NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Bronco. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that with the vehicle in park and the engine running, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into drive and accelerated up a slight incline. Upon inspection, the contact observed that the gear selector was still in park(P). No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V070000 (Power Train) however, 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 12,500.
Windshield wipers are very slow when set to high speed. On the highest setting they are going the same speed as other vehicles low speed setting. During heavier rain visibility is near zero in the Bronco when it wouldn’t be in other vehicles.
NHTSA is showing that there is an open recall on this vehicle. I have spoken to FORD Corporate and also taken the vehicle to 2 different dealers who have all communicated the same thing: There is no recall, nor has there ever been a recall for this vehicle. I have asked the dealer to report this to NHTSA and they said that they cannot due to there is no recall to report and they've never reported a recall. I have called Ford twice, NHTSA twice and gone to 2 dealers. No one at NHTSA has been willing to help get the information corrected. I have asked if someone can simply verify the information with FORD online OR if we can place a 3 way call with FORD-the response I'm getting is "NO" but I'm stuck in the middle of FORD and NHTSA and no one seems to even be willing to help me at either place. If I have paperwork from FORD insisting there has never been a recall and you can clearly pull the records online that there is no recall I need NHTSA to update their records. This is costing me $ as I purchased this vehicle to TURO and cannot do so until you update your records to match FORD showing that there is no recall.
The Axle Tubes are held to the center differential with 3 x Plug Welds per side. The plug welds on our axle are weeping oil and do NOT appear to be properly welded. Upon online comparisons this is a known issue and is resulting in catastrophic failures. Ford claims that "weeps" are NOT covered under warranty. A weep in this location/situation means that the welding process was sub-standard and compromised.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V165000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted it was confirmed that the software to perform the update was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, and it was confirmed that the parts to perform the software updates were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V165000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I was out offroading in remote desert of Oregon for hours. I stopped with the engine on to hook up my air compressor to refill the air in them before returning to pavement. Truck idled until timeout time and started back up without problem. Drove less than a mile and bronco started sputtering while attempted in move forward. Completed my turn onto the highway and realized there was a problem. Had barely enough time to get to the shoulder where the vehicle wouldn't start again. Pulled negative battery cable to reset, no help. It was very clear there was fuel delivery issue. Tank was full when I started my adventure and was still over half full when the fuel pump/module died. Luckily I just got back into cellular range and was able to call for a tow. I was on a blind corner as well. There really wasn't much time to get the vehcile to safety thus this complaint. Ford replaced the fuel pump and module, with the same part numers. There has since been a part modification. There are others who have had thier fuel pumps fail.
Sync 4 system has a critical issue that Ford has not fixed and is a known issue in many sync 4 systems. This causes the system to reboot at random times and reload. This includes being black and not working for many minutes so the rear camera and cross traffic do not function at all. This is a safety issue as with most SUVs the rear is a huge blind spot. Ford has not been able to update my system with a recall issued for safety concerning a different issue and the rear view camera. Ford will not replace the unit until they have sent out an update that is unknown release date. I have spoke to Ford reps and two dealerships and all refuse to fix the radio to allow for normal function.
In late March 2023, the touchscreen on my Bronco went dead, along with the USB ports in the console below. With the dead screen, I have no back up camera, which is a huge safety concern. Also, all other features managed by the touch screen are gone (no radio, no navigation, no hands free phone usage, etc.). I have been to the dealer twice, and they said we just have to wait for Ford engineers to send a patch to the SYNC system, because they think it has interfered with the APIM module. This may or may not be related to the open recall 22c27, because that is not the same issue as mine. But Ford just is telling me to wait for that recall to be completed, but for four months and counting they have not provided a patch for the 8-inch screen model that I have. I have been given no other options except potential buy back of the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V165000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN tool showed no recall associated with the VIN.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V069000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Driving on the highway, the check engine light came on. I felt a loss of power in the vehicle, and couldn't accelerate. I was able to pull over put the car in park and turn it off. When I tried to turn it on, there was no power. Had to get it towed to the dealership to replace the engine.
