2023 Ford Bronco Reliability Report

Power cuts out at speed without warning, sometimes in heavy traffic or on the interstate. Several owners needed full engine replacements at low mileage, one at about 2900 miles. Reported causes include misfires, coolant in a cylinder, fuel in the oil, low oil pressure that triggers limp mode, and a failed catalytic converter. Dealers call low-rpm knocking normal and leave it unrepaired. The fuel injector recall warns that cracked injectors can leak fuel onto hot engine parts. It draws many complaints about missing parts, and one under-hood fire injured two people.

Most complaints concern the fuel injector recall, with parts unavailable for months while owners keep driving. Reported symptoms include strong fuel odor through the vents, hesitation going uphill, loss of power with a check engine light, and lurching at startup. In one report, a vehicle still waiting on the recall repair caught fire and crashed at highway speed, trapping and injuring the driver. A separate complaint flags the capless fuel filler as a security concern.

The brake pedal goes rock hard and the car barely stops, or does not stop at all. Three complaints describe crashes. A recurring Check Brake System warning, sometimes tied to low brake fluid, survives repeated dealer visits. Bronco owners also report the vehicle creeping forward on steep hills while the pedal stays pressed. Grinding and moaning from the rear brakes continues after pad and rotor work. Several complaints concern a hydraulic brake recall delayed by part shortages.

Rear shocks leak, crack, and corrode at the external reservoir. The result is a bouncy, rough ride, and in one case a violent swerve at 65 mph after a shock blew. A recall covers the rear shocks, but most complaints describe parts on back order and dealers unable to finish the repair. Owners object to a sealant-and-clamp remedy in place of new shocks. Separate reports cite cracking front differential mounts that need welding and a stabilizer bar that failed on a nearly new vehicle.

Most complaints concern a seat belt recall on the Bronco that stayed open for lack of parts, leaving some new vehicles stuck at dealers. Failure reports include rear belts that do not retract to hold a child seat, which led to a mild head injury. Others describe a middle belt that does not work, rear buckles found unlatched under child seats, and a driver's shoulder belt that locks during normal slowing.

Glass breaks without any impact. Owners describe sunroofs shattering while driving, windshields cracking along stress lines, and a rear window bursting inward at over 70 mph, injuring an occupant. Water leaks through the rear windshield gasket in wet weather. Several wiper complaints also land here: wipers slow down or quit in rain within the first few hundred miles, which the manufacturer calls a smart wiper motor feature. One report describes a rear passenger window stuck in place.

The rearview camera shows a black or frozen screen in reverse, and parking sensors can fail to warn. One complaint describes a crash while backing out of a driveway. Most complaints involve rearview camera recalls stalled by missing parts or software updates that will not complete, in one case blamed on an aftermarket lift. Damage to the rear wiring loom behind the right rear tire can disable all parking sensors, and one dealer refused to cover that repair under warranty.