What 89 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Later Release

I am reporting ongoing electrical and infotainment system failures in my 2024 Ford Bronco Sport that present a potential safety risk to the driver and others on the road. The vehicle’s infotainment system, specifically Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, does not operate reliably. Connections frequently fail, freeze, disconnect, or become unresponsive during normal driving. When this occurs, navigation, hands‑free communication, and other driver‑assistance functions become unavailable or require repeated attempts to reconnect. This malfunction creates a driver distraction hazard, as the driver is compelled to look at and interact with the center display while the vehicle is in motion in an attempt to restore CarPlay functionality. Loss of navigation guidance or hands‑free operation while driving may increase the risk of a collision. In addition, the wireless charging pad causes excessive heat buildup. After approximately 10–30 minutes of continuous contact, mobile devices become abnormally hot, and the infotainment display screen itself also becomes noticeably hot to the touch. This suggests a potential thermal management or hardware design defect. Overheating electronics raise concerns about equipment damage, device shutdown, or further system instability while driving. The vehicle has been taken to a Ford dealership multiple times for these issues. The dealership performed only brief diagnostic scans and did not attempt to reproduce the overheating condition under real‑world operating time. No repairs or corrective actions were performed, and the issues remain unresolved. Based on repeated failures, overheating, and lack of corrective action, I believe this may be a design or hardware specification issue affecting the infotainment and charging systems, rather than an isolated incident. The combination of infotainment instability, overheating, and driver distraction presents a potential safety concern that warrants investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11744032

I was driving my 2024 Bronco Sport, my car started stalling, power was being lost, got stuck on railroad tracks, lights on dash board of icons appeared & engine was shutting down mid drive with no warning or issues. 13,500 miles on the car

NHTSA ODI 11743378

On XXX, driving at a relatively low rate of speed coming off the on-ramp from [XXX] onto [XXX], the hood of our Thrifty rental vehicle, a 2024 Ford Bronco, suddenly and without warning, flew up and completely obstructed the windshield. As we had just entered the highway we were quite fortunate to have been in the right hand lane and able to safely pull into the breakdown lane. And even more fortunate that there were not cars immediately ahead or behind us that we could have hit. And third, very fortunate that the force of the hood did not shatter the windshield. The hood flew up with such force that it essentially "wedged" itself into the side edges of the car and had to be manually dislodged to be closed. Some tube or coil-like structure on the right side of the car had been split in two by the force (later learned this was the windshield wiper fluid hose). Two other points of importance - it was very windy that day. And there was absolutely no warning on the dashboard system that the hood was ajar or anything to that effect. We drove at a very low rate of speed to the next exit to find a service station where the car could be inspected before driving the 3 hours on to [XXX]. The mechanic stated the problem had been with the hood latch, but it appeared safe for us to drive. On returning the car to Thrifty, a verbal report was immediately given, but it seemed strange to me that no paperwork was filled out. The woman processing cars wrote down "windshield wiper hose" and left to move some vehicles. I waited for about 10 minutes, but she didn't return. Research upon my return home revealed similar problems reported with other Ford Broncos - both with the hood opening unexpectedly while driving and with faulty dashboard warning systems. [XXX] I was contacted by Thrifty's 3rd party vendor handling "damage incidents" - PurCo and related these events. They claim Thrifty sees no problem on their end. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11743267

My car was parked in my driveway and I parked it up by the driveway door when I came out the next day my car was at the end of the driveway nobody broke in it it was still locked but that was strange then it seemed like every time I'm driving this car it doesn't want to give me power to drive the car I just took it out of town and red lights start popping on inside the dashboard stating something about transmission fluid cooling something I have been to the dealership quite a few times in reference to the car not getting enough power They keep saying nothing wrong with this car but it's something is wrong with this car I've had this car 2 years I've only put $21,000 mi on it each time I put those kind of miles put miles on the car I was driving out of town and each time was scary because the car act like it don't want to go I just came back from Tulsa Oklahoma on the way back home the dashboard was lighting up saying emergency cooling transmission some stuff something is wrong with this car and I keep taking it back to the dealership and they keep telling me it's nothing wrong with this car I'm literally scared to drive this car.

NHTSA ODI 11738678

January 10, 2026. My battery abruptly stalled. It was charged drove a few feet in the car just stopped. The car was towed, and the battery was deemed faulty and needed replacement. May 10. The engine coolant light came on. The car would turn on and then abruptly stalled. Mid traffic. The car again was towed and it was deemed had a faulty coolant pump. I asked for the fuel injection system to be looked at and they said my card does not have a Vin recall. These two prior issues established the fact that something is wrong with my vehicle and should have been included in the main Ford recall. I would like my VIN number added for the safety of my car and to be able to get the updates necessary for the fuel injection cracks that occur in this year bronco. The dealership is refusing to do this.

