AutoUtility currently tracks 225 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Ford Bronco. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 65 complaints (28.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 6 filings cite a crash, 3 cite a fire, 6 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 225 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (65 reports • 28.9% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (34), Electrical System (29)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 6 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 3 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
225
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
6
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
3
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
6
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2021 Ford Bronco

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 28.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

65 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 1 crash report
#2 Problem Area 15.1% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

34 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🩹 3 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 12.9% of complaints

Electrical System

29 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
🔥 1 fire report
#4 Problem Area 12% of complaints

Fuel & Propulsion System

27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
#5 Problem Area 10.7% of complaints

Suspension

24 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
🩹 1 injury report entry
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2021 Ford Bronco

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 6.7% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

15 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2021 Ford Bronco

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11758618
Filed: 08/21/2026

"I contacted my Ford dealership, and they informed me that the recall is not currently showing as applicable to my VIN. Because my vehicle is experiencing similar issues, the dealership recommended that I contact Ford directly to have my vehicle and VIN reviewed. I would like to request that Ford..."

Incident Date: 08/10/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech NHTSA ODI ID: #11758268
Filed: 08/20/2026

"The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while driving. The lane departure feature also steered the..."

Incident Date: 06/01/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11756704
Filed: 08/13/2026

"While driving, I experienced the brakes beginning to fail, followed shortly by a complete loss of engine power. My 2021 Ford Bronco is subject to recall 25S75 (NHTSA 25V455) for a low pressure fuel pump defect that can cause loss of fuel pressure or flow and engine stall. I was stranded on the side..."

Incident Date: 08/01/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA ODI ID: #11755232
Filed: 08/06/2026

"- POTENTIAL FUEL PUMP FAILURE WHILE DRIVING - MAJOR CONCERN WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE FOR MYSELF AND FOR CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PASSENGERS - YES - YES BUT NO SOLUTION AVAILABLE - NO"

Incident Date: 08/06/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11754883
Filed: 08/05/2026

"There is multiple anti lock braking faults that pop up while driving and then go away the next time the vehicle is used. Brake fluid, pads, rotors and calipers all seem to spec and are working at the moment, but major concerns with the software or possible release and reengagement of the emergency..."

Incident Date: 08/05/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Ford Bronco

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2021–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2021 Ford Bronco Current Page 225 6 20 Current
2022 Ford Bronco 366 6 23 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Ford Bronco 217 5 18 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Ford Bronco 73 4 16 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Ford Bronco 0 0 19 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Ford Bronco 0 0 7 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2021 Ford Bronco

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 56 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 51 1 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 19 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 15 0 1 1 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 12 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 10 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 10 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 0 1 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 8 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 6 0 1 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 5 1 0 1 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 3 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 2 0 2 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 1 0
SEATS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 1 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 1 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (225). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

4 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE24019
Opened: 2024-07-29 • Closed: 2025-09-19

Low-pressure fuel pump failure

Affected Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

On July 29, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE24019 to investigate complaints of low-pressure fuel pump failures in MY 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles. Some consumers reported that the failure occurred without warning while driving, resulting in a complete loss of motive power with no ability to restart the engine. Ford determined that several other vehicle models contain low-pressure fuel pumps substantially similar to the 2021...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 25V455 Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA23002
Opened: 2023-09-29 • Closed: 2024-10-31

Loss of Motive Power

Affected Component: ENGINE

On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) granted a Defect Petition (DP22001) and opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22007) to investigate allegations of loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles equipped with 2.7L EcoBoost engines. Complainants were reporting sudden engine failure while driving resulting in a loss of motive power, often without the ability to restart. During PE22007, the cause of engine...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 24V635 Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE22007
Opened: 2022-07-22 • Closed: 2023-10-02

Loss of motive power due to valve intake failure on Ford Bronco vehicles.

Affected Component: ENGINE

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition dated March 16, 2022, requesting an investigation regarding allegations of defective intake valves in model year (MY) 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles equipped with the 2.7L Eco-boost (“Nano”) engines.  The petitioner alleged these vehicles are experiencing loss of motive power at any highway speeds with no-restart as a result of catastrophic engine failures.  To date ODI is aware of 42...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Defect Petition (DP) ODI Action #DP22001
Opened: 2022-05-27 • Closed: 2022-07-28

Loss of Motive Power

Affected Component: ENGINE

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received three petitions on March 17, March 18, and March 29, 2022, which requested a defect investigation into an alleged defect of the valves on model year (MY) 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles equipped with the 2.7L Eco-boost engines. The petitioners alleged that MY 2021 Ford Broncos vehicles are experiencing loss of motive power at highway speeds with no-restart due to catastrophic engine failures.On May 27,...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

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