Owners have filed 10 complaints
about the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport with NHTSA between 2026 and 2026.
The largest single group is the other & unspecified.
Across this model's run it ranks 6 of 6 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 1
Against the median year of the Ford Bronco Sport. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2026 compares with every other Ford Bronco Sport
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2026 Ford Bronco Sport
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Other & Unspecified
440.0%
Engine & Cooling
220.0%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
110.0%
Wheels
110.0%
Electrical System
110.0%
Transmission & Drivetrain
110.0%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
May 2026peak 3Sep 2026
Recalls on the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 20264113,221 units in Canada
Engine
Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine pistons may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the pistons may crack and cause the engine to fail. If this happens, there could be a sudden loss of power to the wheels. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 1.5 L or 2.3 L engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine.
Recall 2026259815 units in Canada
Suspension
Issue: On certain vehicles, the front lower ball joint(s) may not have been installed correctly on the steering knuckle(s). As a result, the front lower ball joint(s) could separate and cause a loss of steering control. Safety Risk: A loss of steering control could create a risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk Ford advises you not to drive your vehicle until the recall repairs are completed. Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to contact a dealer to arrange for an inspection. The dealer will repair the front steering knuckle(s), as necessary.
Recall 2026162405 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat occupant classification system (OCS) may not work properly. As a result, the airbag system may turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: This problem would cause the supplemental restraint system (SRS) malfunction indicator to display on the instrument panel, a warning to display in the driver information center and the airbag indicator light to display ''Passenger Airbag OFF''. Safety Risk: An airbag system that doesn't work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the front passenger seat occupant classification sensor.
Recall 202562729,371 units in Canada
Visual System
Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the instrument panel cluster not to display when the vehicle is started. As a result, you may not be able to see certain information about the vehicle, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and malfunction tell-tales. Safety Risk: Warnings, tell-tales and gauges that don't display could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the instrument panel cluster module software.
Recall 202528140,428 units in Canada
Engine
Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine block heater could overheat when the block heater is plugged in. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 1.5 L or 2.0 L engine and a factory-installed block heater. Safety Risk: An engine block heater and/or wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, Ford advises you not to plug in the engine block heater until the recall repairs have been completed. Ford will notify owners by mail. You can choose to have the dealer remove the block heater, or once the final repair is available, Ford will send you another notice to advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the block heater element. The dealer will also inspect and, if necessary, replace the block heater electrical cord.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Parlin, NJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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 recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11762809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North East, MD
WHEELS
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 the flat out for my spare tire. When I went to the trunk to look for the spare tire, I discovered that there was no spare tire, wheel jack or lug wrench in the vehicle. The manufacturer had entirely omitted this essential safety equipment, replacing it with a chemical sealant and inflator kit. Realizing I was stranded in a dangerous area with zero physical means to replace the wheel left me immediately shocked, frightened and highly vulnerable on a busy road. The inadequacy of this setup was later validated by the dealership’s manager who admitted he suffered the exact same issue in a similar Ford vehicle and had to pay more than $500 out of pocket because the inflator kit failed him. He also informed me Ford is not the only company to implement this seriously flawed equipment elimination policy. Substituting liquid foam for a physical wheel assembly under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards is a critical public safety hazard that leaves motorists defenseless.
NHTSA complaint #11762418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North East, MD
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 the flat out for my spare tire. When I went to the trunk to look for the spare tire, I discovered that there was no spare tire, wheel jack or lug wrench in the vehicle. The manufacturer had entirely omitted this essential safety equipment, replacing it with a chemical sealant and inflator kit. Realizing I was stranded in a dangerous area with zero physical means to replace the wheel left me immediately shocked, frightened and highly vulnerable on a busy road. The inadequacy of this setup was later validated by the dealership’s manager who admitted he suffered the exact same issue in a similar Ford vehicle and had to pay more than $500 out of pocket because the inflator kit failed him. He also informed me Ford is not the only company to implement this seriously flawed equipment elimination policy. Substituting liquid foam for a physical wheel assembly under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards is a critical public safety hazard that leaves motorists defenseless.
