279 of the
2,163 complaints filed about the Ford Bronco
are about the braking system —
13% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1994.
I contacted my Ford dealership, and they informed me that the recall is not currently showing as applicable to my VIN. Because my vehicle is experiencing similar issues, the dealership recommended that I contact Ford directly to have my vehicle and VIN reviewed. I would like to request that Ford review my vehicle to determine whether it may be affected by the same issue and whether my VIN could potentially be included in the affected vehicle population. My vehicle intermittently displays a “Check Brake System” warning, with the red brake warning light remaining illuminated. I have also experienced intermittent changes in braking, particularly when initially applying the brakes, where the brake pedal feels harder than normal and requires increased effort to slow or stop the vehicle. This is meaningful overlap between what I am experiencing and the recall description. Now I’m being told to reach back out to Ford, which I’ve done, or file a claim which is this
NHTSA complaint #11758618 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving, I experienced the brakes beginning to fail, followed shortly by a complete loss of engine power. My 2021 Ford Bronco is subject to recall 25S75 (NHTSA 25V455) for a low pressure fuel pump defect that can cause loss of fuel pressure or flow and engine stall. I was stranded on the side of the interstate in 100 degree heat with my newborn in the vehicle. This was a dangerous situation, not a minor inconvenience. I had the vehicle towed to an AAA Car Care Center in Charlotte, NC, where the fuel pump failure was diagnosed. AAA could not perform a repair because the issue falls under an open safety recall. I contacted the Ford Recall Assistance Center and was told no remedy is currently available for recall 25S75. I also visited Capital Ford Charlotte, who confirmed the same, that no remedy exists yet. With the vehicle inoperable and no repair available anywhere, I paid out of pocket for private transport to move the vehicle to my home in Newnan, GA, since Ford could not confirm coverage for towing to my home dealership. As of August 12, 2026, NHTSA materials still list the remedy for 25S75 as under development. My vehicle remains inoperable with no path to repair. This is now also preventing me from selling or trading the vehicle. A dealership (Buford Toyota) declined to even appraise it because it will not run. I am filing this complaint to document that an open, unremedied safety recall directly caused a vehicle failure that endangered myself and my infant child, and continues to leave the vehicle unusable and unsellable months later.
NHTSA complaint #11756704 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is multiple anti lock braking faults that pop up while driving and then go away the next time the vehicle is used. Brake fluid, pads, rotors and calipers all seem to spec and are working at the moment, but major concerns with the software or possible release and reengagement of the emergency brake.
NHTSA complaint #11754883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Flat towing a 2025 Bronco behind a 2025 Newmar Dutchstar using a Blue Ox tow bar with Demco AirForce Braking System. Ford has a setting called neutral towing. It allows you to tow behind a motorhome with brake lights, braking, etc. When the Ford is in neutral tow, and in neutral gear, all 4 wheel roll freely and you can tow safely. What's happening is the Ford is waking up out of neutral tow when the 12V battery gets low. This isn't supposed to happen as there is a 7 Pin electrical connector from the motorhome to the 6 pin electrical connected to the Bronco. Once the 12v battery gets low, the Ford computer wakes up, see's it moving the back tow tires, so the system is applying the emergency brake locking up the 2 back tires. This has now happened three times as we have traveled from [XXX] to [XXX] (had it looked at Crossroads of Ford of Apex where I bought it). I took it in to Schmop Ford in Denver and after almost a deadly accident on XXX near [XXX], to XXX. They found the back two tires destroyed. Ford replaced the tires at no charge, but the issue remains. THIS SUV SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED FOR FLAT TOWING. It is dangerous and could be deadly. You have no way of knowing unless someone else tells you. Thanks to the stranger on XXX on XXX. They told us of our issue so we pulled over. If we were to continue driving the motorhome, the tires would've been totally destroyed, a fire, or cause us to flip over. There are so many complaints on the internet about this issue. You must make Ford fix this issue with a software fix immediately. Don't make my complaint for another unlucky traveler like myself. I have enclosed the back tire picture. You can see one tire with the tread completely gone, the other tire tread missing is not shown. You can also see how the tires are mis-shaped from rubbing across the highway cement. I AM TRYING