2025 Ford Bronco Sport Later Release

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/14/2025· SEAT BELTS

  I'm concerned Ford has a defective seat belt buckle and can be a safety issue, causing passengers to forego using the seat belts since the belt tongue cannot be retained in the buckle. I brought my new 2025 Bronco Sport to the dealership i bought it from for failed rear seat safety belt buckles (drivers side and center) and was told it wasn't under warrantee because "there's something stuck in it". I was offered a $700 estimate to replace the buckles. Instead I went home to look at it myself. Drivers side was because the tongue of the belt insert had been bent over 45 degrees. A flathead screw driver freed the tongue, and the buckle was undamaged, and continues now to work great after. The center buckle wouldn't latch a belt tongue. I disassembled the plastic casing, and a white part fell out (in photo its on the seat next to the buckle) ... which turned out to be a broken internal part. The broken part is at the upper end of the spring and attachs to the brown slide at the bottom of the buckle (which activates the buckle switch) and has a pawl that engages the steel pin that extends across the buckle. It broke at the spring interface, and therefore lost function (no spring force to activate the internal latching mechanism).

• 10/31/2025· SEAT BELTS

  I removed a car seat from back passenger seat, closed the door, buckled another child into the rear drivers side , drove to grocery no more than 25mph, as I was pulling into parking spot, car came to hard stop, jerked us, got out walked around the car to find that the rear passenger seatbelt did not retract yet was long enough to get caught under my back tire causing the car to stop hard while foot was in gas. Safety concern, what if we were in the highway going hi speeds? Why are the seatbelts that long that it can get caught under a tire? There is no person that would need that much belt who could even fit in the back of this tiny car.

• 10/02/2025· STEERINGCrash

  Traveling on I5 SB, near Longview, WA. Vehicle steering whell was jerked from my hands. I blacked out briefly from side window impact. Vehicle rolled over into trees and bushes next to the freeway. When I was able to finally see the vehicle at the tow yard. The Right front wheel assy, had seperated from the vehicle and was placed in the rear area of the vehicle. It had been sheared off in the accident. That is why I suspect a DEFECT. This vehicle line has been cited in several mishaps associated with steering issues, and a recall has been issued.

• 09/01/2026· SUSPENSION

  Both front lower control arm ball joints on my 2025 Bronco Sport failed prematurely at approximately 13,000 miles. Upon removal, both ball studs showed heavy corrosion and clear evidence of water intrusion past the factory boot seals. One boot's upper metal retainer was visibly deformed, allowing water into the joint. This level of corrosion should not exist on a vehicle this new and indicates a defective component or seal, not normal wear. I have retained both failed parts and have photographs documenting the condition. This is the same component covered under Ford's active do-not-drive safety recall 26S36 (NHTSA campaign 26V-340) for front lower control arm ball joint defects on 2021–2026 Bronco Sport vehicles. My VIN is not included in that campaign, but I experienced failure of the identical safety-critical component. I am reporting this so NHTSA is aware the defect may extend beyond the current recall population. When I brought the vehicle to my local Ford dealer and requested inspection under the new vehicle warranty, the service department refused to inspect the vehicle at all, citing a 1.5-inch aftermarket leveling kit. No inspection was performed and no determination was made that the modification caused or contributed to the failure. A leveling kit does not cause water intrusion past a factory boot seal. Because the dealer refused service on a safety-critical component, I replaced both ball joints at my own expense to keep the vehicle safe to drive. I have opened a case with Ford Customer Relationship Center (case CXH-09202228-R9R8V5). No crash or injury occurred, but ball joint separation causes loss of steering control, and I believe this failure mode warrants investigation of vehicles outside the current recall scope.

• 08/21/2025· SERVICE BRAKESCrash

  Brake failure caused a crash. Car was damaged.