The front camera is blacked out about 50% of the time when in reverse or when activating the camera system on my Bronco. I have had it into the dealership multiple times for this issue and they continue to tell me there is a over the air (OTA) fix coming soon. The last time they told me this was in Q2 2024 saying that a fix was coming by year end 2024. I am still waiting for this fix and it causes me some distress that I am unable to completely see around my vehicle when parking or in tight spaces. This is separate and distinct from the rear camera issue that was fixed in 2024.
When driving in light, moderate, and heavy rain, the wipers fail to operate properly causing a loss in visibility and significant risk of accident. Specifically, when the wipers are on the fast intermittent, slow constant on, or fast constant on, they operate as expected for 45-80 seconds after which the wipers begin to slow down and stop. The wipers must be physically turned off and back on the make them work again, only to have the issue continue to occur after another 45-80 seconds. While driving at freeway speeds in moderate rain, this issue has caused numerous dangerous situations where my visibility has been reduced significantly.
When my vehicle was warming up I noticed two plumes of smoke coming from the muffler area. One plume was the tailpipe and the other was shooting straight down from underneath the vehicle. Upon inspection I found a whole in the bottom of the muffler. There is no denting or impact damage near the hole. There is exhaust stains on the muffler ranging from the hole towards the rear of the vehicle. The exhaust stains show evidence that the whole and the exhaust leaking out has been taking place for quite some time. It is obvious the muffler rotted.
My toddler in his car seat while we were driving, reached over and grab the seatbelt that was closest to his car seat with his hand. As we were driving, he pulled the seatbelt as far out as he could, so that the locking mechanism was activated. After he pulled the seatbelt all the way out, he had wrapped around his neck and let go of it, and the seatbelt ended up tightening around his neck. Luckily, he was able to tell me what happened and I was able to pull off and grab the seatbelt and keep tension on it so it wouldn’t get any tighter around his neck. We had to call the fire department to cut the seatbelt off because the seatbelt was locked and getting tighter and we could not get it off his neck neck. As I called 911 I had to hold the seatbelt away from his neck from getting tighter, when the fire department got there their only option was to cut the seatbelt strap in order to remove it from his neck. Thankfully, quick thinking and holding the seatbelt away from his neck allowed me to be on the phone with 911 and when they got here allowed me to hold it away from his neck to keep it from choking him and potentially him turning blue from no oxygen. The seatbelt strap did leave a red mark on his neck from being wrapped around.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the accelerator pedal however, the engine failed to engage, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified, and the contact was scheduled and appointment for the following month. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
This issue occurs anytime the wipers are used, including rain, snow, sleet, etc.. The issue has been present from day 1 of ownership and continues to this day. Wipers are turned on to any setting. After approximately 1 minute, the wiping will stop completely, then start wiping at approximately 4sec intervals (15 cycles per minute). This pace is almost always inadequate to provide unobstructed visibility. This pace does not meet the mandated requirements of FMVSS 104 section S4.1.1.3 (20 cycles per minute) and thus means the vehicle should deemed non compliant for on road use until corrected.
I have reported this prior (complaint number 11481579). Another total catastrophic shut down of the vehicle occurred while my son was driving causing a near miss fatal rear ending on a busy road. The vehicle loses all power and electrical for no reason while being driven. Only after 5-10 min can the vehicle be restarted. I am reporting this story to new agency so I recommend the NHTSA take issue seriously.
Check engine light came on and I took it into the dealership. They found the codes and confirmed low compression in cylinder 6. Was told I needed a new engine.
my car went from 50 mph to nothing. lost power. coasted to the side of the road barely avoiding traffic. dark road, sheriff had to sit behind car so I was not rear ended in pitch dark had to be towed to the dealer. one week later dealer uncertain. likely complete engine failure maybe fuel valve less than one year old. 11,000 miles
Ford has a recall for rearview camera issues. They say my VIN# is not included yet I have the same problem After backing up in 4-Low has ended, the back camera stays on when moving forward. The recall notice that I am not suposed to need is 22C27. I have experienced this in the off roading in Colorado. To reset the camera, I have to move to a safe spot, shut off the engine, and restart. the camera resets to normal until I back up in low gear again. Talked to someone at the Ford custome service was told over and over again I was not included. Asked about reporting my problem and they would not. So giving you the info..;.
