What 143 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Later Release

My vehicle is currently experiencing drivability issues including: * Wrench warning light with “See Manual” message, * Hesitation during acceleration, * Intermittent reduced engine power, * Prior fuel odor concerns, * Unsafe acceleration response while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11742816

On May 15, 2006 I was turning slowly into a parking space perhaps 3 to 5 miles an hour. My vehicle suddenly surged forwarded and accelerated on its own. I hit a wall. No warning lights appeared. No crash warning or any beeping of any sort. My car had a recall for the fuel injector. In October 2025 Ford sent out someone to adjust the software at my home. I do not believe a tube was ever inserted. Witnesses reported I was going slow and the car accelerated. I eat at the location almost every day so they watch for my car and whether there were 1 or 2 people. So it is not just a random witness. I do not know what parts are involved other than to say there was an un commanded acceleration and engine surge.

NHTSA ODI 11741370

My vehicle makes a horrible noise when I’m driving and making a turn. According to a mechanic shop I took my vehicle to, the RDU vent hose that was put on by the manufacturer is highly susceptible to get clogged and drawing in outside moisture causing this horrible noise. The mechanic stated that they have seen this issue with other Ford Bronco Sport vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11740719

On or about December 2025, the vehicle began emitting strong fuel/exhaust fumes through the air conditioning vents during operation. The fumes were noticeable inside the passenger cabin and created concerns of toxic exposure and possible fire risk. The condition was reported to an authorized Ford dealership, Hacienda Ford, which retained the vehicle for inspection for approximately two months. The dealership acknowledged concerns involving the fuel system/fuel injectors and performed inspection procedures and software-related recall work; however, the vehicle was later returned without replacement or repair of fuel system components. After the vehicle was released, the same fuel/fume odor condition reoccurred during normal driving, including an incident where the fumes became overwhelming inside the cabin while driving toward [XXX] . The vehicle is associated with an open safety recall identified as manufacturer recall 25S76 / NHTSA campaign 25V467, described as “remedy not yet available.” Despite repeated reports of fuel/exhaust fumes and concerns involving possible fuel injector defects, Ford Motor Company and the dealership have not provided a written determination that the vehicle is safe to operate. A formal final escalation letter was sent to Ford Motor Company demanding a safety determination, alternate repair authorization, reimbursement of towing expenses, and clarification regarding open recalls and known fuel system issues. The letter was delivered on April 29, 2026, but no response was received within the requested deadline. The consumer believes the vehicle may present an ongoing safety hazard involving fuel vapor intrusion and potential fire risk. The defect remains unresolved. The vehicle remains parked. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11738392

I was driving on the highway and my car started making a lot of noise. I got a notice “The Engine system has detected a fault.” Then another notification saying 4 wheel drive was disabled and then my car stopped running, leaving me stranded in the middle of the highway. My car would start, but it would not go into any gear. When I tried putting it in gear, I got a notification that said “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Speed Your Malfunction warning is on because your vehicle’s transmission cannot be shifted or moved out of park.” I had to wait in the middle of the highway for approximately 30-45 minutes for a tow truck to come, and the whole time, there were cars traveling 80 mph swerving to miss me. I was sincerely afraid for my life.

NHTSA ODI 11735518

2023 Bronco Sport had its serpentine belt replaced in February of 2026 because it was loose causing my engine to overheat. I had to have it towed because I was sitting on the side of the road. Then in April of 2026 the Bronco started making horrible loud clanging sounds and jerking when it was put in gear. Towed again to the shop. Now I am told this 3 year old car needs a new transmission. Doing research i have found that several Bronco owners have the same problem. Why does Ford not have a recall for this!! My mechanic was looking for a rebuilt one and can't find one because the demand for them is higher than what the supply is. This should tell you something!!

NHTSA ODI 11734146

The fuel injectors are failing, the vehicle smells of gasoline fumes in the cabin if the vehicle and we are now getting check engine lights due to emissions which I contribute to the failing fuel injectors which have been under recall for quite some time now and Ford does not seem to want to fix this issue. They can only tell us they do not have a fix yet at this time. My understanding this is a very dangerous issue as the vehicle can catch on fire due to this malfunction. I have young children who all ride in this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11722064

Transmission jerking or not shifting into gear and intermittent park in reverse shifting inoperable. Also, my car has been in the shop.Under warranty repair for most of the last four months. , we are still required to make payments on a vehicle.And cannot even transfer insurance from that vehicle to another temporarily.Because of the sales contract. The service manager recently told me that our eight speed ecoboost transmission is a one of thousands of transmissions that were assembled without vital parts. And that ford has no workaround or plan in place to correct The problem

NHTSA ODI 11708005

Transmission violently jerks when shifting making it unsafe to even drive. Severe uneven shifting. RPM fluctuations exacerbate the problem ( since a normal automatic transmission will naturally shift upon acceleration at specific intervals, but not this one). Also would not shift into Park or reverse. We finally had to have it towed to the shop. This is a 2023 Ford Bronco sport and should be recalled. The transmission is a severely flawed and unsafe design.