TO UPLOAD PICTURES BUT YOUR SYSTEM IS GIVING ME AN ERROR FOR A JPEG LESS THAN 10MB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11753632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11747200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Its becoming more frequent and a huge safety issue. When you're driving the car, it feels like the emergency parking brake automatically engages. And when you push the brake pedal, it almost feels like it's dead, meaning there's no pressure back against your foot, which is really unusual for this vehicle, period. You don't necessarily lose control of the car, but you certainly don't have complete control of the braking system, period. Then you are in a period of time to get off the road safely and turn the vehicle off and restart it. Then the system seems to correct itself, and you can drive away. But I'm concerned about this from a safety perspective,
NHTSA complaint #11744499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the highway with standard cruise control (I don't have adaptive cruise) and I went to press the brakes and the brake pedal was SUPER stiff and I had to press unreasonably hard to disengage the cruise control and slow down. When the pedal finally gave, I ended up slamming on the bakes so much that my passenger was startled and we both lurched forward due to our momentum. Afterwards, my brake light light came on, on the dashboard. I went to AutoZone to get a reading and it said it was the brake assist vacuum or something like that. This could have caused a very bad accident in too different ways. One, if I didn't stop in time due to the delayed braking from the stiff pedal or getting rear ended due to inadvertently slamming on the brakes at highway speed.
NHTSA complaint #11744011 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I drive a Standard ‘22 Bronco. Only E-brake works for parking brake when in parking lots and such. My Bronco rolls into oncoming traffic and pedestrians when the e-brake releases. I am former Homeland Security and this unacceptable, as this if my 10th issue with the Ford Bronco! Safety First!
NHTSA complaint #11741910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There has been an SSM release by Ford (SSM 51415) acknowledging that 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles flat towed in neutral may experience inconsistent or unintended ABS (anti-lock brake) module activation while being towed. The ABS module exits sleep mode unexpectedly due to road vibration input during towing, which can cause brake drag or lockup while the vehicle is being flat towed behind a motorhome. This is a safety concern as unexpected braking of the towed vehicle can affect the towing vehicle's stability and control at highway speeds. The vehicle is being operated exactly as documented in the Ford owner's manual, which explicitly supports neutral flat towing. Ford has developed a software update to address this defect but is declining to cover it under warranty or goodwill, instead classifying it as non-covered maintenance. The issue has been confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership who identified SSM 51415 as applicable. A community workaround requiring removal of fuses 28 and 29 to disable the ABS pump has emerged among owners, indicating this is a widespread known issue affecting safety during a manufacturer-approved towing method. Ford should issue a TSB or recall and cover the software correction at no cost to owners.
NHTSA complaint #11740101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 7, 2026 while driving approximately 18 mph, my Ford Bronco 2022 Outerbanks experienced a sudden loss of normal braking assist. The brake pedal became stuck in the upright position requiring excessive force to stop the vehicle. When the brake pedal went down the truck rolled to the curb and I put it in park. There was a warning sign on the dash that flashed and went away. I could not see what it was. Luckily there were no bystanders or other cars on the road at the time. I was near an elementary school at the time. This would have caused a crash or worse if there were pedestrians. I turned the truck off and called the tow. At the dealership they diagnosed and confirmed an electronic brake booster (EBB) failure. This EBB failure mirrors a recent recall from Ford affecting 2025 Broncos. The dealership has refused warranty because I am 6 months outside the warranty period even though I only have 29,960 miles. This is not normal wear and tear. The 2025 recall # is 25V488. This EBB recall may also affect previous years such as mine and should be investigated.
NHTSA complaint #11737162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11735581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Anti lock beake system warning light. Very hard to press brake pedal. Brought immediately to dealership. Was told Brake vacuum hose Part # MB3Z 2420 L. Part is not covered by any warranty standard or extended. Also told this is a known issue SSM 50472. Safety of driver, passengers and public placed in danger.
