Ford Bronco Complaints (2023)

218 consumer complaints on file.

#11759700August 26, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On XXX, our 2023 Ford Bronco, VIN [XXX], was stopped on an incline. The vehicle was not moving, and the driver exited the vehicle believing it was in Park. The vehicle was actually still in Drive. A passenger remained in the vehicle. While the Bronco was stationary, the passenger pressed the START/STOP button from the passenger seat to turn the vehicle off. Immediately after the vehicle was switched off, it began rolling backward down the incline. The passenger was unable to safely stop the vehicle and attempted to exit the moving Bronco. The open vehicle door struck the passenger in the back of the leg/hip area. The passenger had to throw herself to the ground to avoid being dragged, run over, or more seriously injured. The Bronco went off a significant drop off and crashed into a tree. The passenger narrowly escaped the vehicle before it went over the drop off. After the incident, the vehicle displayed a "Park Aid Fault" warning. Ford's 2023 Bronco Owner's Manual states that a "Transmission Not In Park (P)" audible warning is supposed to sound if the vehicle is switched off before being shifted into Park and also if the driver's door is opened before the vehicle is shifted into Park. [IF TRUE: We do not recall hearing a Transmission Not In Park warning before the rollaway.] I am concerned that the vehicle remained stationary on the incline while still in Drive, creating the appearance that it was secured, but began rolling backward when the START/STOP button was pressed. I am also concerned about whether the transmission-not-in-park warning, braking/holding systems, ignition system, and related safety systems functioned as designed. The unexpected rollaway resulted in an injury and created an immediate risk of the passenger being crushed, dragged, or run over. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this vehicle's behavior and warning systems operated as designed and whether this represents a potential vehicle safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11758711August 22, 2026
STEERING
Steering rack component failure, vague steering, play during steering directional change, Light grinding noise when turning steering wheel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756193August 11, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The MIC hardtop is bubbling some at the top and has a line where it looks like perhaps it is assembled on the back panel over the top that is discolored in comparison to the rest of the top. Furthermore, the middle panel is a different color than the rest of the hardtop. It is available for complete inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected by dealer but was bought used and did not show the bubbling whenever it was purchased--but rather it has happened in the months since it was purchased. It was found when the top was removed and the bubbling was noticeable when running my hand over it. Note that it is not visible to be seen via picture, and the bubble must be felt. It cannot be seen in a photo.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756156August 11, 2026
STEERING
I was going really slow down an easy dirt road in 4L and all of the sudden the steering wheel spun violently two full turns left in under a second on its own. This threw my right arm off the wheel where it hit the shifter with force leaving a large bruise. Steering system fault warning appeared, the tire position on the camera screen was stuck all the way left, and i could no longer disconnect my stabilizer bar. i turned the car off for 5 minutes then back on and everything was fine. If this steering glitch happened at highway speeds I could have rolled the car and dies. Luckily i was going really slow on a relatively smooth part of the trail when this occurred and it only shook me and my passengers up a little and bruised my arm. If the trail had been more steep or if there were rocks on the trail, this could have flipped my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11751149July 17, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The MIC hard top component on my Ford Bronco is cracking. I have gotten it replaced twice through Ford for the same issue, but now this is my 3rd top and the issue keeps coming back.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750266July 14, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2023 Ford Bronco with 7 speed manual transmission. The transmission started grinding while shifting into 3rd gear and occasionally popping out of 3rd gear. This mostly occurred while upshifting and rarely while downshifting. All other gears are operating as normal. While the grinding problem would pop up occasionally around the 40,000 mile mark, it became chronic at 58,000 mile mark (24Jun2026)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749931July 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After making a right hand turn, when the steering wheel recenters for some unknown reason it is turning on the left turn signal. I had noticed it in the past and thought I was wrong, but it continuing to do it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747200June 29, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE IN 2023 BRONCO. What happened is exactly what is described for current recall of the electronic brake booster for 2025 broncos. Mine is a 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746140June 24, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Camera and sensor on driver side does not indicate movement/stops working. This results in the Blindspot detection not working or any cross traffic alerts or object detection, which can lead to an accident. occurs intermittently and car does not issue a warning that the system is not working or down. Also causing an issue when backing up
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741783June 3, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
-Complete steering and suspension failure occurred while driving on highway. Vehicle is currently sitting at Ford dealer. - The safety of all passengers was put at risk and nearly caused a fatal accident. -Dealer and another shop are saying it was lower control arm and bushing failure. They are unclear on path forward for repairs and it seems like something bigger is going on they do not want to disclose. They deny problem has been reproduced on this model, however a similar recall for this type of failure has occurred on other bronco models under recall number 26S36. That recall report matches what happened to my vehicle. -It has been inspected by Ford and Bronco Barn in Las Vegas. I will be getting a third opinion for a clear path forward since none has been supplied by ford or the third party company. -There were no warning lamps, check engine lights, or messages prior to failure. There was a slight misalignment of tires felt while driving just prior to losing full steering control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739172May 20, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Delamination of roof and cracking with leaks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737859May 14, 2026
