Ford Bronco Sport transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11758228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Both the valve included in Ford's TSB 24-2185 and the clutch pack included in TSB 26-2328 both defaulted in the vehicle, causing debris and metal shavings to accumulate in the RDU which resulted in pitting of the gears and parts. This has resulted in a complete RDU replacement. The vehicle has only 65,700 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11757469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle was slowing down after leaving a stop light and within a short distance completely shut down no lights no power nothing wouldnt start to put in neutral so we can get it from the middle of traffic on a 2 lane highway. After about 15 minutes of trying to see what the issues was it turned over and we put the car in gear and pushed ot to the side of the road

NHTSA complaint #11757286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Oil pump solenoid has been replaced 3 times and the vehicle is under 100,000 miles. There is a low oil light illuminates on dash board in addition to acceleration lose and a white smoke coming from under the hood and the back end of the vehicle. The 6th or 7th time this happened the Bronco had to be towed. There were many more problems included in this tow, powertrain failure, engine misfire, loss of power, crackling, popping sound from under the hood.

NHTSA complaint #11756393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety concern involving the transmission in my 2022 Ford Bronco Sport equipped with the 1.5L engine and 8-speed automatic transmission (8F35). I purchased this vehicle new in May 2022 with approximately 6 miles on it. At approximately 83,000 miles, the vehicle displayed a “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power” warning through FordPass. The notification stated that a transmission clutch had not applied within the expected amount of time and warned that I may experience limited functionality, including unavailable gears. I took the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership, All Star Ford Denham Springs, for diagnosis. On August 4, 2026, the dealership informed me in writing that the vehicle has an internal transmission failure and metal in the transmission fluid. The technician determined that the transmission requires complete replacement. I was subsequently quoted approximately $13,000 for the repair. I am concerned that an internal transmission failure of this nature could result in reduced propulsion, unavailable gears, abnormal shifting, or loss of vehicle mobility, particularly if the failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven. Thus being it did fail in the middle of a highway with the gas pedal no longer working. The car was then towed to the dealership and would not even go into neutral to remove the car from the trailer I am requesting that NHTSA review this failure and determine whether similar transmission/clutch failures are occurring in other 2022 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 8F35 transmission and whether this represents a broader safety defect. Ford has previously issued Customer Satisfaction Program 22B38 involving certain 2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 8F35 transmission. That program described a manufacturing issue involving a transmission clutch component and a potential long-term durability concern. I understand that my vehicle has not been confirmed to be included in that program

NHTSA complaint #11755823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety concern involving the transmission in my 2022 Ford Bronco Sport equipped with the 1.5L engine and 8-speed automatic transmission (8F35). I purchased this vehicle new in May 2022 with approximately 6 miles on it. At approximately 83,000 miles, the vehicle displayed a “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power” warning through FordPass. The notification stated that a transmission clutch had not applied within the expected amount of time and warned that I may experience limited functionality, including unavailable gears. I took the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership, All Star Ford Denham Springs, for diagnosis. On August 4, 2026, the dealership informed me in writing that the vehicle has an internal transmission failure and metal in the transmission fluid. The technician determined that the transmission requires complete replacement. I was subsequently quoted approximately $13,000 for the repair. I am concerned that an internal transmission failure of this nature could result in reduced propulsion, unavailable gears, abnormal shifting, or loss of vehicle mobility. Which it did in the middle of a airline hwy in baton rouge, La I am requesting that NHTSA review this failure and determine whether similar transmission/clutch failures are occurring in other 2022 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 8F35 transmission and whether this represents a broader safety defect. Ford has previously issued Customer Satisfaction Program 22B38 involving certain 2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with the 8F35 transmission. That program described a manufacturing issue involving a transmission clutch component and a potential long-term durability concern. I understand that my vehicle has not been confirmed to be included in that program, and I am not claiming that it caused my failure. I am providing this information because of the similarity to the clutch-related warning and subsequent internal transmission failure diagnosed in my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11756077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My transmission is surging at low speeds all the way from takeoff to about 60mph. No engine or transmission codes.

NHTSA complaint #11755597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

ENGINE SPUTTERING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. RECALL IS STILL NOT RESOLVED REGARDING COMPUTER UPDATE AT THIS TIME AND DEALERSHIP SAID NO CODE NO REPAIR FOR OVER A YEAR. NOW I MUST REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE ISSUE MANY TSB ISSUED FOR THE POWERTRAIN ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11754758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I've had a Blindspot warning light alert, told by dealership this is an electrical issue, after a web search, I see this is a common and known issue for Ford, yet no recall has been issued. I also have another know, common powertrain issue with my rear differential. The vehicle makes noise when turning, unstable when driving. The vehicle is less than 5yrs old and under 60k miles. Both issues are safety issues and could cause an electrical fires or vehicle stalling. I am scheduled for a 2nd inspection on 7/31 and hopefully repair.

