Home · 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Later Release · Complaints

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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (664)Crash / fire / injury (32)Electrical system (203)Transmission & drivetrain (171)Engine (139)Brakes (124)Fuel system (106)Visibility & wipers (26)Engine & cooling (23)Suspension (21)Driver assistance (14)Steering (14)

124 of 664 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters · page 3 of 5

Nov 3, 2023Brakes

Like all the other complaints my 2021 Bronco Sport (Badlands) makes the worst LOUD noise when backing up and braking. It is not a little noise, it is a "wake up the neighbors" noise and it is hard not to flinch every time we get in the car and it sets the tone. Then we have to explain to everyone. That noise wouldn't happen if something wasn't very wrong with the car!!! I am shocked to see so many complaints and nothing is being done to protect drivers. This is not a cheap vehicle and I have owned Expeditions, an Edge, and F150's. Ford was a favorite until now. This happens every time not once in a while.

NHTSA ODI 11553486

Oct 17, 2023AirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash3 injuries

The contact's mother owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine turned on and the transmission shifter in the park position, the engine began to rev and the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into a brick building. During the incident, the braking system malfunctioned and did not stop the vehicle, and only the driver's side leg air bags were deployed. No other air bags in the vehicle were deployed during the crash. The driver sustained bruising to both legs, a left leg laceration, and a neck injury. The front passenger sustained a neck injury and the rear driver's side passenger sustained a torso bruise from the seat belt. All occupants received medical treatment at the scene. A police report was taken. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The contact indicated that the collision avoidance system had also malfunctioned and did not prevent the crash from occurring. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11550344

Oct 13, 2023Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI 11549865

Oct 13, 2023Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI 11549876

Oct 3, 2023Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI 11547995

Oct 3, 2023Transmission & drivetrainBrakes

When reversing there is the absolute worst extremely loud embarrassing metallic screeching sound, considerable to a ships horn. Once you press brake fully and come to a complete stop the sounds ceases, let go of the brake it come right back. You can put it in drive and then back to reversing, same thing. Dealership was informed in 2022, said they fixed it. Spring/Summer of 2023 after complaining again was told part was ordered, could not be told what part. September 2023 was told no part was ordered, issue was fixed. October 2023 had a male take my bronco in for repairs and answers, parts are now reordered, parts are back ordered since this is a recall, no time frame on repair. When you check my vin for recalls, all recalls are closed. I am under the impression that my Dealership never has done recall work and only clearing them off as completed.

NHTSA ODI 11548015

Sep 25, 2023Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI 11546478

Sep 23, 2023Brakes

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

NHTSA ODI 11546166

Sep 11, 2023Brakes

When backing up it sounds like a tug boat. Super annoying and embarrassing. Also when you are turning it seems like the wheels are shaking like a polaroid picture! I’ve taken the car to the dealer and they have stated that there’s nothing that they can do and ford is aware. Extremely unprofessional and just plain disappointing.

NHTSA ODI 11543745

Aug 27, 2023Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngine

Transmission locked in park while attempting to move off of a traffic light. Brakes locked up, unable to start car. Was stuck in the middle lane on a busy street.

NHTSA ODI 11541061

Aug 24, 2023Brakes

When backing up the bronco makes a noise like a whale! There are many 2021 and 2022 bronco sports that are doing this. To date Ford has not addressed the problem.They have offered me a maintenance contract and say they will cover anything thing related to this issue. They don’t seem to be able to identify the issue though. Has been looked at several times.

