be wrong. He looked under the hood and found a broken vacuum line. I have pictures. I left the vehicle and went home to research. I found a 2021 Compliance Recall Notice 21C31/NHTSA Recall 21V922. I purchased this Bronco Sport used in the fall of 2022 and do not recall knowing of any recalls, including if this specific one was performed on my vehicle . This recall correlates to what happened to my vehicle. It looks like the vacuum booster failed, wore out and caused my automatic brakes to fail. There was no warning lights or indicators that anything was faulty up until the incident. The vehicle has had regular maintenance and has been in to Ford Service to address the most current recalls and TSB's issued since I've had possession. This shook me up . I am so lucky I was not driving at a high speed and in traffic. Things could have been a lot worse. I am deeply concerned about this vehicles safety profile. There seems to be a pattern with this make a model concerning various components including the brakes. I this point I need it fixed so I can look at trading it in for a reliable and safe alternative. I am attaching pictures as well and the recall notice that I found a a Ford Forum from an owner who received this back when the issue originated.

Vacuum Booster Line Detached (Broke Off) from the Vacuum booster Unit. This happened when I was pulling out onto the road and noticed brake became stiff. Could not get vehicle to stop without forceful pressing of brake. Fortunately I was not in traffic but did have cars behind which had to slow to wait for me to pull over. I could have been rear ended. There was no warning or symptoms of this failure. Dealership had it towed and replaced the vacuum line.The service advisor said this was the first he's seen this in the line of Broncos. I have seen several of the same stories on Bronco Forums. This is a known problem. At barely 40K this should not happen and should be part of the Power Train. I had to pay nearly $450 for the diagnostic, part and repair as it is out of warranty

There has not been a specific accident or occurrence, but its an ongoing issue that can not get fixed. The dealerships don't have the parts, and can not get the parts. The rear breaks are horrible, yet one dealership is telling me it is unsafe to drive, yet no one can fix it. This is crazy, and comes down on Ford who seems to have a big problem with their vehicles, safety problems that they are not addressing. Whats the problem that they can not get this fixed or provide the parts? I'm stuck with this issue and don't know what to do.

Back brakes make a moaning sound when backing up. A TSB has been put out but parts are never available. I have been waiting on parts since October. This has been an issue since buying the car brand new in Aug 2021.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear brakes. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while in reverse with the brake pedal depressed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was a manufacturing defect; however, no remedy was available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 37,800.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the vehicle failed to slow as intended. The contact also stated that the brake pedal was firm, requiring more distance than usual for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front and rear brake pads had abnormal wear, causing damage to the rear rotors. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the contact heard an abnormal squeal coming from the front brakes. The contact stated he had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become more frequent, with the squeal being heard while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front brake rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the dealer advised that the failure was related to TSB Number: 22-2387; however, he would be responsible to pay for the repair. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,529.

A loud moan is noted when the car is reversing. I have taken it to the dealer and was told they couldn’t find anything wrong with the vehicle. I have recorded the sound to show the dealer because I have another appointment for the same issue on October 30, 2023.

There is a known issue with 2021-2022 Ford Bronco Sports with the rear brakes. When in reverse, and the brakes are pressed, they make a loud moaning sound. The fix issued by Ford in 2022 states that any of this model produced prior to 9/23/22 are experiencing the noise. The recommended action is to replace the calipers and bushings. This has been done on my vehicle, but the moaning continues. I have been told by the dealership that I will just have to deal with it, but I do not feel safe in the vehicle. The car is making a noise it should not, and I do not know if this is causing harm to any other parts of my brake system or not. I do not want to endanger mine or anyone else's life and Ford has no resolution.

Brakes make very very loud noises when backing up car and i touch my brakes. It’s louder than my horn.