2021 Ford Bronco Sport Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 8, 2026 · Filed: October 30, 2026

I purchased a new 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, Model Outerbanks. The vehicle has had regular service at a Ford Dealership. In early October 2026 the Ford Dealership ran a diagnostic on the Bronco Sport and said the Rear Differential Unit (RDU) needed replaced. The estimated cost of the repair and parts was $4,000.00. The Ford warranty on the RDU is 5 years or 60,000 miles. My warranted ran out on September 21, 2026 and my mileage when diagnosed was 64,753. Searching on the Ford Bronco Sport Internet Blog it appears the RDU issued is quite common requiring replacement on Bronco Sports with low and high mileage. It is clear that the RDU is either a bad design or poor product quality. It can be a safety issue given the Ford Dealership suggested I only drive the vehicle locally until the RDU is replaced. Ford agreed to pay about $1900.00 leaving me with an out of pocket cost of $2,062.00. I think this RDU issue is a safety problem and should warrant a recall making the Ford Motor Company fully responsible for the replacement cost of the RDU and libel for any and all injuries resulting from the parts failure.

Incident: September 24, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport equipped with an 8F35 automatic transmission. While driving between 25 and 45 MPH under normal acceleration, the vehicle experienced repeated violent hesitation, jerking, and lunging 4 to 5 times in rapid succession, accompanied by rapid RPM fluctuations between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM. The condition mimics an engine misfire or momentary stall and loss of motive power during acceleration, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of rear-end collision in active traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealership (Cronin Ford North) on September 30, 2026. The dealership verified and duplicated the complaint on a road test, monitored PIDs, and officially confirmed that the torque converter clutch (TCC) was slipping. Despite confirming mechanical slip, the dealership stated in writing that there were "no relevant articles," overlooking the published Ford Special Service Message SSM 54797 for 8F35 torque converter shudder below 60 MPH. The dealership recommended replacing the torque converter and main control valve body for over $5,200. When the owner declined due to cost, the vehicle was released back into service without answering the owner's written safety inquiry regarding whether the vehicle was safe to operate with verified drivetrain slippage. Additionally, the vehicle has an open safety recall (25S76) for which Ford corporate confirmed no remedy or parts are currently available. The vehicle has not stalled completely, but the severe hesitation and surging persist under normal acceleration. The manufacturer has not provided a resolution.

Incident: June 22, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

Driving and check engine light came on saying abs system disabled pull over immediately This was a 4000.00 repair for the sensor that should’ve been a recall as there were 5 other broncos repaired with this same issue in the shop during my repair. I was not covered u der warranty because I was 600 miles over power train warranty when this occurred. Please review for possible ford recall.

Incident: July 26, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that fuel was not reaching the engine. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no open recall on the VIN. The vehicle was no longer driven due to the safety issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

Incident: October 13, 2026 · Filed: October 19, 2026

The Bronco Sport was put into drive and would not go like normal, it slowly picked up speed, but every shift between gears was felt. The vehicle drove fine once it hit 55mph. Vehicle was shut off and then would not engage into drive. The drive icon was flashing. The dealer was able to confirm the problem. There were zero warning messages or symptoms prior to the problem. The vehicle had been serviced two months prior and the transmission was functioning in the green according to the dealer.

Incident: October 14, 2026 · Filed: October 14, 2026

Vehicle had rough idle. Loss power. Loss engine coolant and oil and started pouring large amounts of white smoke from exhaust.

Incident: August 4, 2026 · Filed: October 13, 2026

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport 55,000 miles. I have taken my vehicle to the dealer for all maintenance, repairs and advice. My boyfriend mentioned my RPMs are bouncing and they should not. I scheduled at the dealer anticipating a sensor. I learned from the dealer my vehicle requires a new transmission, new rear and new water pump. $15,000. I also learned that in 2009 Ford changed their transmission to an enclosed transmission. This has changed their inspection of the transmission to only include checking the fluid if it has a dip stick. Since an enclosed transmission does not have a dip stick mine was never checked from the factory. I have requested Ford Goodwill assistance which has offered $6,000 toward the rebuilding of the transmission and rear. I am six months out of the time portion of the warranty and under the mileage of 60,000. I have had all of my repairs and checks done by the dealer. I never knew they were not checking the transmission fluid. They explained it saved me $40 to not check it... while it's costing me $15,000. As I check Ai it states this is common. My dealer says it's not common. I have asked for additional assistance as this is a caustrophic loss to me. Having a car 5 years old and needing such repairs is leaving me perplexed. My family has always run Ford and stated they can go 1 million miles yet mine cannot get to 56,000 miles... I actually always bought my teenagers cars around 80,000 feeling they were broke in... I am writing because I want this tracked. Ford broke my repairs into three smaller repairs which caused the Ford Customer Service to be confused as to how/why I was saying $15,000. I feel they are slanting the history by presenting as if my car is three different cars or three different time periods for repairs. Honestly I always avoided cars with replaced/rebuilt transmissions feeling the owner was harsh on the vehicle or thinking it towed or plowed. I only drove this vehicle gently and to work yet failure

Incident: October 1, 2026 · Filed: October 9, 2026

Rear differential makes grinding noise. Repaired by Ford in 10/24 but grinding has returned.

Incident: October 8, 2026 · Filed: October 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate; however, the transmission failed to shift into a higher gear. The contact stated that the RPM was high and the vehicle was restarted to continue driving. The messages "Power Train Malfunction" and "Cannot Engage in Park, Turn on Parking Brake" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the lead frame had failed and the lead frame and transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,434.

Incident: September 16, 2026 · Filed: October 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 46,427, and at the time of the vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 74,310.