• 08/08/2025· POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES

  2025 Bronco Do not drive your vehicle until your recall service is complete. Safety Recalls* Loose or missing upper ball joint fastener Recall incomplete Loose or missing upper ball joint fastener Recall incomplete Front upper control arm to knuckle ball joint loose or missing fastener Recall incomplete Inspect seat bolt presence and torque - recall is unable to be performed at this time. Please check the fsa landing page for more details. Recall incomplete Do not drive - front lower arm to frame attachment fastener inspection Recall incomplete Transmission main control valve body replacement Recall incomplete Rear door child safety lock inspection Recall incomplete Passenger airbag replacement Recall incomplete

• 08/04/2025· STEERING

  THE STEERING MOVED SUDDENLY BY ITSELF; several times on highways. Never had a vehicle do that before.

• 08/02/2026· STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE

  1. The Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) module and/or the front passenger-side suspension components failed, causing a complete loss of steering control and an un-commanded, continuous violent pull to the right. Yes, the vehicle and all malfunctioning components are completely intact and available for immediate inspection upon request. 2. Safety was put at extreme risk during highway speeds. The vehicle violently and continuously swerved directly toward the right-hand passenger side. There were 5 total occupants in the SUV, including my daughter-in-law and my three young grandchildren. My [XXX] granddaughter was strapped in a car seat directly next to that right passenger door, placing her in the immediate impact zone of a high-speed crash hazard. I had to physically fight the locked steering wheel with extreme physical force to prevent a catastrophic collision. 3. Not yet. The incident just occurred on XXX, and the vehicle is fundamentally unsafe to operate. It is currently parked and waiting to be transported via a professional flatbed tow truck to Murgado Ford of Chicago for a full mechanical and software diagnostic teardown. I have not yet contacted the dealership because they were unavailable on August 1 and closed on XXX 4. No. The vehicle is currently parked in a safe location in front of my home and has not yet been touched or inspected by any outside parties, police, insurance representatives, or the manufacturer. 5. No. There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, dashboard lights, strange noises, or any other symptoms prior to the failure. This catastrophic loss of control happened completely out of nowhere at highway speeds, and nothing like this has ever happened to this vehicle before. Crucially my lane keeping assist feature was manually turned off when this happened, meaning the vehicle overrode the settings to violently pull me to the right. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 08/02/2026· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The car breaks without warning until it’s already hit them when no one is behind us as we’re backing up it just hits the breaks.

• 07/31/2025· WHEELS

  This year does not have a spare tire included. Dealer said we have vehicle help in case of problem. We have many sections of highways here in Idaho that does not have cell service. This is a safety concern in case you are in one of these areas if you have total tire failure. I think a spare tire is needed in these situations. Thank you.

• 07/29/2026· AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCECrash

  The contact owned a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. While the contact’s brother-in-law was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle, causing the vehicle to flip over and slide between 50 and 75 yards. During the crash, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to activate, and the front driver’s side air bags did not deploy. The driver was later taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion and arm and leg abrasions. A Police report was filed at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away and later deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,500.

• 07/23/2026· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  This is a fourth occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893, 11750183, and 11751201. The vehicle was previously diagnosed and repaired under warranty for the same 'Shift System Fault: Service Required' condition (transmission main control valve body replacement, RO #609213, completed July 21, 2026). Approximately 14 hours after pickup, on July 22, 2026, the identical fault recurred, the Check Engine light illuminated, and the vehicle died while driving. The vehicle was towed to Bowen Scarff Ford in Kent, WA and checked in the same day (RO #609522) for further diagnosis. This is now the second documented repair attempt for the same defect.

• 07/22/2026· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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 repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

• 07/20/2026· STRUCTURE

  My daughter was driving the vehicle. She left home, drove 2 miles to drop someone off, and returned home on a 2 lane road with a 30mph speed limit. Approximately half way home, while travelling approximately 30-35mph, the hood on the vehicle flew open. It shattered the windshield, bent the hood, and because the hood flew so far back, the top of both front side panels were bent back. The last time the hood had been opened was long before to have the oil changed. There were no warning lights about the hood, and the vehicle had been used quite a bit that day, and at speeds higher than it was travelling when the hood flew open, before the incident occured. We are concerned about latch failure.