NHTSA ODI 11737742

On March 17, 2026, during an oil change service at Mullinax Ford of Kissimmee, located at 1810 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee, FL, I reported several concerns, including a clicking noise, a rough braking noise, and a whiplash-like sensation when engaging Drive. I was also advised that I was nearing the time for a brake fluid flush because the vehicle was around 24,000 miles. On April 15, 2026, I returned to Mullinax Ford for the brake fluid flush. The same concerns were again noted, but I was told the vehicle checked out and that there were no issues with the brakes. I picked up the vehicle after being told it was safe to drive. On my drive home, the vehicle’s brakes locked up on two separate occasions, triggering multiple alarms and creating two near-accident situations. The first time, I nearly struck another vehicle while trying to stop at a traffic light. The second time, I nearly entered moving traffic while trying to stop at a stop sign. I immediately contacted Mullinax Ford. The dealership acknowledged that this was a safety concern, and the vehicle had to be towed back for further repair. This occurred after I was told by management that the vehicle had been personally checked and was safe to drive. Since then, the vehicle continues to have the persistent clicking noise and the whiplash-like engagement feeling, and these symptoms have worsened. I have also reported a separate concern regarding a sunroof leak, but I was advised to call back in a few weeks because the person who handles sunroof repairs was unavailable. We brought it Gary Yeoman’s Palm Bay Ford and they drove the vehicle and feel there might be something wrong with either the brake or transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11734721

Driving on [XXX] . I smelled gasoline. My entire car smelled of it. Next I got a notification to service my vehicle soon. I immediately pulled over and called two Ford dealerships. Downers Grove and Naperville. Neither helped. I located I was close to a dealership. I went there. This is where I learned that underneath my car, wires had caught fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11733616

My 2024 Ford Bronco Sport has had an open unrepaired safety recall (Ford 25S76 / NHTSA 25V467) for about 10 months. The recall states that a fuel injector may crack and create an under-hood fire risk. There is still no repair remedy available. Ford and the dealership have stated that they are trying to develop a solution until June 2026. This effectively means I am being told to continue driving a vehicle with a known fire risk for an unknown extended period of time. For the past 10 months, I have been driving this vehicle in fear. I use it every day to take my children to school, transport my family, and handle family responsibilities. I cannot afford to purchase another vehicle because I invested most of my money into this one. The dealership has not provided me with a clear solution or completed any repair related to this recall. I have also faced nearly $4,000 in mechanical repair costs on a vehicle with about 59,000 miles. I no longer feel safe or confident owning this vehicle. I am concerned that a fire could happen while driving or while parked, putting my family and surrounding property at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11733097

The battery has failed three times. Took it to a dealer in El Paso, Texas and they told us they put in a new battery which they lied. They did not. They charge the battery. Then we’ve took the car again to a dealer in San Antonio and they told us that there were some type of short in the battery, so they recharged the battery and fixed it, they lied again. Today the car will not start, the car is only a year and a half old and the dealer does not want to replace the battery, they want to recharge it again. This battery keeps leaving us stranded everywhere. It’s happening every two weeks.

NHTSA ODI 11719776

I purchased my vehicle 6 months ago. I had no prior issues outside of a rough drive or a very slight burning smell from time to time. 12/2025 I found out through my auto insurance that my vehicle had a active safety recall (25S76) so I scheduled with my local Ford to get the temp software PCM update done until the remedy becomes available. Immediately after the software update I started getting a lot of system error codes; keys not detected, airbag fault, Tailgate open (when it wasnt), auto hold system fault, auto start/stop system fault, etc.. During this time I had issues with my break system "softening" like the breaks wanted to go out OR the break peddle locking up on me and being unable to move/drive. Delays in acceleration or spurts of acceleration which was uncommanded. This happened in active school zones making it even more unsafe and dangerous to drive. I took it back to my nearest dealership, and they could not replicate the issues but kept my case open and said to inform them if things changed. Things gradually got worse. I have video recording of my car accelerating without my foot on the peddle and my breaking peddle softening to the point of not working properly as well as hardening and locking up. I have photos of the errors when I was able to safely due so. I have full documentation that is not listed here (due to the amount of words allowed). I took my vehicle back and has been with Frontier Ford in Anacortes WA for 5 days. I have contacted Ford as well. I am unable to get a rental due to both Ford and the dealership both telling me to go to each other for help. I have no update as my vehicle is still in testing. They were able to replicate some of the issues but have no update outside of that. I have no way to work or take my children back and forth to their classes. My Ford dealership said this software has caused similar issues with other vehicles but my issue was a more severe case. I am unsure on how to move forward with this.

NHTSA ODI 11711867

Powertrain malfunctions have occurred on 12/17/24, 4/11/25 and 10/5/25. Powertrain malfunction and yes. The car would not accelerate and someone could of ran into me, I could of been killed or badly injured and same for any other occupants in the either vehicle. Yes. Yes. The messages appeared on 12/17/24, 4/11/25 and 10/5/25.

NHTSA ODI 11691829

I reached out to ford due to my 2024 bronco sport overheating and running hot. During the time of that complaint I was advised that my bronco currently has a recall that the fuel tank needs to be replaced but it is currently being deemed as non safety and will only be addressed if the vehicle is in for service. I was also advised that due to this recall it is currently a part of fords customer satisfaction program. Anything fuel related should be deemed as a safety recall considering fuel is a flammable chemical. I have requested a buy back as I no longer feel safe operating the vehicle or comfortable transporting my daughter in the vehicle as it aligns too closely with the known fuel safety recall currently present on some 2021-2024 bronco sports.