NHTSA ODI 11684701

I purchased the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport brand new, since then there have been at least 3-4 recalls on it. The catalytic converter had to be replaced and now the transmission needs to be replaced. This vehicle, Ford Bronco Sport, has had issues that i feel Ford has been negligent in addressing through recalls. The vehicle has been in a Ford garage for 3+ months waiting on repairs to the transmission. Research has shown that there are lawsuits about these transmissions that Ford is not addressing. They sold me a lemon and refuse to make it right. The most recent recall being the fuel injector. Multiple recalls, faulty transmission, faulty catalytic converter, whats next? Something needs to be done about this.

NHTSA ODI 11675630

Recall Action Soon Issue Since 07-18-2025 Fuel injector replacement For More Information Telematics Generated Issue Recall Action Soon Issue Since 03-14-2025 Drivers side seat buckle replacement

NHTSA ODI 11674865

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the cold cranking amp battery installed during the vehicle assembly was incorrect and informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V158000 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11670167

corporate policy complaint. However, a Riata tech did also contribute to the issue. My 23 Bronco sport was manufactured with a transmission problem. I called once, was told it was just the computer still learning. Then at 10,000 miles there was a recall that required bringing the car in, I asked them to check the transmission and they told me the recall computer issue was probably at fault, didn't check the transmission, said it should be fine now. (They had been hacked recently, But their poor cyber security is not my fault.) At 20,000 miles, I brought it in again for routine maintenance. They finally checked the transmission and saw it had major damage. They repaired it for free under warranty. However 20,000 miles of running with contaminated transmission fluid and damaged parts gave me huge concerns about undue wear to the other parts in the transmission and it's long term lifespan. I asked for a full transmission replacement and was told that corporate would never approve it. So I called their customer service department and the customer service department said that they will not extend warranties and that it was Riatas decision not to replace the transmission (from what I understand that was blatantly untrue, it's corporate policy). So now my options are lemon law it (but the car doesn't really qualify for that and they strung me along for 20k miles when lemon law only is valid to 24k miles), or sue ford (yeah like I have the time or energy or resources for that). They refused to escalate to anyone internal who can make decisions, refused to send me a written denial of escalation, refused to do anything but gaslight me (This is customer service, not Riata).

NHTSA ODI 11648403

Multiple intermittent occurrences of the following- Transmission: Shifts very rough 30-50mph. Excessively noisy. Far worse when weather is cold. Does not respond sometimes when pressing the accelerator. Feels as if the pedal is pushed and the car does nothing. Pulling back your foot and pressing again it goes. Noticed this trying to merge into traffic from a stop, pressing pedal to pass slower traffic at highway speeds. Have had two different Ford dealers look at the problem, neither has been able to diagnose an issue. Have an appointment with Ford dealer to evaluate again (third time) 2nd week of February due to dealer service dept schedule. Have been told to expect to leave the vehicle with them for 3-5 days for diagnosis. Have offered to take service mgr on test drive to show issue but not able to link schedules yet. Dealers have stated they cannot find an issue and have updated transmission software. Does not fix the issue. Electrical/body: Numerous problems with the following: Plugged in phone drops Apple CarPlay regularly or does not always recognize phone. (latest OS from Apple on both devices). Convenience features like seat memory, keyless entry (touch the door handle with key on you, door unlocks) intermittently not working. Rear hatch keyless entry has not worked in almost a year. Stereo system doesn't always display proper data in cluster, on radio screen. Does not always respond to steering wheel channel change button. Ford has updated software multiple times and above (except rear hatch) will work for a while then problems will start back up again. Vehicle has almost 30K miles and was purchased brand new in July 2023. Factory warranty expires at 36K and I do not want to be stuck with an extremely expensive repair if the transmission does go up after the warranty expires.

NHTSA ODI 11638089

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport.The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the four-wheel drive engaged and disengaged independently. The contact stated she heard a loud clanking noise coming from the front tires as the four-wheel drive warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over and noticed smoke and a small fire coming from the front of the hood. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with some water from her water bottle. The fire department or local police department was not contacted. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and the following day to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11598003

The contact's wife owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted with Roadside Assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the Auto Stop/Start feature was intermittently inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the Auto Stop/Start feature was malfunctioning due to low battery. The dealer recharged the battery; however, the failure recurred while driving the same day. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.

NHTSA ODI 11585381

Fuel pump loose in gas tank. Ocassional smell of fuel in cabin when starting vehicle. RPMs stick at high levels occassionally.

NHTSA ODI 11566060

The transmission has very rough shifts particularly at low speeds between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. It feels like the clutch sometimes does not fully engage, and the vehicle over-revs before finally getting into gear. This causes hesitation and poses a safety danger in particular when making turns like left turns in the city from a stop. I am concerned that even with sufficient space, the vehicle will hesitate to accelerate and I could get into an accident. I have not observed any warning lamps or other messages and the vehicle has not yet been inspected. The issue looks very similar or the same as that in NHTSA ID Number: 10231021. I have noticed this behavior since the first date of ownership for this vehicle which I bought new.

NHTSA ODI 11534194