Ford Bronco Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2021–2026, owners filed 1,007 complaints about the Ford Bronco with NHTSA, most often about windshield visibility and the engine, and NHTSA lists 50 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Bronco to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1,007
NHTSA owner complaints (2021–2026)
28
Complaints citing a crash
50
Recall campaigns
2
Years to avoid
Most-reported Ford Bronco problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2021–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2021–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility / wipers | 198 | 20% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Engine | 159 | 16% | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 133 | 13% | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 96 | 10% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 87 | 9% | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body structure | 82 | 8% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Suspension | 74 | 7% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 67 | 7% | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Of all 1,007 complaints, 28 (3%) report a crash, 14 (1%) a fire and 15 (1%) an injury.
Ford Bronco complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each Bronco model year with the model's other years.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 231 | 20 | Engine | — |
| 2022 | 389 | 23 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2023 | 234 | 18 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2024(new) | 85 | 16 | Electrical system | — |
| 2025(new) | 57 | 19 | Electrical system | — |
| 2026(new) | 11 | 9 | Body structure | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Ford Bronco recalls
NHTSA lists 50 recall campaigns across Ford Bronco model years 2021–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V308000May 9, 2025 | 2024 and 2025 | Suspension — front / control arm / lower arm | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Bronco vehicles. The front lower control arm fasteners may not have been tightened properly, allowing the control arm to detach from the frame.NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 25V260000Apr 18, 2025 | 2025 | Suspension — front / control arm / upper ball joint | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco vehicles. The front upper control arm ball joint nut may be missing or tightened improperly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 23V283000Apr 21, 2023 | 2023 | Wheels — lugs/nuts/bolts/studs | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. The lug nuts on the driver's side wheels may have been improperly tightened.NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 26V468000Jul 21, 2026 | 2021–2026 | Engine | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness may become damaged and short circuit. |
| 26V124000Mar 4, 2026 | 2021–2026 | Backup camera / back-over prevention — software | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Ford Bronco and 2021-2024 Ford Edge vehicles. The Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) may overheat and shutdown, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as… |
Best and worst Bronco years
- Years to avoid: 2022 and 2023.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
What to inspect on a used Ford Bronco
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Ford Bronco can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Ford Bronco reliability FAQ
Is the Ford Bronco reliable?
Across model years 2021–2026, owners filed 1,007 complaints about the Ford Bronco with NHTSA, most often about windshield visibility and the engine, and NHTSA lists 50 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Bronco to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Ford Bronco problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2021–2026, the most-reported areas are windshield visibility (198), the engine (159), the electrical system (133) and the brakes (96). One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Ford Bronco should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other Bronco years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How many recalls does the Ford Bronco have?
NHTSA lists 50 recall campaigns covering Ford Bronco model years 2021–2026. The one covering the most model years is 25V308000 (suspension, 2024 and 2025). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Ford Bronco?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Bronco reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Ford Bronco, model years 2021–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Bronco model year only with other Bronco years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Bronco compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Ford Bronco research
Ford Bronco reliability by model year: