What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Owners filed about 1.9 times as many complaints as a typical Bronco Sport year. The main thing to watch is the electrical system, which half of owners reported by about 40,000 miles.
Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Bronco Sport years from 2021 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
Owners have filed 713 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The most reported problem area is the electrical system (213, 30% of complaints), followed by the transmission and drivetrain and the engine and cooling. That is the most complaints of any Bronco Sport year from 2021 to 2024. It has 16 recalls.
3 of these complaints came from Utah owners.
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Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.
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.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 74,310 miles
I brought my car in for an emissions state inspection, I was than told the machine wouldn’t connect to my car and the reasoning being was that the gateway module needed to be reprogrammed. I was aware ford had this issue so I was prepared with paperwork from the customer satisfaction program that states any bronco manufactured at the…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 54,000 miles.
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…Owner complaint, filed 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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles.
Vehicle had rough idle. Loss power. Loss engine coolant and oil and started pouring large amounts of white smoke from exhaust.Owner complaint, filed 2026
Continue to have major safety concerns over this car. Had new issue of car not starting after refueling. Brought it in to dealership on Friday 9/25 and check engine light indicated EVAP problem code. Dealership at first refused to evaluate EVAP telling me was not related. Then then found a clogged hose but did not repair the EVAP and on…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.
The front and rear brake system has repeatedly malfunctioned across at least 7 dealer visits since 2022 on my 2021 Ford Bronco Sport (VIN: [XXX] ). Brake squealing and grinding (particularly in reverse at low speeds) have persisted despite multiple repair attempts. Ford's own SSM 52515 acknowledges engineering was working on a fix and…Owner complaint, filed 2026
On November 11, 2025, my 2021 Ford Bronco Sport experienced a complete brake system failure while driving. The brake pedal suddenly became extremely hard, and there was no braking power at all. The vehicle had to be stopped using the parking brake. This same issue occurred previously in July 2025, when the brake vacuum booster failed and…Owner complaint, filed 2025
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 54,000 miles.
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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
I have had issues dating back to when I first got the car with rough idling and it turning off while idling. Most recently about 2 weeks ago experienced inability to turn the car on after fueling with gas. Rough idling and turning off while idling were also associated with gas filling. I took this car to Ford dealership multiple times.…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 33,000 miles. Parts named most: Windshield (6).
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions, cold condensation dripped onto the right leg and the floorboard smelled like rotting fish. The contact added that the condensation line should have leaked outside of the vehicle, not inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 63,450 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that after driving for two hours, the vehicle was parked, and the sunroof exploded without impact. There was an abnormally loud sound heard before the sunroof exploded. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 65,000 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 48,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for new tires. While the vehicle was being serviced, it was determined that the rear shocks were leaking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V025000…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that upon routine maintenance at the local dealer, it was noticed that the CV axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V074000 (Suspension) and Customer…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 73,000 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles. Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (12), Warnings (5).
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an alarm was intermittently activated associated with the Forward Collision Avoidance system while there were no other vehicles nor objects nearby. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 32,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH during a rainstorm, the Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) activated, after which the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle began to tailspin. The vehicle came to a complete stop after crashing into a barrier wall on the driver’s side.…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds over puddles, the vehicle shuddered and made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that while the dealer was servicing the vehicle, the dealer informed the contact that the power steering gear was detaching. The dealer determined that the…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 77,000 miles
When turning at low speeds like a drive-thru or in a parking lot, the vehicle makes a skipping or grabbing sound and pulls/lurches slightly until the wheels are straightened. Recommended fix was replacing a front differential ventilation hose, which is not covered by bumper-to-bumper or powertrain warranty, and not a guarantee to fix the…Owner complaint, filed 2024
Pre-Collision System warning activated unexpectedly. The vehicle then accelerated by itself unexpectedly and the accelerator/throttle was engaged by itself. Breaks were then hard to push and vertically impossible to slow down. At the time, there was no vehicle or obstruction immediately around the vehicle other than a possible box, or…Owner complaint, filed 2026
!!!ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION WITH "TRANSMISSION ISSUES"!!! I will NEVER get a Ford again! I'm updating my previous issue #11688946 I received my 2021 Ford Bronco Sport in early 2023. I noticed a shutter when accelerating from a stop, I took it to the dealership and had the 3rd fuel injector recall completed (still waiting for a remedy…Owner complaint, filed 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, a warning light illuminated, indicating a rear seat belt monitoring fault. There was an audible alert. The orange SRS symbol was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was associated with Customer Satisfaction Program: 24N08…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 71,000 miles
The contact owned a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 MPH and pulling out from a side street, the contact did not notice an oncoming vehicle, which crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle, near the axle. The air bags failed to deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 65,000 miles
My passenger seat heater caught on fire, it was very scary but I was able to put it out with sugar after I pulled over and figured out where the smell was coming from. I took it to my dealer for an inspection but I feel as though they were just trying to cover their side of everything and said “the seat heater did not cause the fire…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact's daughter-in-law owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the message "Rear belt monitor fault - Service Required' was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear-row seat belt harnesses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 44,000 miles
Front Passenger consistently has standing water, soaking carpet and has caused deep molding needing to replace carpeting and crash pad. Vehicle issue confirmed by Ford Dealership; diagnostic test did not pick up on it. Lead to manufacturing installation concerns. Dealership has inspected. Reported the issue and proceedings at Ford…Owner complaint, filed 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while parked and opening the liftgate on the trunk of the vehicle, the ball that held the driver's side rear liftgate detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear driver's side liftgate and the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 7,500 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side rear wheel made a loud growling sound and lost traction. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, however; the vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 22,000 miles
At 21,000 miles on Bronco I purchased as new, I received an alert on the dash for low pressure on all 4 tires. I stopped the car and all 4 have bulges in the same place. I called Continental and they set up a file #4143053155 and told me to take it to the dealer for inspection. I took it back to Van Horn In Lomira WI for that inspection…Owner complaint, filed 2022
Compare the 2021 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.
Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.
| Car | Vs. its other years | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Ford Bronco Sport | Among the worst years | 16 |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 | About average | 1 |
| 2021 Honda CR-V | One of the better years | 4 |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | About average | 0 |
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.
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.
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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V-267. The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 22V-859 or 24V-187. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles. The 12-volt battery may experience degradation and suddenly fail.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles. The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. The engine oil separator housing may crack and develop an oil leak.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles. The rear brake linings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can affect braking performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. The moonroof glass may not have been bonded correctly to the moonroof frame, which could result in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles. The fuel delivery module may leak inside the fuel tank, causing low fuel pressure which could result in an engine stall.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. These vehicles may have been produced with incorrect front lower control arms.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. The rear suspension subframe assembly may have loose or missing bolts.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Edge, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.
The most reported problem areas on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport are the electrical system (213 complaints), the transmission and drivetrain (192 complaints) and the engine and cooling (174 complaints).
One of the worst Bronco Sport years. Owners filed about 1.9 times as many complaints as a typical Bronco Sport year. The main thing to watch is the electrical system, which half of owners reported by about 40,000 miles. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Bronco Sport years from 2021 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
NHTSA lists 16 recalls for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The most recent, from May 2026, covers the lower ball joint. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.
Half of the owners who reported a problem with the electrical system gave a mileage of about 40,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the transmission and drivetrain gave a mileage of about 54,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.
The Bronco Sport years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.
These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.
We inspect the car with a scan tool and paint gauge, read the history report and tell you whether it is worth the asking price, before you hand over any money.