The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is associated with 677 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 16 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Powertrain, accounting for 85 reports (13% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 2 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.5l 3-cyl and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 26 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 677 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 16 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: Powertrain (85 / 13%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 18 crash / 16 fire / 8 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • EPA Efficiency: 23–26 MPG (2 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
23–26MPG
2 EPA certified variants (1.5l 3-cyl and 2l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
677
677 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
16
16 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Bronco Sport 4WD 1.5L 3-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 8-spd 25 MPG 28 MPG 26 MPG $2,350 / yr
Bronco Sport 4WD 2L 4-Cyl Part-time 4-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 21 MPG 26 MPG 23 MPG $2,650 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV 4WD 17.4%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Ford Bronco Sport models.
View complete 2021 Ford Bronco Sport crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?

Summary of 677 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
677
Crash Reports
18
Fire Reports
16
Complaints w/ Injury
8
Total Injuries
12

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Powertrain 85 complaints (1 crash)
Electrical System 78 complaints (1 crash)
Service Brakes 64 complaints
Fuel System 42 complaints
Engine 33 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2021 Ford Bronco Sport problems & component breakdown (127 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #26V340000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco Sport and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles. The front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at the vehicle assembly plant, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the front wheel knuckle.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 4, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S36. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 29, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign #25V685000 Active Recall
Affected Component: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
NHTSA Campaign #25V467000 Active Recall
Affected Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will update the engine control software. In addition, dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel rail assembly and fuel injectors, free of charge. As an interim repair, dealers will update the engine control software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed August 29, 2025. Second letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S76. This recall expands and replaces previous recall numbers 22V-859, 24V187, and 25V165. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V-859, 24V187, and 25V165 will need to have the new final remedy performed once it is available.
View all 2021 Ford Bronco Sport recalls & campaign history (16 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.