I was driving about 65mph on a bridge when my engine completely shut down. I barely was able to coast to the end of the bridge and was almost struck by multiple vehicles. This is a new bronco with 3000 miles on it. I see they had problems with this in the 6 cylinder but I have the 4 cylinder and this happened. Also when u got to the side of the road every single warning light in the vehicle went off. There was no warning sign. No previous issue. It just happened out of the blue and I could have been killed because of this. My wife was in the vehicle with me and was terrified. Then it took 4 hrs to get a tow truck to get us using road side assistance. Now I'm out a brand new vehicle for God knows how long and have no transportation.
While driving approximately 40 mph the engine just shut off and the car stopped without warning on an extremely busy road. I could not turn the car back on at all and had to have someone help me push the Bronco to the side of the road. My Bronco had only about 3,500-4,000 miles on it and is less than a year old. About 5 months earlier I did hear a strange and very faint tapping noise from the engine right around the wheel base when I drove under 35 mph. About a week or two after I noticed this noise, it then went away. When I was at the Ford dealership getting an additional key programmed for my Bronco, I asked if they had heard of such an issue or if they thought it was something they should look into. They thought it was just a new car working out new car sounds.
On 2 separate occasions over the past 3 days the vehicle has lost total operability. All functions, lights, locks, etc cease and are unable to simply restart the vehicle. The first occurrence was on a busy highway in poor weather conditions causing a near accident/collision. It appears some electrical malfunction shits off all working of the vehicle only to recover 5-10min later. A brake failure signal was shown on second occurrence. This is a definite life-threatening defect needing prompt investigation and remedy.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that after replacing the windshield wipers a crack formed on the bottom passenger’s side corner of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack then spread up to the top corner of the window shield. The contact stated he called the local dealer who informed him they were unable to repair the vehicle due to not having the part available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact stated that he called his insurance company who then referred him to Safelite. Once the contact called Safelite they scheduled a repair appointment; however, they delivered the wrong windshield for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the quality of the windshield was poor and could cause severe injuries in the event of a crash. The approximate failure mileage was 1,200.
Engine failed and replaced under warranty.
Kepts getting hills stop brake malfunctioning anti collusion failures ant lock brake failure
Within days of buying this 2021 Bronco in April 2022, the power steering and drive modes (e.g., Eco, Sport) stopped working and we got the following error message: [See Steering Assist Fault - Service Required] We called the dealership in Georgia, which is far from our home, and they advised us to take it to one closer to us; the problem would be covered under warranty. We made the first available appointment with the dealership in Havana FL and took our vehicle in on July 11th. We showed the photo saying "service required" and explained that every morning the drive modes don't work and the power steering usually does not work right away. We have to re-start the vehicle to get the power steering to work, but the drive modes don't work until later in the day (usually). We get the error messages shown repeatedly below saying "drive mode not available." Despite the service department at the dealership saying they identified the malfunctioning part, Ford sent us away without approving a warranty repair—citing a policy that because the service personnel could not report a computer code for the part, Ford will not pay to fix it. The problem continues and we continue to provide photos to Ford and ask them to fix this problem for us and for anyone else who is experiencing it.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH he heard a ticking sound coming from the engine and then a grinding sound before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer had not yet diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,812.
July 15, 2022 - lost power on I80 during heavy traffic. I had to pull to the side as I could not accelerate. Luckily it restarted and I was able to get home. I took it in for service at the dealership the next day (engine light did not come on until the next morning). I was told it was an issue with the catalytic converter and parts were on backorder but it was safe to drive until the part came in. 3 days ago, on Saturday July 30th, I was in my driveway getting to leave and my Bronco wouldn't start, it turned over briefly and then died. The engine made a loud 'knocking' noise and then complete silence. This was a Saturday so they couldn't schedule a tow until until Monday, its been at the dealership for 2 days and they are waiting to hear back from an engineer. I know it's covered under warranty but I think a recall should be issued before someone dies. I was driving about 60-65 mph when I lost acceleration. There was construction ahead but thankfully, it happened before an off ramp. If it hadn't happened in that spot, I wouldn't have had a shoulder to pull over to.
