What 664 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Early Release

Component failure is the radio not coming on, reading audio off, no matter pressing audio on. Component failure is the radio loading and never comes on. Issue with AIPM communication issues with radio. Screen sometimes doesn’t come on or locks up. Major issue. Dealership worked on it but having issues figuring it out. Similar to recent recall for 2021 ford bronco but it doesn’t include the sport.

NHTSA ODI 11726054

Powertrain and engine warning light illuminated 10/25 /25 first time Same problem again on 2/11/26 Same problem on 3/16/26 Same problem on 3/20/26 Three service stations can not fix problem : ford country nv Camelback, AZ Steve Coury Az

NHTSA ODI 11725962

We were told by the dealership that our 2021 Ford Bronco Sport with only 83,831 has a failed transmission and will need to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11725459

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH in traffic, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was in Fuel Saver Mode, and the vehicle turned off unexpectedly and failed to restart. The check engine and the battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, a diagnostic test was unable to be performed because the parking brake independently engaged whenever shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,400.

NHTSA ODI 11725037

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The vehicle was taken to Take 5 Oil Change for an oil change, and the contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to Ritchie Automotive, where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11725042

Catastrophic engine failure. Sudden. Started my car in the morning. Engine was running rough. Drove about 1/2 mile, engine continued to get worse. Returned home. decided to get engine codes checked. Check engine lights did not come on until this incident. Couldn't keep engine running. Kept trying to restart. Heard weird noise in engine and engine seized. Car had 62,800 miles on it, just over the 5 yr/60,000 warranty. Had the car towed to local Ford dealership. They verified that the engine was seized and that I needed a new engine. They found a lot of coolant in the engine oil along with a lot of metal flakes in the oil. They called it a catastrophic failure and speculated that it could be piston or valve destruction. They did not tear down the engine to determine the cause. They wanted an additional 2,000 to do that. (I kept the old seized engine). This failure could leave the owner stranded and in a very unsafe situation. I don't know what this failure would do to the drivability of the vehicle in traffic or on the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11724559

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving 78 MPH on the highway, the vehicle unintentionally decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was turned off, restarted, and driven as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,700.

NHTSA ODI 11724668

If my car can burn up because of this issue, why isn't a replacement part available? Is Ford going to wait till it burns? Seems to me if the problem is known you'd rather fix it than pay out lawsuits.

NHTSA ODI 11723252

dragging, grinding, or rubbing noises from the rear of a 2021 Bronco Sport during low-speed turns are a known issue commonly associated with a faulty rear drive unit (RDU), often appearing around 40k-60k miles. This problem, sometimes described as a, shutter or chattering, is often tied to contaminated fluid caused by a defective or improperly designed vent hose that allows debris to enter the system.

NHTSA ODI 11721766

The transmission failed to shift out of a forward gear when selected. Reverse was selected and the vehicle moved forward into a dangerous situation. It resisted stopping as the brakes were applied. There is no "key" to shut off. I was forced to vigorously apply the brakes to avoid a collision with a train. The car is undriveable. The dealer inspection and an independent inspection confirmed that the transmission was failing in a manner that they were both aware of. Replacement cost has proven to be prohibitive. Numerous warning lamps began to illuminate as the problem was discovered.

NHTSA ODI 11721545

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle began shaking and hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was associated with DTC: P0456 EVAP (Very Small Leak in EVAP Emission Control System). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 83,191.

NHTSA ODI 11721014

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 60 MPH and entering the base at 15 MPH, the overheating message was displayed. The driver pulled over, and the light turned off. After exiting the vehicle, he noticed the vehicle had caught fire. The driver disconnected the battery. There were no reported injuries. Another driver stopped with a fire extinguisher to assist with putting out the fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was contacted, who initially was sending an inspector but changed to viewing the photos. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11720708

On 2/19/26 the Vehicle would not go in reverse. This is the second time the vehicle has failed to reverse. The vehicle was towed and fixed by don chalmers ford the first time this happened. Now they stated the vehicle was one day past warranty and would not tow/fix issue. I dropped the vehicle at dc ford on Friday 2/20. Today they called and said they think it is the same issue that was fixed with the transmission and would charge 6-8 thousand to fix it. More if we wanted a new transmission. I have read several reports from other consumers that the ford 2021 bronco sport has transmission issues. This vehicle has also had several recalls that I have had fixed by ford. All maintenance has been performed by ford as well. This is an unsafe vehicle and ford has failed to insure its costumers are safe and treated fairly.

NHTSA ODI 11720562

Recall 25S76 announced on 7/16/25 is still not completed. Ford states parts still not available. After 7 months, there seems to be no sense of urgency on Ford's part or their supplier's part. when will parts be available?

