2021 Ford Bronco Sport Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,030 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, alongside 16 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 41,426 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings.
Avoid
Where 2021 sits among all Bronco Sport years
What owners report
“2nd time my Bronco Sport has had an electrical failure . Has already gone thru recall and now has left me stranded again. 1st time in rush hour traffic and this time at 1 yr old son’s daycare.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
“Shaking and vibration noise is coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. Rear drive unit and hose need to be replaced due to a build up of road debris in the rdu hose. Has happened with many bronco sports from 2021-2022”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The local dealer was contacted; however, parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted in regard to parts…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
“Car stopped while driving. Couldn’t get the car into neutral to move it out of the road. Would not crank. Leaking oil.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco Sport
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 266 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 42,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,000 and 67,830 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (16)
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…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters,…
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…
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine…
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.
Fix: Dealers will update the engine control software. In addition, dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel rail assembly and fuel injectors, free of charge. As an interim repair, dealers will update…
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…
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…
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…
Fix: Dealers will recalibrate the body control module and power train control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 23, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
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.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
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.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the 12-volt battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
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.
Fix: Dealers will recalibrate the body control module and power train control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
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.
Fix: Dealers will update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety…
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.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the oil separator for damage or oil leaks, and replace the oil separator and seals, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2022. Owners…
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…
Fix: Dealers will replace the front brake pads, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…
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.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the moonroof glass date code and replace the glass, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer…
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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. Interim notification letters (remedy not available) were mailed on September 30, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. These vehicles may have been produced with incorrect front lower control arms.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front lower control arms, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. The rear suspension subframe assembly may have loose or missing bolts.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear suspension bolts, and secure or replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2021. Owners may contact Ford…
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.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the rear drive unit lubricant level. Axles found to have lubricant at the minimum level will be filled to the full level. Axles found to be below the…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 25V019.
Led to recall campaign 24V267.
Technical service bulletins
185 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 Bronco Sport TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport reliable?
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport drew 1,030 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2021).
What are the most common 2021 Ford Bronco Sport problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport are electrical (218 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (179), and engine (165).
At what mileage do 2021 Ford Bronco Sport problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Ford Bronco Sport problems around 42,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,000 and 67,830 miles.
Does the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport have recalls?
16 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.