2026 Ford Bronco Sport Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bronco Sport years
- Not enough data 6th of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport. That ranks 6th out of 6 Bronco Sport model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (5 complaints, 63%). Complaints mention 1 crash, 2 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 8owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2026 Ford Bronco Sport problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 63% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 13% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: 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.
Structure:body
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Maverick, F-150, and Bronco Sport vehicles. Certain vehicle joints may be improperly tightened. This can lead to detached parts, unsecured cargo, degraded crash protection, electrical system failure, or a loss of vehicle stability.
Risk: Improperly tightened vehicle joints may lead to a loss of vehicle control, electrical failure, or detached parts, increasing the risk of a crash or fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the vehicle joints or repair and replace the joint retention mechanisms as necessary, free of charge. Owner notifications letters are expected to be mailed September 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S60. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 26, 2026.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball jointDo not drive
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco Sport and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles. The front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at the vehicle assembly plant, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the front wheel knuckle.
Risk: A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge.Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S36. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 29, 2026.
Electrical system; equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and 2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, and inspect and replace the electrical cord if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have an alternative option to replace the engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V343. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 14, 2026.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles. The Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) unit may fail to correctly detect the presence of an adult or child in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Failure to correctly detect a passenger may result in the air bag not deploying as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger seat occupant classification sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C19. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Issue: Unintended acceleration/loss of Park function & airbag non-deployment: Date of Incident: [XXX] Rental Company: Budget Car Rental Vehicle: Ford Bronco Sport 2026 VIN [XXX] At the [XXX], I slowly entered a parking space and once positioned in the spot, I fully stepped on the brakes and rotated…
We were driving our 2026 Ford Bronco Sport (Badlands Edition) on [XXX] in the [XXX] area of [XXX]. The location was in town and the speed was 45 mph. The day was Friday, XXX, at 5:10pm, when the closed moonroof glass suddently, without any warning, completley exploded. The moonroof exploded upward…
The contact owns a 2026 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V548000 (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…
I was stranded on the side of the road due to a routine tire puncture on the morning of Sept. 5, 2026. I immediately called AAA for emergency roadside assistance. AAA explicitly informed me that their safety policy prevents them from plugging tires on the roadside, however they offered to change…
2026 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch edition with less than three-thousand miles that we purchased brand new had a major transmission failure and was rendered inoperable. The Bronco Sport transmission pan cracked and the gasket failed upon driving home from a routine, ten minute trip to the grocery…
Other Ford Bronco Sport years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 6 |
| 2025 Bronco Sport | 39 | 7 |
| 2024 Bronco Sport | 111 | 8 |
| 2023 Bronco Sport | 159 | 14 |
| 2022 Bronco Sport | 366 | 15 |
| 2021 Bronco Sport | 708 | 16 |
See all Ford Bronco Sport problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport?
Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Bronco Sport model years, the 2026 has too little data to compare, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.