NHTSA ODI 11718441

This vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 25V467 involving potential fuel injector cracking and risk of fuel leaking onto the engine, creating a fire hazard. The recall status shows “Remedy Not Yet Available,” leaving the defect unresolved. While driving, the vehicle suddenly displayed an engine overheating warning and immediately entered limp mode, causing abrupt loss of power. The vehicle decelerated unexpectedly and was not able to maintain normal driving speed. This created a dangerous situation in active traffic and required a safety tow. The sudden power reduction could have resulted in a rear-end collision or loss of vehicle control. There were no prior overheating warnings immediately before this incident. The failure occurred abruptly. A warning message appeared at the time of the event, followed by limp mode activation. The vehicle had to be towed to a dealership for inspection. Given that the open recall involves fuel injector cracking and potential fuel accumulation near hot engine components, there is concern that the unresolved recall condition may be related to engine overheating and loss of power. The vehicle remains under an active fire-risk recall, yet no repair remedy is available. Owners are left operating vehicles with a known safety defect and no corrective action timeline. The defect has not been remedied because parts are not available. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership after the overheating event. The primary safety concern is the combination of an open fire-risk recall and a sudden overheating/limp mode event causing abrupt power loss in traffic, creating a serious risk of injury. Due to this open recall with no available remedy, the vehicle cannot be listed or rented on a peer-to-peer vehicle sharing platform, resulting in loss of legitimate income. The vehicle was previously eligible for use, but is now restricted solely because the safety recall remains unresolved without a repair solution. Owners are financially impacted.

NHTSA ODI 11717430

Since my car hit 40000 miles it has had nothing but issues. I've had it in the shop at least 10 times. My brakes went out while driving with my [XXX] old, I've had loss of power, smell of exhaust in the cabin for the last 3 months and dealership says it can't be fixed, yesterday I had complete engine failure while on the freeway. Stalled and wouldn't start back up for 5 min. The dealership has never fully fixed anything but has only updated the computer system. I feel very unsafe in this vehicle. We still owe on this vehicle so trading it in is not an option since its not even worth the down payment I put down. It has a fuel injector recall that can't be fixed yet due to not having the parts available. What are we suppose to do if we can't drive the vehicle and can't buy a new one. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11714165

Car check engine light came on, I came home parked the car, in about 5 minutes the cars embarked in flames, the car burned down to the ground. The safety of my entire home (flames caught onto house) and neighbors home was at risk. The burning car was inspected by Fire Chief of Christiana Fire Company

NHTSA ODI 11713086

I am experiencing pulsing and lunging while accelerating and cause loss of power and unsafe driving.

NHTSA ODI 11712701

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was due to the torque converter. The contact was informed that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to cover 60 percent of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11712462

LOSS COMPLETE POWER WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE DASHBOARD LIT UP BUT NO POWER. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRIED TO CHARGE BATTERY IT WAS NOT THAT. HE WAS DUMBFOUNDED ON WHAT HAPPENED. I SAT IN A VEHICLE ON A BUSY ROAD IN RUSH HOUR FOR OVER AN HOUR BECAUSE i HAD NO SAFE PLACE TO GO. NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR, NO NOISES. JUST DIED WHILE IN USE. WAS TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD 48 HRS LATER ITS DRIVING FINE. THEY CANT FIND AN ISSUE. I AGAIN EXPLAINED I LOSS COMPLETE POWER AND WAS PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WELL AS THE FACT THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS IN THE 20S. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT SERVICE WITH NO ANSWERS, THIS IS THE 4TH SERVICE IN LESS THAN 60 DAYS WITH ISSUES. 2 WHERE TRANSMISSION, 1 WAS A GAS VALVE

NHTSA ODI 11712474

My passenger seat heater caught on fire, it was very scary but I was able to put it out with sugar after I pulled over and figured out where the smell was coming from. I took it to my dealer for an inspection but I feel as though they were just trying to cover their side of everything and said “the seat heater did not cause the fire unfortunately”. I am currently in contact with ford and my insurance company. My insurance so far just says they need to investigate more but also that my claim is closed so I’m honestly just at a loss and confused about that and will be reaching out to them again soon. There was no warning at all and I’m glad I caught it when I did because I had glasses cleaner in my passenger side door that is very flammable.

NHTSA ODI 11711488

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while driving. The contact was unable to determine the location of the sound. The vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone, where an undisclosed system failure had occurred. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 77,000.

NHTSA ODI 11710954

Rear Belt Monitor Fault continues to be an issue. We received this warning light and supposedly had this repaired in October of 2024. The dealership replaced the rear seat belt buckle and reset the codes. This worked for a while but now is happening again. Additionally, we are receiving an airbag warning related to the rear belt monitor. When driving even short distances the warning light appears on screen maybe 5 or 6 times. If a seat belt is disconnected there is no audible warning alert or light to let the driver know that it is not in use. I believe this may be a faulty restraint control module rather than an actual seat belt issue. This is definitely a safety issue regarding restraints and airbags. I've heard of this issue in several Bronco sports, and Mavericks.

NHTSA ODI 11710599

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 11710638

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a loud scraping sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the torque converter. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11708392