NHTSA complaint #11735188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the brakes unintendedly engaged. The contact stated that the brakes were intermittently engaged even though the brake pedal was not depressed. The message "Check Braking System" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred several times. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V488000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), 25V823000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that without a fault code, the vehicle could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that dealers were independent. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
NHTSA complaint #11734408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunday April 19 2026, in a drive thru while stopped, the following alerts popped up with their corresponding dash lights: Check Brake System Park Brake limited service function Pre-collision assist not available Service Advance Track Brake pedal lost vacuum / pressure and became hard. Brake would not engage and needed to use electric park brake to stop vehicle. Got out of the drive thru and into an empty parking lot. I tried accelerating and then stopping but vehicle would not stop while pressing the brake. Used e brake again to stop. I turned vehicle off and back on. All errors did not pop up again and there were no lights on the dash. While driving home less then a mile from original incident location, the same errors and brake failure occurred while going 30+ miles per hour. Same issue with a hard brake pedal occurred. This time, if brake pedal was depressed far enough, the e brake would engage but only the rear wheels would lock up and vehicle would skid/slide in order to slow down. I have video recordings of these incidents. Brake system failed as vehicle lost ability to brake at low and high speeds. The loss of brakes could result in a car crash and deaths. The vehicle has been towed to a ford dealer and they are in possession of the vehicle. They are currently investigating the issue. The vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer or authority agency. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the brake system failing. The brakes worked normally and then suddenly failed.
NHTSA complaint #11732854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle brake pedal is very hard to press, unable to push in until the car engine is running. When driving the brake pedal seems it has more pressure and cannot push it to normal level. On the highway it came up brake safety warning when I was in 4Wheel Auto. The pedal stiffness has been checked and confirmed by AutoNation Service. They stated no Warranty or Recall Notice for this issue. The issue is commonly reported by broncos with 2.3L and is determined to be the Brake Booster Vacuum Line. Statements share similar brake pedal stiffness when engine stopped, and engaged stiffness when in 4 wheel mode or Cruise Control, causing driver to put immense pressure on pedal to have the car brake. Before I pay for the parts and long service this clear safety concern should be looked at.
NHTSA complaint #11730801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11729240 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. Component/system that failed/malfunctioned — Braking system (electronic parking brake and brake control modules) combined with electrical/communication defect preventing storage of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Vehicle available for inspection upon request. 2. How safety was put at risk — Repeated "Park Brake Fault – Service Now" and "Brake System Fault" warnings on dash while driving risk sudden loss of parking brake function, reduced braking, or unexpected behavior (e.g., transmission no-engagement beyond walking pace after cold start), impairing safe stopping/control and endangering driver and others. 3. Problem reproduced/confirmed by dealer — Yes — reproduced/confirmed multiple times by authorized Ford dealer (Town & Country Ford, Evansville, IN) across five visits (invoices attached): active brake faults visible on dash during service, yet "no codes found," "unable to verify," "NP no problem found." Examples: [XXX] (30,113 mi) brake fault while driving; [XXX]intermittent parking brake light, no codes; [XXX] transmission slip and brake fault, no codes. 4. Inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others — Inspected only by dealer. Ford CX team contacted (CRM [XXX] , July 2025) but no further inspection/resolution. No police or insurance inspections. 5. Warning lamps/messages prior to failure and when first appeared — "Park Brake Error Message" and "Park Brake Fault" warnings first documented ~25,722 miles (early visits after [XXX] purchase at 13 miles). No-DTC retention defect prevented earlier alerts/diagnosis. Symptoms escalated (transmission slip, cold no-start die-out, brake faults recurring). 6. Additional notes — Out of service >60 cumulative days; loaner restricted to local driving only when provided. Part of Indiana Lemon Law claim (BBB AUTO LINE Case [XXX]). Due to 10-file/10MB upload limit, core documents attached; additional photos, full invoices, loaner agreement, BBB correspondence available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.
NHTSA complaint #11722617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There was a pot hold hole about 30 ft from a stop light. I was coming to a stop but once I hit the pot hole the breaks malfunctioned. I pumped the breaks 2-3 times. They did not reengage. This fault caused me to rear end the car in front of me at the stop light.
NHTSA complaint #11722611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brakes did not engage. Rearended another driver. Have not gotten it to dealer yet. Police report made. Insurance working on claim. Need to get fixed first before getting it to the dealer to check systems. Found warning messages in the Ford app after incident, but nothing on dashboard to signal an issue.
NHTSA complaint #11719992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.