NHTSA complaint #11753350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When making a slower turn mainly when turning to the right or backing up to the right the RS rear wheel is intermittently locking upor dragging and letting loose multiple times in a row. It does it turning to the left but not as bad. This issue causes the vehicle to not want to drive correctly or want to move especially when at an intersection turning right so I have to give it excessive gas to get it going, this issue also is making it very dangerous when pulling out when on a busier road or highway . I had my Laporte, Indiana Ford dealership check it out and they agree with me on the issue it's having, they said it's the drive internals in the rear end are bad possibly due to a faulty vent tube that lets water and dirt into the rear end causing the fluid to get contaminated, Ford knows about this issue and has a update vent tube. So I'm having to pay For the repairs myself $3000.00 and the dealership said it may take a month to get the parts, I asked them what will happen if I keep driving my vehicle till/if/or whenever it gets fixed their response was it will get worse and eventually detonate and destroy itself. While pulling out onto a busy road that isn't remotely safe! This issue started about two weeks ago around the second week of July 2026 and appears to be getting progressly worse, no warning lights at all came on it started speraticly but is constant now.

NHTSA complaint #11753173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle’s drivetrain or all-wheel-drive system appears to be malfunctioning. During turns, the vehicle runs rough, feels as though it is binding or shuddering, and becomes harder to accelerate. The exact failed component has not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, and I have a service appointment scheduled in approximately two weeks. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The reduced acceleration and rough operation while turning make the vehicle respond unpredictably. This could prevent me from accelerating safely through an intersection, entering traffic, or avoiding another vehicle or hazard. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. The problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I have an appointment scheduled in approximately two weeks for inspection and diagnosis. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. The vehicle and suspected component have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. An inspection appointment is scheduled in approximately two weeks. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared. The symptoms consisted of rough running, shuddering or binding while turning, and reduced acceleration. The symptoms first appeared recently when the vehicle had approximately 48,000 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11752642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle was parked in a parking lot. When starting the vehicle and trying to put it into reverse, it would not backup. Vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The transmission had gears stripped and was due to a failure of the shift module of the vehicle. The vehicle had under 67,000 miles on it. There were no issues with the shift module or transmission up until this point.

NHTSA complaint #11752441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the transmission was lagging. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The failure was a persistent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA complaint #11752499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

This is a fourth occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893, 11750183, and 11751201. The vehicle was previously diagnosed and repaired under warranty for the same 'Shift System Fault: Service Required' condition (transmission main control valve body replacement, RO #609213, completed July 21, 2026). Approximately 14 hours after pickup, on July 22, 2026, the identical fault recurred, the Check Engine light illuminated, and the vehicle died while driving. The vehicle was towed to Bowen Scarff Ford in Kent, WA and checked in the same day (RO #609522) for further diagnosis. This is now the second documented repair attempt for the same defect.

NHTSA complaint #11752473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. While the contact’s daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud popping sound coming from the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. After parking the vehicle, the contact discovered that the vehicle failed to reverse. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission clutch had failed and there were metal fragments inside the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA complaint #11751493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

This is a third occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893 and 11750183. On July 15, 2026, at approximately 7:30-7:42 AM, while driving to a scheduled Ford service appointment, the vehicle exhibited hesitation and delayed acceleration at multiple intersections, not isolated to one location. Although the vehicle's auto start-stop feature has been manually disabled, the hesitation at each stop felt similar to that feature engaging and re-engaging the engine. The vehicle then stalled completely at an intersection and would not move for approximately 10 minutes. The check engine light illuminated for the first time during this incident. Kent Police Department was contacted, event number 2026-44221. The vehicle was subsequently dropped off at a Ford dealership on July 15, 2026 for diagnosis under warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11751201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

This is a second occurrence of the Shift System Fault previously reported in NHTSA complaint 11749893. On July 13, 2026, while parked, the vehicle again displayed a 'Shift System Fault - Service Required' warning, followed by a 'Service Vehicle Soon' message. The vehicle would not shift out of Park. This incident was captured on video, which is available upon request. The vehicle has an appointment scheduled with a Ford dealership for diagnosis under warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11750183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving home and stopped at a red light, the dashboard displayed a "Service Required" warning followed immediately by a "Shift System Fault" message. The vehicle would not accelerate and stalled in the middle of the road with traffic going around me. I was unable to move the vehicle until I was able to restart it, which took at minimum 2 tries and 5 minutes. The warning cleared after restarting but the vehicle had been purchased 11 days prior with only 18,241 miles. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer but I am scheduled to take it in for inspection. No prior warning lamps appeared before this incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA complaint #11749893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

It was Memorial Day and I was picking my bicycle up from my brother’s house. As I turned out onto the main road, my car stalled. Battery light on, auto start/stop blinking and car rattling. The car also gave me a note on the dash saying it needed to be in park. Took it to the dealer and they told me that a new transmission was required but haven’t been willing or able to give me the finer details of what is wrong with the transmission until they disassemble it. They wanted to make me pay $5 just for that and that is way out of budget for me. I come to find out recently that Ford is in the news again. This time for faulty transmissions and they seemed to care less to help me out financially. They know these transmissions are bad. I know that my car is not tied to the recall regarding transmissions in the 2018-21 Navigators, Expeditions or Explorers, but the dealer gave me an error code of P07E4 which sounds VERY SIMILAR to this issue with these 2018-21 cars referenced earlier. I feel lucky that i wasn’t on the highway or anything when this happened.

NHTSA complaint #11748793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Continuously when I am driving the vehicle, it will randomly loose acceleration and come to an almost complete stop when driving, including on major interstates.

NHTSA complaint #11747377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.