2023 Ford Bronco Sport Problems & Defect Complaints

On January 31, 2024, The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24002) to investigate loss of motive power allegations in model year (MY) 2021 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. Consumers reported a loss of engine power accompanied by complete electrical system failure either while driving or after stopping at a traffic light or stop sign. The vehicles generally could not be restarted, and the incidents were commonly diagnosed by dealerships to a failed 12-Volt (12V) battery. On April 12, 2024, Ford issued safety recall 24V-267 covering 456,565 MY 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sport and MY 2022-2023 Ford Maverick vehicles. The recall addressed loss of motive power resulting from sudden degradation of the 12V battery during the drive cycle. The recall remedy consisted of software updates to the body control module and the powertrain control module. The updated software aimed to provide warning to consumers when the battery is failing and inhibit certain vehicle functions which can lead to loss of motive power incidents. Additionally, Ford removed the existing 12V Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) as both a service component for the subject vehicles and original equipment for newly built Bronco Sport vehicles (during MY 2024 production), replacing it with a more robust absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery. The same AGM battery had been incorporated into Ford Maverick production in late 2022. Following recall 24V-267, ODI received loss of motive power complaints in vehicles that had previously received Ford’s software-based remedy. Consumers reported that they did not receive warnings related to the 12V battery or the vehicle’s electrical system before the loss of power. On November 15, 2024, ODI opened Recall Query (RQ24014) to assess the effectiveness of the 24V-267 recall remedy. On January 19, 2025, Ford issued recall 25V-019 covering 272,817 MY 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and MY 2022-2023 Ford Maverick vehicles. The new recall addressed the same hazard as 24V-267 but required replacement of the existing 12V battery with an AGM battery as the remedy. Ford reported that following the opening of RQ24014, it evaluated several field-returned 12V batteries, and determined that EFBs produced by battery supplier Camel potentially contained internal manufacturing defects causing loss of motive power. Ford further concluded that the software updates provided in the 24V-267 recall remedy were unable to detect battery failures quickly enough to avoid loss of motive power. Vehicles previously within the scope of recall 24V-267, but outside of the scope of recall 25V-019, are equipped with EFBs produced by a different battery supplier (Clarios). When recall 25V-019 was issued, Ford had not identified any Clarios EFBs exhibiting the same failure mode as the Camel EFBs. In light of Ford’s recall action, ODI is closing this Recall Query. The agency will continue to monitor loss of motive power complaints in Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with Clarios EFBs and reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

On April 11, 2024, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) opened this Recall Query (“RQ”) to investigate the adequacy of, including various safety concerns associated with, the remedy program in recalls 22V-859 (filed Nov. 18, 2022) and 24V-187 (filed Mar. 8, 2024). The vehicle population associated with these recalls includes certain MY 2020-2022 Ford Escape vehicles and MY 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. The safety defect in each recall involves high-pressure fuel injectors that are susceptible to cracking, allowing liquid fuel and fuel vapor to migrate onto hot surfaces within the engine compartment potentially resulting in underhood vehicle fires. The remedy programs described in recalls 22V-859 and 24V-187 are identical and involve both a software component and a hardware component. Specifically, Ford developed an updated engine control software designed to detect a pressure drop in the high-pressure fuel rail, provide instrument cluster messaging to the driver, invoke a strategy to disable the high-pressure fuel pump, derate the engine output, and lower the temperatures of possible ignition sources within the engine compartment. Additionally, Ford would install a tube into the engine’s cylinder head drain hole to shunt spilled liquid fuel past the various hot surfaces within the engine compartment and ultimately discard the spilled liquid fuel onto the roadway. ODI identified various safety concerns with this remedy program, which, among other things, notably did not include repairing or replacing the defective part and potentially did include the introduction of new safety defects (like fuel spilling near the spark plugs and fuel spilling onto the public roadway). NHTSA opened this investigation to evaluate these concerns with the remedy program, including whether the vehicles were still susceptible to underhood fires even post-remedy. As described in more detail in the Additional Summary posted simultaneously with this resume, ODI conducted a thorough investigation that included analyzing data and other materials received in response to two Information Requests, as well as inspections of post-remedy vehicles that experienced an underhood fire. ODI and Ford worked to identify and locate vehicles that experienced post-remedy fires and conduct joint vehicle inspections. ODI’s investigation also prompted Ford to initiate a more in-depth evaluation of the defect, including Ford’s conducting component level testing of high-pressure fuel injectors. ODI met with Ford on several occasions throughout this investigation to jointly conduct certain of these described tasks and to discuss test results. A collateral issue surfaced as a result of this investigation: in March 2025, Ford realized that despite relevant repairs having been recorded as successfully completed, approximately 33,576 vehicles subject to recalls 22V-859 and 24V-187 did not have the software component of the remedy program installed correctly. Thus, on March 27, 2025, Ford filed a new related recall (25V-165) for these vehicles, notifying NHTSA and the public that they were still at risk of experiencing an underhood vehicle fire due to cracked fuel injectors despite the consumer having had their vehicle remedied pursuant to one of the two earlier recalls. In June 2025, Ford committed to implementing a new remedy program to repair the vehicles. On July 11, 2025, Ford documented this commitment in a new recall filing (25V-467), which explains that Ford’s upcoming remedy program will involve proactive replacement of all high-pressure fuel injectors within the recall population. In view of the recall action taken by Ford, ODI is closing this Recall Query, which was opened given NHTSA’s concerns that the initial remedy programs of the software to detect the pressure drop plus installation of the drain tube did not constitute an adequate repair. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.

On January 31, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE24002 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. At that time, ODI had received 31 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs), with consumers commonly reporting a loss of engine power accompanied by complete electrical system failure which occurred either while driving, or after coming to a stop. The investigation revealed that MY 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sport and certain MY 2022-2023 Ford Maverick vehicles are equipped with a 12V enhanced flooded battery (EFB), which may experience an abrupt failure during a drive cycle. The failure is the result of an internal corrosion issue, which is influenced by long exposure to high under-hood temperatures. If the sudden loss of 12V battery voltage is not detected by the vehicle’s battery management sensor, the vehicle can experience a loss of power event without providing any warning to the driver. Following a loss of power due to battery failure, the vehicle may be without all 12V accessories including hazard lights and typically will not be able to be restarted. In its March 2024 response to ODI’s information request, Ford provided 367 customer complaints (including field reports, lawsuits, and legal claims) and 1005 warranty claims relating to the alleged defect. When combining ODI and manufacturer failure report data, there are 1,368 unique VINs represented across MY 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. One of the VOQs submitted to NHTSA reported a minor rear-end collision resulting from a loss of power event. Included within Ford’s complaints were a reported single-vehicle collision and a vehicle fire which occurred following a loss of power event at a traffic light (fire cause and origin was not determined). Additionally, across ODI and manufacturer data, there were 12 allegations of either acid leaking from the 12V battery or smoke emitting from the battery area within the engine compartment. On April 12, 2024, Ford submitted recall 24V267 for MY 2021-2024 Ford Bronco Sport and certain MY 2022-2023 Ford Maverick vehicles (total population 456,565). The recall remedy provides updated calibrations to the body control module and powertrain control module. Ford indicated that the update will result in improved detection of 12V battery state of charge during drive cycles and will provide notification to the driver if the battery significantly degrades while driving. Additionally, Ford has replaced the EFB with an absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery as both a service component for the subject vehicles and as original equipment for Bronco Sport vehicles with production dates beginning in mid-March 2024. The warranty claim rate for peer vehicles equipped with an AGM battery is substantially lower than that for the subject vehicle population. In view of the recall action being taken by Ford, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.