NHTSA ODI 11540518

Jul 26, 2023Electrical systemLightsBrakes

On Monday 7-24-2023 5:00pm rush hour in Downtown Gainesville Fl at a red light in the left lane about to turn left my car completely shutoff with no warning. It was if someone disconnected the battery completely from the car. No lights, No screen, No ignition. The traffic light turned green and I immediately pressed my foot on the brake and tried to start the engine. I noticed there were not lights, no sounds and no reaction from the engine. Windows would not go down either. I tried too put the hazards on to signal people and they had no power.The car was completely dead in the road. I jumped out of the drivers seat to warn people to go around me but traffic was whipping around me so I started to panic. I got back in the drivers seat to try and restart the car a few more times. I pressed the ignition and noticed the dash board and welcome screen flashing on and off repeatedly without success. I wanted to put the car in neutral. but the shiffter was stuck I drive and the emergency electric brake was engaged. After about 30 minutes the police came to direct traffic and he stayed with us for almost 2 hours while we waited for a tow truck. In the mean time we tried jumping the battery and for a split second the car lights on the inside all came on. Every light in the car lit up for a split second and then it totally died again. The wheels were locked so it had to be dragged onto a flat bed truck and taken to Parks Ford Gainesville. The next day I were told by [XXX] , a service technician at Parks Ford that he could not locate the issue but he called it a Catastrophic Fail and he had to call in a Master technician to look at my car and that would be the end of this week or beginning of next. This is a very dangerous thing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11534697

Jul 11, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires displayed black dust around the tire tread. The contact then stated that the VIN was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the front brake pads were replaced and the disc brake rotor however, the failure recurred. The contact then referenced TSB 22-2326. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11531657

Jun 22, 2023Brakes

I own a 2021 Bronco Sport. As of 04/21/23 at 13,951 my Bronco started experiencing a very loud squeak when put in reverse/braking. Was taken to Ford Dealer 4 times with them replacing caliper pins and bushings and greasing slides. Then additional rear cleanings…After all this I’m still left with same loud noise and it is NOT FIXED! I have been told by technicians that multiple customers are experiencing my same issue and that it is due to faulty brake pads that are NOT covered by warranty!!!???

NHTSA ODI 11528267

May 24, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse, the brake pedal was depressed, and the contact heard a loud abnormal sound coming from the brakes. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the rear brake pad issue was a known issue, but no assistance was provided. The contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11523671

May 23, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes made an abnormal sound while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle failed to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he test-drove two other 2023 Ford Bronco Sports at the dealer, which also made abnormal sounds while the brake pedal was depressed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

NHTSA ODI 11523413

Apr 25, 2023Brakes

When going backwards and applying rear brakes a horn like sound comes from rear brakes. Sounds like a boat or fog horn. Vehicle has been at ford dealer 6 times. TSB fix did not work and gel on brakes did not work. Ford refuses to fix this problem.

NHTSA ODI 11518976

Apr 13, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while reversing and depressing the brake pedal, there was a loud sound like a horn coming from the rear brakes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake calipers, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11516826

Apr 11, 2023BrakesEngine & coolingFuel system

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), 22V191000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11516498

Mar 13, 2023SteeringBrakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while reversing, there was an abnormal grinding noise detected coming from the brakes. While driving at various speeds around a curb, the steering wheel was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.

NHTSA ODI 11511567

Mar 10, 2023Brakes

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands with the 2.0. When taking the vehicle out after it has been sitting overnight or longer, as others have stated, the brakes are extremely sensitive and will groan/make a loud noise when even the slightest pressure is applied. I assumed until now that it has been condensation on the rotors, but seeing as the frequency it occurs has been everytime I get in the vehicle, I did some investigation and found out this is quite a common issue here. No brake performance issues have been noticed, just annoying noise. Adding my experience for documentation purposes.

NHTSA ODI 11511278

Mar 8, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11510860

Feb 22, 2023Brakes

The brakes make a loud moaning/squealing noise like a whale every time I brake in reverse. The brake recall did not fix the problem. They still squeal every single time I leave my driveway.

NHTSA ODI 11508597

Jan 26, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11503824

Jan 26, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while reversing and pressing the brake pedal, there was a loud grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that additional force was needed while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11503839

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Working with the data? Download all 664 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Later Release verdict →