Multiple times the engine has failed to respond to the accelerator pedal when engaged from a cold stop. The delayed response has happened several times while attempting to merge into moving traffic so even a 1 second delay is both dangerous and scary from a driver perspective. The vehicle was taken in for service recently and no problems were identified after mechanic testing. However, I wonder if this problem is related to the ongoing investigation of defective valves in the 2.7L EcoBoost engine.
Very rough idle, rpm’s bounce and do not stay smooth at all. Have 10,000 miles, has run rough since purchase. Getting worse as we accumulate miles. Will be taking to dealer very soon. Not throwing a code or light yet, but obviously something is wrong.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated the front windshield cracked and was repaired by the dealer; prior to the second crack that occurred while driving approximately 35 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, they diagnosed no failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.
Engine died, won’t start again
On June 9, 2022, while traveling on an Interstate Highway at about 80 mph, the engine sputtered and died without any warning light activation. The vehicle failure caused an extremely unsafe condition which caused me to navigate without power, in moderate traffic, from the #1 lane, across the #2 lane and onto the shoulder. The failure caused me to perform this high risk maneuver in front of an approaching big rig traveling in the #2 lane. The vehicle was towed to the nearest Ford dealership where an inspection determined the fuel pump had failed. The fuel pump was replaced but the dealership did not know if the replacement had been redesigned to prevent such catastrophic failures in the future. The loss of power was sudden and immediate without any prior warning messages and/or warning lamp activation.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made clicking sounds and then lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 923.
8:28pm 6.8.2022 - Bronco was towing 1 boat on a single axle trailer (total weight less than 3000lbs). - First soft top convertible roof panel was open - Music playing at medium volume to drown out adjacent highway noise - Heading NE on the Highway 820 feeder road. - Stopped at stop sign at intersection of Cahoba Drive. - Pulled out of intersection and was traveling on a slight uphill at 18pmh - Interior of vehicle smelled sweet and we noticed white smoke filling behind the vehicle - Warning lights for Battery (red battery) and Service (wrench) came on and then a warning to stop vehicle and restart engine. This coincided with a sudden decrease in power. - Pulled to the side of the road to a safe position and powered off the engine, allowed several minutes for it to cool then attempted to restart the engine with no luck. Service (wrench) light turned off and Check Engine light came on. - Open hood to allow engine too continue to cool and to check for exterior engine damage. - Documented current state of vehicle with photos. - Had Ford tow to Grapevine Ford in Grapevine, TX. 8am 6.9.2022 - Service Advisor reached out to confirm vehicle was in shop and would be looked at this week. - I advised that based on the engine build date on the engine sticker, this vehicle was in the batch of potentially faulty valves from the Lima facility. He said he and Ford had no knowledge of potentially faulty valves and that the tech would perform the necessary checks. 10am 6.10.2022 - Service Advisor & Manager reached out to advise that one spark plug was sheared off and that the engine would need to be replaced and possibly the turbos; FoMoCo would confirm what to replace. They actively avoided any discussion of the valves and did not respond when I mentioned them. I verbally requested copies of all videos/photos/reports related to my vehicle and access to parts. 1pm - I requested via text message to Scott Service Advisor access to the my request above. Dealer to follow up next week
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. While starting the vehicle the contact became aware of a line crack on the front of the windshield. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,337.
I was pulling into a residential driveway and as soon as the front tires entered the driveway the pre-collision alert warning went off and when I applied the brakes they did nothing. I proceeded to roll 25+ feet and crashed into the back of a parked car in the driveway. There were people standing just to the right of the parked car I hit. The Ford dealer has had the vehicle for over 4 weeks now and all they've said is certain modules aren't communicating properly.
On May 17th At 6,800 miles my motor randomly experienced catastrophic engine failure and has been at the Ford dealership since. The dealership has not told me anything on how or why this happened other than the motor needs to be replaced. The dealer received the new motor on June 22nd.
