FORD Bronco Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used FORD Bronco options? We analyzed 6 model years (2021–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD Bronco has 1,071 owner complaints and 104 safety recalls across model years 2021–2026. The most reported issue area is VISIBILITY/WIPER. 2022 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- Bronco
- Model years analyzed
- 2021–2026 (6 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,071
- Safety recall campaigns
- 104
- Crash-related complaints
- 42
- Fire-related complaints
- 15
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2022 (369 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (16 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
FORD Bronco: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe FORD BRONCO has 1,071 NHTSA complaints and 104 recalls on record. 42 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 1,071 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 104 federal recall campaigns
- 42 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
104 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
STRUCTURE:BODY
ENGINE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2021–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 1,071 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
1,071 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The vehicle was parked in my garage, engaging from park to Drive. The glass blew out from the inside out and the struts shot outward. Luckily, there was no injuries caused by this, but if I were to be driving it could have caused an accident. the dealership said that the manufacturer would deny the claim that there was a manufacturing defect and I went through insurance to correct the issue. there were no warnings, lights, or otherwise associated with this sudden window break.
The most recent recall on my vehicle has not been corrected by my local Ford dealer yet. The deadline was July 31, 2026 and it is now August 17, 2026.
JUL 20, 2026 Manufacturer Recall Number26S55 NHTSA Recall Number26V468 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary ON my VEHICLE, AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS COVERING MAY CHAFE AND EXPOSE INTERNAL CIRCUITS, WHICH CAN CREATE A SHORT TO GROUND. It’s a Safety Risk. HEAT OR SPARK AT THIS SHORT MAY CAUSE SMOKE OR IGNITE NEARBY FLAMMABLE COMPONENTS. SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY OR A CRASH. A REMEDY IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.
MIC Hardtop is cracking and honeycomb
Vehicle hands free for phone is not understandable to others after a software update over a year ago. After an automatic software update I made a phone call and the person called complained about me not being understandable. I disconnected and called again. Still unreadable. I tried calling someone else. Not readable. Was told I sounded like I had my head in a bucket of water. I called a third person. Not readable. All this happened immediately after the software update. I took my vehicle to the dealer the first opportunity I had time. The problem was verified by a service tech. He did a hard reboot of the system. The problem did not improve. I was asked to make an appointment. The vehicle has been back to the dealer many times since. The problem has not been resolved. The SAFETY PROBLEM is that I am not able to use my phone hands free. PA passed a law that touching a phone is a moving violation. The dealer said it was my phone. I have a Kyocera ruggedized phone. I replaced it with a newer version of the phone. Cost was over $800. FYI - I have used my phone on my wife's Bronco which has NEVER had a software update as the auto updates was turned off. I also own a Ford F-350 with Sync3 and the phone works fine. I was driving a Mack dump truck with hands free. No problem. I have checked it on 2 friends Honda cars. No problem. Apparently my phone works with everything but my Ford Bronco. Sometime during the last few months there was a safety recall for the same entertainment system that the phone uses going black. I never had this problem. Ford engineering still says the problem is my phone. I am not replacing my phone again to find that I still can't be understood. I have done some online research on this and found posts on multiple bulletin boards there seems to be the same problem with other owners of Ford Broncos and F-150s with Sync4. Not being able to use the hands free is a serious safety problem.
I notified the dealership where I bought the vehicle of the issue when it first happened in Feb 2025. I have since notified them 3 additional times and I have called Ford Motor Company, twice. The roof leaks in heavy rain while driving and when going through a car wash. The water streams inside and runs down onto the lighted vanity mirror which is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and hits the driver in the face with water. The dealership said that they tried to reproduce the issue but couldn’t get it to leak. It’s because they aren’t using water at a high pressure and speed. I have since found that the issue is know as it is listed on the internet in multiple places.
Read 14 more owner reports
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that on several occasions, the APIM overheated, and the rearview camera was inoperable. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V124000 (Back Over Prevention). Additionally, the power windows and AC were inoperable due to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled due to the APIM overheating. The dealer was contacted, and a repair of the vehicle was pending. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact recieved notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V268000 (Seats). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken in to a dealer where the failed the inspection and she was notified that the bolt could come loose. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure where she was notified that they did not have the part available at this time. The failure mileage was approximately 9,004.
The Sta-bar continues to disconnect. Had been in shop 5xs for same issue 2 weeks each time with hopes that they fixed it. Within 500miles after leaving shop it does it again and warning flashes to seek maintenance immediately. There is no obvious reason of why. It will donit when it's dry, when it's raining or snowing. It happens when I first turn car on or it could happen going 70mph on highway. Started within the first 1000 miles on car and has continued, currently at 18000miles. Car feels unsteady on every bump and ripple and with high winds when it occurs. It happens more times then I can count now, tired of paying high monthly payment for it to sit in shop.
My MIC roof cracked, and I only have 6700 miles on the vehicle. I am now reading that my roof could blow off.
The molded in color hardtops are bad on these Ford Bronco’s. I wanted to report it because mine started cracking, fading, delaminating, and leaking after the vehicle was only 3 months old. They are very defective. Ford warranty replaced mine after a full year of me going back and forth to the dealer to argue about it. It was a long process that I never expected on a brand new vehicle. I’m already starting to see the honeycomb material on my warranty replacement top. I know people who are on their 4th and 5th replacement tops. Also, the road noise is bad with these tops as well. Mine as been warranty replaced now, but it was a rough experience over all and I have zero confidence that the replacement top is of better quality. In fact, the customer service representative at Ford stated more than likely this replacement hardtop would go bad at some point just like the original. They said it was the exact same top with no improvement.
