Ford Bronco Sport Engine Problems
Owners have filed 301 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Ford Bronco Sport across 6 model years. The 2021 model year has the most (151). The words owners use most often: “fuel injector” (9% of reports).
- 301engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Fuel injector: mentioned in 26 of 301 complaints (9%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 20 of 301 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 48 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 301 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 20 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Bronco Sport engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Bronco Sport | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2025 Bronco Sport | 7 | 18% | — |
| 2024 Bronco Sport | 24 | 22% | 23,099 |
| 2023 Bronco Sport | 37 | 23% | 25,000 |
| 2022 Bronco Sport | 81 | 22% | 19,346 |
| 2021 Bronco Sport | 151 | 21% | 49,350 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Model years: 2026
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.
Equipment:electrical:engine block heater; electrical system
Model years: 2026
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.
Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:gas recirculation valve (egr valve)
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 31, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 4, 2026.
Equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Model years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit 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, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Engine
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.
Electrical system; equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and 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: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication
Model years: 2021, 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. The engine oil separator housing may crack and develop an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the oil separator for damage or oil leaks, and replace the oil separator and seals, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S21.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
after the dealership executed Safety Recall 25S76, the vehicle immediately began violently sputtering and surging on public roads, and the service department actively concealed the resulting diagnostic fault codes.
On about 5 or 6 occasions over the course of one year, my brand new 2025 Ford Bronco Sport with the Big Bend trim with the VIN number in this report has completely lost engine power with severe engine hesitation with a highly rhythmic / even-patterned computer-controlled-like clicking and severe…
My 2022 Ford Bronco Sport exhibits severe engine knocking and low fuel pressure, which are primary symptoms of open safety recalls 24S16 and 25S76. On 9/29/26, Seelye Ford of Kalamazoo charged me $220.21 out-of-pocket for a powertrain recall system software update. They are now refusing to inspect…
My vehicle is subject to open NHTSA recall 25S76 regarding a fuel injector that may crack and cause fuel to accumulate on top of the engine near hot surfaces, creating a fire risk. This recall was identified months ago, but Ford has stated parts are not currently available and no repair date has…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle lost automotive power while driving and while stopped and idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle required several restarts before…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Bronco Sports have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 301 owner complaints about engine for the Ford Bronco Sport. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Bronco Sport engine?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Ford Bronco Sport?
The most frequent phrase is “fuel injector”, in 26 of 301 complaints, followed by “water pump” (20).
Other Ford Bronco Sport problems
See all Ford Bronco Sport problems.