NHTSA ODI 11685185

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle vibrated, and the contact stated that there was an abnormal white noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 60 MPH, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and shifted in park(P). The contact opened the hood and noticed that the engine had overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact waited for the engine temperature to lower. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. On another occasion, while driving 65 MPH in the rain, the steering wheel pulled to the right. The contact was able to control the steering wheel and continued to drive at a slower speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that there was an abnormal static sound coming from the electronics inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the abnormal sound was also heard with the engine turned off. The contact stated that the magnetic vibrations and potential unauthorized electronic interference affected her health. The contact used the PHYPHOX App to get the magnetic and electronic interference readings. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being diagnosed, a rental was provided. The rental was a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, and the contact experienced the same failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

NHTSA ODI 11681341

When coming from a stop at a traffic light vehicle losses power for approximately 15-20 seconds. This puts the driver of the vehicle, passengers, and other vehicle drivers operating on the roadway in danger of a major collision, possible bodily harm or even death. We have twice taken the vehicle to our dealership, where we purchased the vehicle; in order to fix the recall and we have had no success in gaining a remedy for the issues. The vehicle was seen twice by the Chandler, Arizona Earnheart Ford service department. There were no warning signs before the incident and they started appearing soon after the purchase of the vehicle. We have notice that the hotter it is outside the more frequent the loss of power occurs.

NHTSA ODI 11679483

My backup camera one two separate occasions has not operated properly. First time it never showed a vehicle had come up behind me. Didn’t go off with any notice. I backed into a car. Second time a man with a cart walk behind as I was backing out no notice. There is a recall on review camera but not on my vin.

NHTSA ODI 11663968

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the engine knock sensor and the oil pressure sensor failure warning lights were illuminated; however, the vehicle had not displayed any failures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the wires underneath the vehicle were defective due to bite marks. The contact stated that after the wires were repaired, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who determined that there were bite marks on the wires again. The contact was informed that the insulation on the wires were soy-based, and squirrels were chewing on the insulation. The wires were replaced again. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,031.

NHTSA ODI 11659536

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that there were bite marks on the electrical wires under the vehicle. The contact was informed that the insulation of the wires underneath the vehicle were soy-based and was being chewed on by squirrels. The wires were replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11659538

Vechicle is again in Battery saver Mode. Vechicle not safe to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11638532

Vechicle battery will not hold a charge, longer than a few days. Ford can see the BCM Faults on there end.

NHTSA ODI 11638380

Battery will not hold a charge longer than a few days. Ford can see the BCM Faults, on their end.

NHTSA ODI 11638382

Battery / 12V system failure. Vehicle will not start, requires jump start to start vehicle. Battery does not sufficiently re-charge while vehicle is running and requires jump start next time vehicle is needs to be started. This issue has left me stranded on multiple occasions. The dealer has not reviewed the vehicle yet and no parts have been inspected. Problem first occurred two weeks into ownership / 400miles. There are no official indicators of issue, however I did notice that the auto stop/start feature does not function when driving as an early tell that the 12V system does not have sufficient charge.

NHTSA ODI 11628388

Bought car June 27 and now being July 15 the car is completely dead and battery is dead. Charged the battery up works now. But battery will need to be replaced. Picture attached of battery after charging for 3 hours.

NHTSA ODI 11602494

On [XXX], my 2024 Ford Bronco Sport spontaneously burst into flames while driven by my [XXX] son. Per a local bystander, there was smoke and fire observed around the undercarriage as he drove down the road. Multiple vehicles began honking while stopped at a red light. A driver alerted my son of the fire. He was able to evacuate along with his [XXX] sister. As they were fleeing to the median of an active highway, the vehicle burst into flames. After several explosions the vehicle continued to burn and melt until the fire dept extinguished the flames. Prior to spontaneous combustion, there were no symptoms of gas leaks or error messages. Nor were there any fluid leaks. There were no error messages or signs of vehicle distress even while my children were driving & engulfed in flames. If bystanders had not flagged down my son, my children may have still been inside the vehicle when the fire & explosions consumed them. The fire department ultimately inspected the vehicle for damage. I am still awaiting their report. Initial conversations on the scene indicated an engine fire. On June 11th, my insurer commissioned an engineer to inspect the vehicle for causation. No report currently available. The vehicle was brand new; purchased just 6 weeks ago. At the time we purchased, 2022 & 2023 models had an open safety recall for fire risk due to a fuel injection defect. There were no reported design updates for the 2024 model. Nor were the recall fixes recommended in Feb 2024 installed on my Bronco purchased late April. It is my position that both Ford & the dealership knew or should have known the 2024 models would have the same defect and fire risk. Disturbing they sold their defective vehicle to my family. The dealership claims no responsibility or obligation to disclose risks. Ford refuses to speak with me given total loss status. My only recourse now is through my insurance. My children remain traumatized by their near death experience. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11593802

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. 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 local dealer was not 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11588899