According the the service department at the Dealership, the valves on my vehicle's engine failed and caused a complete engine failure.
Engine failure. My wife was driving the vehicle and was enveloped in smoke and the engine stopped and she was stuck in the middle lane of a busy road in rush hour. A dangerous section of road a few miles from our house. I drove down and gave her my SUV and then called AAA who towed it to the dealership. The motor was dead. The vehicle was towed to Future Ford of Sacramento. They then diagnosed it a few days later and informed us that it is a complete engine failure and that it will take several months to get the vehicle back to us. There were no warning lights or any warning prior to the engine stopping and a large amount of smoke to the point that my wife thought the whole vehicle was on fire. Four people stopped to help her and get her to the side of the road.
-I bought the Ford Bronco to Flat-tow behind my Motorhome. (All 4 wheels on the ground) -Per Ford this is permitted, they outline a procedure in the owner's manual on how this must be performed. -At least 48 states require a supplemental braking system on towed vehicle. -The Bronco has an Electronic Break Booster (EBB) -When the Bronco is placed in the Flat - tow mode, the last step is to turn the key off. -Ford has set a timer (30 to 45 minutes) to shut down power to the EBB, when the key is turned off. -After timer expires, the brakes have no boost. This causes any after-market braking system installed on the Bronco to be useless. -In these circumstances, The Bronco is providing no help to the motorhome for braking, causing longer braking distances. Also, If the Bronco were to become detached from the motorhome, the emergency braking system that should come on and stop the vehicle, would not work. Could cause injury or death by having a runaway. -Ford has been unresponsive in attempts to remedy the situation.
Flat Towing 2021 Ford Bronco with 2.7 V6 engine. After connecting my Bronco to the motorhome and putting it in the tow mode the following will occur. About 45 mins after turning the ignition off and closing the doors the EBB (Electronic Brake Boost) in the Bronco shuts down leaving the Bronco without any brake boost and leaves the supplemental brake system ineffective. When first connecting the Bronco to the motorhome the brake boost is active and the supplemental brake system must be set to match, or it will lock up the brakes on the Bronco when you stop. After the boost shuts down the supplemental brake system cannot apply enough force to the Bronco brakes to assist in stopping and all at once it takes a much greater distance to stop the motorhome than it did when the boost was working. This is extremely dangerous as a break-a-way tow vehicle would have no brakes and become a missile, or the additional weight with no assisted braking could cause a 40,000lb Class A RV to lose it's brakes down a steep grade.
The speed of wipers is not fast enough. In moderate rain on high the wipers do not clear window fast enough.
CONSTITUENT WRITES IN REGARD TO THEIR 2021 FORD BRONCO. CONSTITUENT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAS A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE VALVES CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.
The wipers shut off on their own during heavy rains. Need to be turned on and off to get to activate. I took it to dealer and they said Ford said it is normal.
Whilst traveling at highway speeds on the Jersey Turnpike, black smoke suddenly started emanating from the rear of the vehicle. All power was suddenly lost from the vehicle, with the accelerator pedal being nonfunctional. I was able, even though the vehicle was starting to fill with smoke and leave a trail of smoke behind, navigate across the lanes to the hard shoulder. The engine had of course ceased to run. At this time I exited the vehicle to assess the situation. Upon finding no obvious defects and the smoke having cleared, I reentered the vehicle, to see what the engine would do when the key was turned. The engine would not turn over, with only items running off of battery power. Basically the car was dead. At this time I called a AAA for a tow of the car. Unfortunately AAA can't tow on the New Jersey Turnpike, so a local tow company had to be called, to transport the car to a local exit. After the car was deposited in a car park close by, I then reached out to AAA to transport the car to my local Ford dealer. The Bronco was taken to Stamford Ford, in CT, where after inspection, we were told the car had suffered a "catastrophic failure". The vehicle took over one month before it was returned, as the whole engine had to be rebuilt.
Transmission broke at 4,884 miles reversing out of the driveway. The driveway has no grade and never sits on a hill.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026