2025 Ford Bronco Sport Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 18, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

The sunroof exploded and the glass shattered. The safety risk is from the glass shattering and the trauma from the noise of the explosion. The 2025 Ford Bronco was towed to the Ford dealership and has been inspected and repaired. The service manager submitted the claim to the Ford Motor Company under the warranty. Pictures and the inspection report are available at the Ford dealership if needed. There was no warning or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

Incident: May 10, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

On XXX, while driving unimpeded on XXX in [XXX] at ~65 mph in clear, mild weather, the tempered rear liftgate glass spontaneously imploded without warning, producing an explosive bang and showering the cargo area and passenger cabin with shattered glass fragments. Key safety and technical facts: 1. No external impact: Traveling on an open stretch of highway with no nearby vehicles throwing debris. No other glass or body panels sustained any impact marks. 2. Defroster inactive: The rear defroster heating elements were completely turned off. 3. Failure pattern: Exhibited characteristics of internal tension, hinge/strut stress, or manufacturing defect rather than external blunt force. Safety hazard: Spontaneous shattering at highway speeds caused an immediate startle/distraction hazard in high-speed traffic, sudden loss of rearward visibility, and risk of occupant laceration from flying glass shards. Manufacturer response: A formal warranty claim was submitted on XXX, to Southern Ford along with photographic evidence and preserved glass fragments. Ford Motor Company refused to cover the replacement under the factory bumper-to-bumper warranty, dismissing the spontaneous structural failure as external damage. I request NHTSA investigate spontaneous rear liftgate glass failures on 2025 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: October 31, 2025 · Filed: October 4, 2026

On about 5 or 6 occasions over the course of one year, my brand new 2025 Ford Bronco Sport with the Big Bend trim with the VIN number in this report has completely lost engine power with severe engine hesitation with a highly rhythmic / even-patterned computer-controlled-like clicking and severe engine shaking (!!!) and a near stall while traveling from anywhere between 5 and 50 mph and the speed grinds down to a crawl, because it most often happens on an incline (maybe once on flat ground, and never downhill), and either way can be extremely dangerous! Fuel tank was full or half full on every occasion. Oil changed every 5k miles. Luckily at the higher speed, I was on a quiet hilly state highway road. I suspect it can happen at any speed though, which makes it even more dangerous! It is as if fuel stopped getting to the engine in these cases, or a computer failure in the fuel system, but I can be completely wrong about the cause. It is impossible to recreate on command obviously, being that it only happened 5 or 6 times over the course of one year, so neither myself or the dealer can recreate it on command. I complained about it to my local dealer that I bought it from, but they said they saw no codes stored, and of course couldn't recreate it. They suggested I got bad gas, but it has happened this many times. Impossible. It began happening at about 5k miles most noticeably. I currently have 12k or so on it. It's not like a throttle body or any injector or fuel system should be so dirty to cause this at the vehicle's age. No way. This is extremely dangerous. The dealer will not investigate further. Note: When this problem doesn't occur, then engine seems to run well, which leads me to think it is a fuel system / pre-engine problem, if I had to guess. I will include the first most noticeable date. I was driving much more in the first few months of the vehicle, but I let the car break in at speeds below 60 for the first 500 miles or so. I use 87 or higher octane.

Incident: September 15, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

Vehicle was taken to Bowen [XXX] ([XXX]) for a transmission rebuild under RO #XXX, following repeated transmission failures. Dealer performed a complete teardown and rebuild of the transmission (replacing clutch components, seals, gaskets, fluid, reprogramming solenoids), and the repair order states the vehicle was road tested after repair with no DTCs present and "operating as designed." Vehicle was picked up on XXX at 11:20 AM. Approximately 24 hours later, on XXX at approximately 3:49 PM, while the vehicle was stationary, the instrument cluster displayed a "Shift System Fault, Service Required" warning, and the vehicle would not shift into any gear other than Park. The vehicle had to be towed by Ford Roadside Assistance back to Bowen [XXX] (tow reference #XXX). This is part of a pattern of recurring transmission-related failures on this vehicle since purchase, resulting in the vehicle being out of service for a substantial period across multiple repair attempts. A shift system fault rendering the vehicle undriveable in park-only mode, occurring within 24 hours of a certified "repair complete" transmission rebuild, raises serious concerns about the reliability and safety of the transmission system in this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: June 29, 2026 · Filed: September 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. Upon returning to the residence, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed; however, the failure returned two days after the repair. The failure continued for several weeks, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. A technician stated that the failure was likely due to the excessive hot climate in which the vehicle was being driven and that the hesitation was normal vehicle operation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact informed the manufacturer that he did not feel safe driving the vehicle. The contact was then informed that the vehicle did not qualify under the Lemon Law, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 6,900.