FIRERELATED, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owned a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The contact's boyfriend had pulled over. They discovered an unknown fluid leaking under the vehicle and a spark coming from the engine before the vehicle caught fire. There were no injuries were sustained. The firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. Upon research, the contact related the failure to the fuel injector. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735666May 4, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My husband was sitting at a stop light when he noticed what appeared to be steam/smoke coming out from under the hood of the Bronco. Then smoke came into the vehicle through the air vents. When he looked up, flames were coming out from under the hood. He got out and the whole front of the car burst into flames and torched the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735581May 4, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
when engine is cold and I go down a hill to a stop sign and apply the brakes , the brakes begin to engage almost fully then release and the Bronco lurches forward 6-8" and then the brakes grab and slam the car to a stop. This only happens on an incline and when the engine is cold or has sat for awhile. THe brake pedal is fully depressed and when the bronco rolls forward, there is nothing to do to stop it since the pedal is already fully engaged. I have taken it to the dealer numerous times to diagnose, but since there is not a hill or incline near them, they are not able to reproduce the same issue. I have videos of this happening and it is a known problem that has been diagnosed in the Ford bronco online forums. The dealer suggested I call Ford Service to report the issue and I started a case complaint.There are no warning messages or codes that are present that the dealer can find to explain the problem. The car is not safe to rely on due to the brake system currently and the dealer nor Ford corporate will do anything but document my issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734240April 28, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V124000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was in park(P) and running, the infotainment screen turned black after several seconds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed. The dealer stated that the failure might be possible with the recall repair and that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733715April 25, 2026
ENGINE
Going 80 on the fwy. It stared shaking, engine light came on. Immediately go off the fwy as soon as I stopped it died and wouldn’t start.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730930April 13, 2026
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SUSPENSION
I am reporting unresolved safety recalls and unreasonable delay in repair for my 2023 Ford Bronco (VIN: [XXX] ). This vehicle currently has two open safety recalls issued by Ford Motor Company • NHTSA Recall 25V721 (issued October 2025) – seat frame defect that may increase injury risk in a crash. There is currently no available remedy, and Ford has notified me that a repair is not expected until April 2027. • NHTSA Recall 26V124 (issued March 2026) – APIM defect that may overheat and cause the rearview camera to fail while reversing, increasing crash risk. In addition, this vehicle has had prior recalls (25V025 and 25V273) that remained unresolved for extended periods. One of these recalls had no available repair for approximately 10 months. These recalls affect critical safety systems including suspension, rear visibility, and seat safety. The delay for Recall 25V721 is expected to exceed 18 months, which I believe is an unreasonable delay for a safety recall repair. Ford has continued issuing new recalls while prior recalls were still unresolved, indicating a pattern of repeated safety defects and delayed remedies. Due to these active recalls, I have been unable to use my vehicle commercially. Rental platforms such as Turo prohibit listing vehicles with open safety recalls. This has resulted in financial losses exceeding $80,000. This situation forces consumers to choose between operating a vehicle with known safety defects or suffering significant financial loss due to lack of repair availability. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether Ford is complying with its obligation to provide timely safety recall remedies and whether delays of this length are reasonable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730034April 8, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My infotainment screen goes blank when I backup instead of displaying my backup camera. There is an active recall on this but there is no remedy and no estimated remedy date. Ford Motor Company is only prioritizing 2026 model years so they can sell brand new vehicles. They are not trying to fix previous model years. This poses a safety risk that can result in a crash and/or death. Cars are required by law to have a backup camera, so Ford is breaking the law by not fixing this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729894April 8, 2026
STEERING
Steering would get stuck when turning, then let loose. Fortunately I didn’t lose control. Happens all the time now when driving. Had the car towed to dealer. They diagnosed failed steering shaft. This Bronco has approx 28,000 miles on it. Ford Motor Company refused to help me pay for the approx $1000 repair. Finally, the dealer worked with a contact at Ford for them to cover most of the cost. Ford wouldn’t consider issuing a recall, or expanding an existing recall for a similar steering problem, which didn’t include my VIN. No warning lights, messages, etc. I consider this a serious defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729240April 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
A couple of times on as well as off pavement when traveling on a decline I depress the brake pedal and it only very softly applied the brakes. I have to press very hard to come to a stop. Much harder than normal. Once (off pavement) they did not work until the third time I pressed them. The pedal just went to the bottom. Normally the steep decline seems to be associated to the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Ford Bronco