2021 Ford Bronco Problems, Recalls & Reliability
300 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Ford Bronco, alongside 20 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 68/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 8,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2021 Ford Bronco sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1991–1993.
Avoid
Where 2021 sits among all Bronco years
What owners report
“On May 17th At 6,800 miles my motor randomly experienced catastrophic engine failure and has been at the Ford dealership since. The dealership has not told me anything on how or why this happened other than the motor needs to be replaced. The dealer received the new motor on June 22nd.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco
“Cross traffic and blind spot monitoring/alert failed. Electrical wiring failed due to rubbing on the rear bumper causing failure of blind spot alert and cross traffic alert systems. Reliance on these systems is critical to safe operation of the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the blind spot alert fault message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the wiring module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco
“2021 ford bronco. Consumer writes in regards to engine failure. The consumer stated the manufaucturer had not made any effort to acknowledge the 2.7 litre eco boost engine failure. The consumer believed the engine should be recalled as many others share the defect.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bronco
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 42 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 26,750 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,500 and 40,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (20)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness may become damaged and short circuit.
Fix: Dealers will install sheathing over the wiring, free of charge. This is a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2026 Bronco Raptor notified owners on 7/31/2026. Phase 2 will include 2021-2025 Bronco…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles. The 3-door and 5-door Molded-In-Color (MIC) hardtop roof panels may have been manufactured improperly, which can allow sections of the outer roof panel to separate and detach from the…
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the hard top as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed May 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Bronco vehicles. The transmission to transfer case joint may be misaligned due to an incorrectly performed previous repair, which could lead to wear of the transmission output shaft splines and transfer…
Fix: Dealers will inspect the transmission to transfer case joint and replace the transmission and transfer case as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2026. Owners…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Ford Bronco and 2021-2024 Ford Edge vehicles. The Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) may overheat and shutdown, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended.
Fix: The APIM software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 13, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens that were previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 23V165. The rearview camera image may still be displayed after a backing…
Fix: Dealer will update the SYNC module software ,free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 28, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles. The front seats may have a loose or dislodged seat frame height-adjust pivot bolt.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the pivot links and bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
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 2021-2023 Bronco, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigator, Mustang, F-150, and 2022 Expedition vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can…
Fix: Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump on super duty vehicles and update the powertrain control module (PCM) software on all other affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024…
Fix: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens that were repaired incorrectly under recall 22V-825. The rearview camera image may still be displayed after a backing event has ended. As…
Fix: Dealers will update SYNC module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles. The rear shock absorbers may corrode and fail, resulting in detachment of the external reservoir.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear shock absorbers, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can…
Fix: Dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator, 2018-2021 Lincoln Navigator, 2022-2023 Ford Transit, and 2021 Ford Bronco vehicles. The rearview camera, or 360-degree view camera if equipped, may not display a rearview image when…
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, and update the software and wiring as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023 to Lincoln owners. Ford vehicle…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles built with the 5-Door body style. The first-row seat belt latch plates may be difficult to access from their stowed position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…
Fix: Dealers will add a sliding clip latch stop to the driver and front passenger seat belts, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 14,…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens that were previously remedied under recall 22V-825. The rearview camera image may still be displayed after a backing event has ended. As…
Fix: The SYNC module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles. The right or left side impact sensors may not be properly secured to the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the side impact sensor attachments and repair, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles equipped with rearview camera systems and 8-inch screen displays. The rearview camera image may still be displayed after a backing event has ended. As such, these vehicles fail to…
Fix: The SYNC module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 25, 2024. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain four-door 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles. The passenger-side rear door may be opened from inside of the vehicle when the child safety lock is in the "ON" position.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the passenger-side child safety locks door child safety lock and latch, and replace them, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 28, 2022.…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.
Fix: Dealers will adjust the angle of the cruise control radar module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco vehicles. During passenger air bag deployment, an air bag vent could open prematurely and result in an improper deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal…
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag, free of charge. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on November 24, 2021. A second notice announcing the remedy is available was sent on July…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 24V635.
Technical service bulletins
315 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2021 Ford Bronco. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 Bronco 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 reliable?
The 2021 Ford Bronco drew 300 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 68/100, scored against the model's worst year (2022).
What are the most common 2021 Ford Bronco problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Ford Bronco are engine (73 complaints), driver assistance (42), and electrical (32).
At what mileage do 2021 Ford Bronco problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Ford Bronco problems around 26,750 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,500 and 40,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Ford Bronco have recalls?
20 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Ford Bronco. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.