Incident: September 9, 2026 · Filed: September 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving downhill on the freeway with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the transmission independently shifted into neutral, the vehicle lost power, and failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and shifted back into drive. The contact exited the freeway, and the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact stated that the word “CANCEL” in orange was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine had seized but was operating under reduced power.

Incident: August 17, 2026 · Filed: September 1, 2026

Both front lower control arm ball joints on my 2025 Bronco Sport failed prematurely at approximately 13,000 miles. Upon removal, both ball studs showed heavy corrosion and clear evidence of water intrusion past the factory boot seals. One boot's upper metal retainer was visibly deformed, allowing water into the joint. This level of corrosion should not exist on a vehicle this new and indicates a defective component or seal, not normal wear. I have retained both failed parts and have photographs documenting the condition. This is the same component covered under Ford's active do-not-drive safety recall 26S36 (NHTSA campaign 26V-340) for front lower control arm ball joint defects on 2021–2026 Bronco Sport vehicles. My VIN is not included in that campaign, but I experienced failure of the identical safety-critical component. I am reporting this so NHTSA is aware the defect may extend beyond the current recall population. When I brought the vehicle to my local Ford dealer and requested inspection under the new vehicle warranty, the service department refused to inspect the vehicle at all, citing a 1.5-inch aftermarket leveling kit. No inspection was performed and no determination was made that the modification caused or contributed to the failure. A leveling kit does not cause water intrusion past a factory boot seal. Because the dealer refused service on a safety-critical component, I replaced both ball joints at my own expense to keep the vehicle safe to drive. I have opened a case with Ford Customer Relationship Center (case CXH-09202228-R9R8V5). No crash or injury occurred, but ball joint separation causes loss of steering control, and I believe this failure mode warrants investigation of vehicles outside the current recall scope.

Incident: August 1, 2026 · Filed: August 2, 2026

1. The Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) module and/or the front passenger-side suspension components failed, causing a complete loss of steering control and an un-commanded, continuous violent pull to the right. Yes, the vehicle and all malfunctioning components are completely intact and available for immediate inspection upon request. 2. Safety was put at extreme risk during highway speeds. The vehicle violently and continuously swerved directly toward the right-hand passenger side. There were 5 total occupants in the SUV, including my daughter-in-law and my three young grandchildren. My [XXX] granddaughter was strapped in a car seat directly next to that right passenger door, placing her in the immediate impact zone of a high-speed crash hazard. I had to physically fight the locked steering wheel with extreme physical force to prevent a catastrophic collision. 3. Not yet. The incident just occurred on XXX, and the vehicle is fundamentally unsafe to operate. It is currently parked and waiting to be transported via a professional flatbed tow truck to Murgado Ford of Chicago for a full mechanical and software diagnostic teardown. I have not yet contacted the dealership because they were unavailable on August 1 and closed on XXX 4. No. The vehicle is currently parked in a safe location in front of my home and has not yet been touched or inspected by any outside parties, police, insurance representatives, or the manufacturer. 5. No. There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, dashboard lights, strange noises, or any other symptoms prior to the failure. This catastrophic loss of control happened completely out of nowhere at highway speeds, and nothing like this has ever happened to this vehicle before. Crucially my lane keeping assist feature was manually turned off when this happened, meaning the vehicle overrode the settings to violently pull me to the right. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: August 2, 2026 · Filed: August 2, 2026

The car breaks without warning until it’s already hit them when no one is behind us as we’re backing up it just hits the breaks.

Incident: July 21, 2026 · Filed: July 29, 2026

The contact owned a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. While the contact’s brother-in-law was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle, causing the vehicle to flip over and slide between 50 and 75 yards. During the crash, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to activate, and the front driver’s side air bags did not deploy. The driver was later taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion and arm and leg abrasions. A Police report was filed at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away and later deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,500.