2021 Ford Bronco Sport problems & reliability
690 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, alongside 16 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
8 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles were involved in 33 fatal crashes with 13 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 209 | 30% |
| Power Train → | 181 | 26% |
| Engine → | 147 | 21% |
| Service Brakes → | 101 | 15% |
| Unknown / Other | 96 | 14% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 60 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 58 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 27 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 24 | 3% |
| Suspension → | 22 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 30 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 191 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 40,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,000 and 64,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“On 9/15/26, while actively driving with my child, the monitor screen suddenly turned black and an error message of "Vehicle Network Communication Error", a few seconds later my dashboard turned black, no display messages, speed limit, or manual gauges were working and that too went blank; blinkers did not work when…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 16, 2026
“The contact owned a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. Before starting the vehicle, the contact noticed an unknown fluid leaking near the front driver's side tire and detected a fuel odor inside the vehicle. While driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver alerted the contact that the rear tire was on fire. Unknown messages…”
Firerelated · filed Sep 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, exhaust fumes and a fuel odor entered the cabin, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The engine misfired, and the vehicle hesitated while driving. Upon inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered black…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 15, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power
Recall Query RQ24014 · opened Nov 15, 2024 · closed Oct 10, 2025 · led to recall 25V019
- Loss of Motive Power
Preliminary Evaluation PE24002 · opened Jan 31, 2024 · closed Aug 19, 2024 · led to recall 24V590
Technical service bulletins
187 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The 10 most recent:
Some 2021-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L may exhibit a lack of air conditioning (A/C) cooling while at a stop and idling in ambient temperatures of 100°F (38°C) or higher. In addition, there are no…
SSM 55149 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2026
For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service part W709919-S901 if the J-clip is…
SSM 55100 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim quantity for the drain/fill plug, update the claim quantity of the wheel hub…
TSB 26-2328 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2026
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 26E04 Certain 2021-2025 Model Year F-150, Maverick, Mustang, Ranger, Expedition, Bronco Sport, Explorer, Bronco, Navigator, and Aviator Vehicles Powertrain Control Module…
26E04 · Emissions · issued Jul 9, 2026
Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no…
SSM 54939 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2026
2020-2026 Explorer/Escape/Corsair, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport/Bronco, 2022-2026 Maverick, 2024-2026 Mustang/Ranger/Nautilus vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 2.3L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger…
SSM 54857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2346. Reason for update: add Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles and add labor operations to repair the rear right/left carpet area. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may…
TSB 26-2205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explorer, 2019-2020 Model Year Fusion, 2016-2018 Model Year Focus RS, 2022-2024 Model…
25B51 · Other · issued May 9, 2026
Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no…
SSM 54797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the…
TSB 26-2194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport has 16 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 40,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.