ERROR WITH STABILTIY BAR DO NOT DRIVE OVER 20 MPH. NO KEYS DETECTED IN VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS NOW BACK AT THE DEALER FOR THE 4TH TIME FOR THE SAME REPAIR.
Back piece of hardtop cracked on each side, front three pieces had honeycombing and ripples down each side that you could see and feel. The dealership warrantied them out , but my front three pieces still have issues. The dealerships also told me if this happens outside of my 3yr/36,000mi warranty that they will not fix the issue even though parts typically have a 2 yr warranty on them after being replaced. But, this isn't a normal part, this is my roof/hardtop. This is a safety concern. I never received any lights, messages, or symptoms that I know of. There could have been leaking water in the back part of my Bronco. The safety of others and myself were put at risk because, there were cracks in my roof and what if it cracked all the way through and broke off?
I was idling (foot on the brake) at a coffee drive thru when I started to smell smoke and suddenly a women ran up and told me my passenger side front tire was on fire.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle would unexpectedly lunge forward and hesitate, with no warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that a loud, abnormal rattling noise was coming from the soft top area of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission software needed to be reprogrammed. The dealer also stated that the soft top failure is a known issue with the vehicle. The vehicle was reprogrammed, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, a fire originated near the dashboard area without warning. The occupants inside the vehicle first noticed an abnormal smoke odor inside the vehicle. Shortly afterwards, the contact and passenger’s eyes started burning and their throats became irritated. The driver opened and then closed the windows and then safely pulled over. The heated seats were turned off during the failure. The passenger then observed flames coming from the passenger’s side air vent. The contact and passenger exited the vehicle with the engine still running. The windows blew out from the intense heat of the fire. The air bags did not deploy but started melting. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. A Police report was not filed, but the Police were directing traffic. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a claim was opened. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the insurance company for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 11,685.
When turning right the left turn signal is triggered automatically 60-75% of the time. This mis direction signal has potential to cause confusion to surrounding drivers thus creating a potential driving hazard. The whole purpose of the turn signal is to declare driving intent to other drivers.
The following systems and features have been repeatedly failing in my vehicle, posing a safety hazard: 1) The side view mirrors change orientation automatically while driving. 2) The blind spot warning is inconsistent and is not trustworthy. 3) The infotainment display turns off erratically while crossing critical intersections where I am supposed to turn. This is extremely distracting and poses a severe safety risk. 4) The infotainment system’s audio volume, audio source and car play connection turns off randomly. This is extremely distracting and poses a severe accident risk. 5) The air conditioning strength and temperature changes automatically with the fan blowing extremely cold or extremely hot air. 6) The windshield wiper automatic speeds are mis-calibrated and gradation between the various levels is non-linear and erratic. This forces the driver to frequently adjust the wiper speed while driving, posing a distraction and accident risk. 7) The automatic high beam feature doesn’t work, or works erratically. This ambiguity causes distraction and dangerous night time driving situations. 8) With manual operation of high and low beams, there is a significant delay while switching from one to another, posing risk while night time driving. 9) The windshield cleaning feature with dispersal of the fluid works erratically. It works some of the time and doesn’t work other times. This ambiguity poses a severe risk while driving due to unclear windshield. 10) The tire pressure sensor displays inaccurate inflation pressure at times. This ambiguity can be catastrophic given the vehicle size and California’s mountain road driving under slick and snowy conditions. 11) The GPS directions displayed on phone and infotainment system are inaccurate and inconsistent, causing massive confusion while exiting. This is a new vehicle from 2024 and has been inspected and serviced at the dealership diligently. I have video evidence for some of the problems.
Reservoir detached from right rear shock. Known problem. Recall 25V025. Dealer will not honor recall.
Regarding this recall notice 26S09/26V124 This camein the mail Friday, 3 days to late to prevent a accident. On that previous Tuesday, while backing out of the garage in full sunshine I backed straight into my wife's vehicle parked to the side. No warning sensors, no alarms. Progressive insurance is handling the claims, but I am still going to be out of pocket my 500 dollars deductible plus rental car charges. I can provide all information you might require, but I certainly feel this safety recall led up yi this incident.
Showing 20 of 1,071 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact FORD Bronco
These pages show model-year patterns across 6 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FORD Bronco, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD Bronco has 1,071 complaints on record across 6 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD Bronco has 104 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 42 of the FORD Bronco's 1,071 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD Bronco vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD Bronco vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD Bronco has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a FORD Bronco by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD Bronco.
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FORD Bronco reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the FORD Bronco reliable?
Poor. The FORD Bronco has 1,071 NHTSA owner complaints and 104 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is VISIBILITY/WIPER. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which FORD Bronco years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2022 (369 complaints), 2021 (225 complaints), 2023 (219 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common FORD Bronco problems?
Top reported issues: VISIBILITY/WIPER (177 complaints); ENGINE (175 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (141 complaints).
Does the FORD Bronco have recalls?
Yes — 104 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FORD Bronco. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.