2026 Ford Bronco problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (3) · Power Train (2) · Visibility (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Bronco model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (9)
Air Bags:side/Window:curtain 2026-09-09 · campaign 26V580000 · 2,711 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Bronco vehicles. The mounting bracket on the right-hand-side side curtain air bag may have a metal burr that can tear the air bag during deployment.
Risk: A torn air bag may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will increase the space between the bracket and air bag to remove the contact condition, free of charge. Owner notification letters were October 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S64. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 10, 2026.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/Mechanical 2026-08-25 · campaign 26V548000 · 10,001 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood 2026-07-20 · campaign 26V468000 · 565,691 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A short circuit in the engine compartment can create heat or spark, increasing the risk of a fire.
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 Raptor vehicle will notify owners on or about 8/14/2026. Phase 3 will include 2021-2026 Bronco will notify owners on or about 9/1/2026. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S55. Vehicle Id
Structure:body 2026-06-24 · campaign 26V403000 · 36,046 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Bronco vehicles. The fender flares may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached fender flare can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the fender flares as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 1, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S47. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 7, 2026.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/Mechanical 2026-05-27 · campaign 26V343000 · 1,536 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer, Ranger, and Bronco vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Risk: A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine long block, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S35. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.
Equipment:other:labels 2026-05-26 · campaign 26V335000 · 268 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The vehicle specifications listed on the tire placard and safety certification labels may be incorrect, including the VIN, capacity weight, seating capacity, front and rear gross axle weight rating (GAWR), tire and rim dimensions, and recommended cold tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims" and 49 CFR Pa
Risk: The incorrect tire size, tire pressures, and GAWR listed on the labels can allow the vehicle to be overloaded or have improperly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the certification and TREAD labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C24. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.
Seats:critical Fasteners 2026-04-28 · campaign 26V268000 · 179,698 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The front seats may have a loose or dislodged seat frame height-adjust pivot bolt.
Risk: A seat with a dislodged bolt may not properly restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the pivot links and bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26S30. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 30, 2026.
Back Over Prevention:software 2026-03-03 · campaign 26V124000 · 849,310 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S09. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2025-11-14 · campaign 25V788000 · 229,609 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC3.
Service bulletins (31)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-08 · SSM 55228 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2020-2026 aviator/explorer/f-150/bronco/ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7l or 3.0l (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cover removed and reinstalled for various reasons. the workshop manual (wsm), section 303-01 engine > removal and installation > engine front cover service procedur
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-16 · TCU-26.2.12.2.2 Mach E, F · Over The Air
quality improvements include: -addresses a bug that may cause updates to fail
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-09 · ECG-26.2.12.3 Bronco,Esca · Over The Air
quality improvements include: -eprivacy enhancements
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-25 · SSM 55118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some of the following vehicles: * 2023-2025 f-super duty built on or before 02-feb-2025 * 2024-2026 ranger/bronco/mustang * 2024-2025 f-150 built on or before 15-jul-2025 * 2024-2025 nautilus built on or before 16-feb-2025 * 2025 explorer/aviator built on or before 01-feb-2025 may exhibit all of t
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-22 · SSM 55100 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 completely detached from the seat cover and w715386-s424 if the clip is still partially a
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-13 · SSM 55079 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2025-2026 bronco vehicles equipped with a 7 speaker audio system (minor feature code idbal) may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) b128a:01, b128a:11, b128a:12, b128a:13, b1288:11, b1288:12 and/or b1238:17 stored in the audio front control module (acm) with no customer facing symptoms relat
Showing the 6 most recent of 31 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-20 · Steering“i have a new bronco with 3,000 miles on it and i used my heated steering wheel for the first time today and the cabin started filling up with smoke. the smoke was coming from the steering column. i’m not sure if something was on fire or just smoking but i didn’t see flames just a lot of smoke. i have a video. where can i email it?…”
2026-10-20 · Structure:body“hardtop is cracking already. was built in june of 2026 and purchased in august of 2026. top needs replacement already. looked on the dealer lot and every new and used bronco with the m.i.c top had cracks like mine or worse. …”
2026-10-08 · Power Train“twice, while flat towing the 2026 ford bronco something happen and allegedly the neutral tow disabled and i had to replace the transmission. $7,500 each time. the first time the bronco had 900 miles and the second time the unit had 3,000 miles. both times the warranty claim was denied. ford blamed it on a battery voltage drop which in turn disabled…”
2026-09-28 · Structure:body“vehicle front passenger wheel well flare detached while driving narrowly avoiding impact to other vehicles on the road. after recovering the part noticed front driver wheel well flare starting to detach. safety clips appeared intact as if they never locked in place. …”
2026-09-02 · Visibility · 735 mi“the contact owns a 2026 ford bronco. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70-75 mph in the left lane on the interstate on a sunny day, near the grass, the driver's side rear window exploded without impact. the local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. another local dealer, hagerstown ford service (171…”
2026-08-31 · Structure:body“while driving on the roadway at approximately 5,841 odometer miles, the vehicle's fender moulding/flare clip retention failed, causing the moulding to loosen and completely detach from the vehicle. the detached fender moulding separated in transit, creating an immediate road debris hazard for surrounding traffic and trailing motorists. the detach…”
2026-08-14 · Seat Belts“seat beat created a laceration on arm with normal use. …”
2026-07-16 · Power Train · 617 mi“the contact owns a 2026 ford bronco. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 mph and depressing the accelerator to make a left turn, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. the transmission shifted into neutral, and the vehicle coasted forward. the contact pulled over to the side of the road and activated the hazard lights. …”
2026-06-12 · Seats“description on your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. safety risk an improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. a loss of motive…”
2026-04-30 · Electrical System“the 2026 ford bronco outer banks instrument cluster has gone blank on two occasions (4/3/26 and 4/23/29). the first time the service department at joe mahan ford, paris, tn reported the display returned when connected to thier computer, but kept the bronco for several days trying to replicate the condition. i returned it to the dealer for the same …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.