• 07/17/2026· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  This is a third occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893 and 11750183. On July 15, 2026, at approximately 7:30-7:42 AM, while driving to a scheduled Ford service appointment, the vehicle exhibited hesitation and delayed acceleration at multiple intersections, not isolated to one location. Although the vehicle's auto start-stop feature has been manually disabled, the hesitation at each stop felt similar to that feature engaging and re-engaging the engine. The vehicle then stalled completely at an intersection and would not move for approximately 10 minutes. The check engine light illuminated for the first time during this incident. Kent Police Department was contacted, event number 2026-44221. The vehicle was subsequently dropped off at a Ford dealership on July 15, 2026 for diagnosis under warranty.

• 07/17/2026· SUSPENSION

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V340000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the vehicle failed the inspection. The contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.

• 07/14/2026· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  This is a second occurrence of the Shift System Fault previously reported in NHTSA complaint 11749893. On July 13, 2026, while parked, the vehicle again displayed a 'Shift System Fault - Service Required' warning, followed by a 'Service Vehicle Soon' message. The vehicle would not shift out of Park. This incident was captured on video, which is available upon request. The vehicle has an appointment scheduled with a Ford dealership for diagnosis under warranty.

• 07/12/2026· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  While driving home and stopped at a red light, the dashboard displayed a "Service Required" warning followed immediately by a "Shift System Fault" message. The vehicle would not accelerate and stalled in the middle of the road with traffic going around me. I was unable to move the vehicle until I was able to restart it, which took at minimum 2 tries and 5 minutes. The warning cleared after restarting but the vehicle had been purchased 11 days prior with only 18,241 miles. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer but I am scheduled to take it in for inspection. No prior warning lamps appeared before this incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

• 07/06/2026· AIR BAGSCrash

  I was in a car accident on the front/side of the drivers side of our ford Bronco sport. The steering wheel airbag did not deploy. But all other side airbags did.

• 07/02/2026· AIR BAGS

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V201000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed that the vehicle was sold and released to the contact as a new vehicle with an open recall attached. The dealer requested that the vehicle be returned to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer consistently pushed back the appointment to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure.

• 06/22/2026· AIR BAGS

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V201000 (Air Bags). Upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and declined a buyback due to the vehicle not qualifying under the Lemon Law. The approximate failure mileage was 1,236.

• 06/20/2026· POWER TRAIN

  The powertrain stopped shifting properly and unable to drive smoothly and at a proper speed. Pulled over and and it could not be shifted out of PARK. Had to be towed to a Ford dealer shop. Ford App sent message: POERTRAIN MALFUNCTION REDUCED POWER

• 06/06/2026· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  I checked my front right and left steering knuckles and saw they are very badly rusted I bought the vehicle new Jan 20 2026 I noticed this when I checked on the recent Ford recall 26S36 I took photos of both right and left front knuckles with the front suspension arm assembly. Both are rusted

• 06/05/2026· SUSPENSION,ENGINE

  Just seen notice that there is a recall notice about the engine and part of the front suspension, just wondering if it affects my vehicle.

• 06/03/2026· STRUCTURE

  The rear right side exterior panel is showing a warping condition that is present without any evidence of impact, damage, misuse or outside/inside influence. The defect adversely effects the body panel by distorting the side body panel noticeably. Given the age of this vehicle and absence of any external damage this should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty as it is a manufacturer issue.

