1993 Ford Bronco problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 Ford Bronco, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1993 Ford Bronco vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 12 | 30% |
| Power Train | 8 | 20% |
| Tires | 6 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 8% |
| Structure | 3 | 8% |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 1993 ford bronco has an esof (electronic shift on the fly) transfer case. With four wheel drive engaged, on road and off, whenever the vehicle is coasting the truck will suddenly act like it is no longer in gear. Shifting into park and and back will not change anything. The truck must be taken out of four wheel…”
Power Train · filed Nov 20, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 ford bronco. While driving at approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled and caused another vehicle to crash into the contact's vehicle. A police report was filed and there were unknown injuries sustained that required medical attention. It was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 12, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 ford bronco. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph while coasting he attempted to accelerate and the vehicle would not respond. The contact stated that the defect was only occurred after the vehicle was coasting. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who determined…”
Power Train · filed Jan 10, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
71 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Ford Bronco. The 10 most recent:
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Owner notification program supplement 7 revised information - regarding replacement of wilderness at tires. *tt
01B77 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Transmission- e40d/4r100-1989-99-main controls, separator plates and separator plate gaskets usage chart. Yd
98168 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2000
Transmission-e40d-no 2-3 upshift. Some vehicles may exhibit a no 2-3 upshift condition. *ak
98167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2000
Vehicles may experience solid particle contaminants from prior transmission concerns or excess wear, may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system is not properly flushed, fluid in-line filter kit. *mjs
0038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Procedure for servicing parking brake- service tip- bronco and f-series built through 4/22/1994 and explorer/ranger built through 5/13/1994. *mjs
0013 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
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 1993 Ford Bronco has 2 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 1993 Ford Bronco?
- · 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.