NHTSA complaint #11762418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mcminnville, TN
POWER TRAIN
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 store resulting in sudden loss of transmission fluid. The transmission fluid blew all over the engine compartment when this occurred The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership where it remains as of today (one week after the incident occurred). The issue has been confirmed by the Ford dealer. There were zero warning lamps or messages, but there was a smell of something burning. When the vehicle was parked, fluid poured out on the garage floor and continued to leak until it was put on a tow truck. We have a case number with Ford and are trying to see if there is an option for Ford to buy the vehicle back or to work with us on replacing it due to the incident and the vehicle being approximately two months old. Had we been driving at highway speed or were further from home, this could have resulted in an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11761016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mcminnville, TN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 store resulting in sudden loss of transmission fluid. The transmission fluid blew all over the engine compartment when this occurred The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership where it remains as of today (one week after the incident occurred). The issue has been confirmed by the Ford dealer. There were zero warning lamps or messages, but there was a smell of something burning. When the vehicle was parked, fluid poured out on the garage floor and continued to leak until it was put on a tow truck. We have a case number with Ford and are trying to see if there is an option for Ford to buy the vehicle back or to work with us on replacing it due to the incident and the vehicle being approximately two months old. Had we been driving at highway speed or were further from home, this could have resulted in an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11761016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Information panel warning lights on dash or wiring system short I was driving at a slow speed and without warning my hood flies up and shatters the windshield and truck flies open dropping all my luggage out
NHTSA complaint #11754239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Long Beach, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2026 Bronco SportDescription Your vehicle may display a blank instrument panel cluster ipc screen upon startup. This may occur when the vehicle is restarted within a specific time interval after turning the vehicle off. Safety Risk A blank ipc screen will prevent the driver from seeing critical vehicle information such as the speedometer, warning lights, and warning messages. The inability to see this information increases the risk of a crash. Remedy Software is now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to update the instrument panel cluster free of charge. Next Steps Contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service. NOTE: Recall incomplete Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11743715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Long Beach, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2026 Bronco SportDescription Your vehicle may display a blank instrument panel cluster ipc screen upon startup. This may occur when the vehicle is restarted within a specific time interval after turning the vehicle off. Safety Risk A blank ipc screen will prevent the driver from seeing critical vehicle information such as the speedometer, warning lights, and warning messages. The inability to see this information increases the risk of a crash. Remedy Software is now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to update the instrument panel cluster free of charge. Next Steps Contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service. NOTE: Recall incomplete Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11743715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Long Beach, CA
ENGINE
2026 Bronco SportDescription Your vehicle may display a blank instrument panel cluster ipc screen upon startup. This may occur when the vehicle is restarted within a specific time interval after turning the vehicle off. Safety Risk A blank ipc screen will prevent the driver from seeing critical vehicle information such as the speedometer, warning lights, and warning messages. The inability to see this information increases the risk of a crash. Remedy Software is now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to update the instrument panel cluster free of charge. Next Steps Contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service. NOTE: Recall incomplete Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11743715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Niagara Falls, NY
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Adaptive +predictive cruise control malfunction causing 1) sudden vehicle acceleration and 2) Cruise on but disengaged suddenly engaged and set a higher speed than originally set. Merged into light traffic on 4 lane interstate, no other vehicles within 200yds or so. Turned on, then set cruise control at 70mph, about 10 seconds later I felt the car surge, I looked down, saw the cruise indicator now showed 80, tapped the brakes to disengage. About 2 miles later repeated the same but was watching and vehicle repeated same behavior, I turned the system off. About 2 miles later I repeated the same with the same result. Each time set to 70 and within 10-20 seconds vehicle accelerated to a self set higher speed - 80. Problem 2, a few miles later, after a merge onto another interstate the speed limit changed tried this again except this time, as a came out of the curve (doing about 45mph) I turned the cruise on, a few seconds later I look down and watch the cruise indicator turn from white (on but not engaged) to green (on and engaged) without touching the set button. On the return trip I duplicated the acceleration twice more. 4 days later dealership service called to confirm that they reproduced problem 1 and were in contact with the manufacturer for how to proceed. No warning lights or messages, dealership service stated no fault codes.
NHTSA complaint #11738770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.