• 05/15/2025· SEATS

  Drivers side: the track the power seat slides back/forth in. Since purchasing the vehicle 4/18/25 I have cut the back of my right leg getting into the vehicle on that track multiple times requiring the bleeding to be stopped and bandaging. At least 5 times to date and I've had the vehicle about a month. I try to be extremely careful getting into the vehicle because I know that piece will cut my leg every time but sometimes, I'm not thinking and inevitably I get cut again but I really shouldn't have to worry about that, it's obviously a design flaw. I also thought I could try to remember to put the seat all the way up when I get out but then it's a pain to get back in and again, I don't think I should have to worry about that either. There should be some sort of cap or something on the end of it do that won't happen. Have included a picture below. Called the Ford part department and they suggested covering that area with tape which WILL work BUT really, it's a new vehicle and covering a part of the vehicle with tape to keep from getting cut by it shouldn't be how to solve the problem. It ruins the aesthetics of the vehicle, and I shouldn't have to do that to begin with. The piece shouldn't be that sharp or should have some time of protective covering over it.

• 05/11/2026· AIR BAGSCrash

  Car crash on 01/26/2026, and the airbags did not deploy

• 04/23/2026· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  While driving my 2025 Ford Bronco Sport (approximately 14,600 miles), I made contact with an object on the roadway that did not feel like a severe impact. Immediately afterward, the vehicle began leaking fuel from the underside. The vehicle was not driveable due to the active fuel leak and had to be towed to a dealership for inspection. This situation posed a significant safety risk due to the presence of leaking fuel, which could increase the risk of fire or environmental hazard. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before the incident occurred. The issue began immediately following the contact with the object. The vehicle has not yet been fully inspected at the time of this report, but it is currently at a Ford dealership awaiting evaluation. Based on the nature of the incident, there is concern regarding the durability and protection of the fuel tank when exposed to common road hazards. A fuel system failure under these conditions may present a safety concern.

• 04/13/2026· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  UNINTENDED CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATION TO 85 MPH Engaged cruise control to set speed approx 72mph and within 30-45 seconds the cruise control suddenly without warning reverted to 85mph. Startled, I immediately hit brakes and cruise disengaged with no accident. Following days, in safe traffic setting I repeated the pattern of setting highway cruise speed and within 30-45 seconds vehicle cruise setting reverted to exactly 85mph. Obviously, this is a serious safety risk defect requiring immediate attention. On Friday, I brought the vehicle for diagnosis/repair to dealership where I purchased it. After 2 days their technicians reported that they had never encountered this unintended cruise control acceleration before and had submitted the problem to Ford headquarter "engineers" to help guide them. I have sent email to dealership GM to inform him of this serious defect, and informed the Ford Customer Relationship Center (case# [XXX]) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 04/11/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the instrument cluster turned blank. The vehicle was steered to the side the side of the road and was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

• 04/01/2026· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or accelerating from 0 - 25 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and failed to accelerate properly. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

• 03/11/2025· ENGINE

  Vehicle was 2 weeks old at 100 miles engine light came on. Received notices that a engine misfire occurred and stated continued driving could further damage engine. Vehicle was towed to dealership where diagnosis said no fix currently available but can continue to drive?

• 03/04/2026· SERVICE BRAKES

  Every morning when I back out of my driveway the brakes squeel as if the wear pad indicators have reached end of life. I took this to the dealer and they said this is completely normal

• 02/20/2026· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  I am submitting a safety concern regarding the 2025 Ford Bronco Off‑Road. Within 24 hours of purchasing my vehicle, a front sensor failed. The dealership reported that the sensor was damaged by a small rock while driving on normal paved roads. The repair cost is approximately $1,500 and is not covered under warranty. My concern is that a critical sensor—part of the vehicle’s safety and driver‑assistance systems—can be disabled by minor road debris. If this component is so vulnerable that everyday driving conditions can render it inoperable, it may pose a broader safety issue for consumers. This appears to be a design vulnerability that could affect many owners, potentially compromising safety features and creating significant financial burden. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether the placement and durability of this sensor meet reasonable safety expectations. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 01/12/2026· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the sunroof glass shattered. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be inspected; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.