Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and steering. The 11 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Two recalls on this model year told owners to stop driving until the repair was done.
Do not buy until you have dealer paperwork or a recall lookup showing they were completed for this VIN.
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/11 checked
2025 Ford Bronco: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/4
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Ford Bronco. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 4WD | 20 mpg |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4WD | 20 mpg |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4WD | 15 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Ford Bronco, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The instrument cluster goes blank, taking the speedometer and fuel gauge with it. It can happen at startup or while driving. Sometimes the display comes back after a restart or several minutes on the road. One case appeared at about 80 miles, and a dealer said the cluster needed replacing. Other reports describe the audio cutting out completely, including Bluetooth calls and navigation prompts, and repeated blind spot and cross traffic alert faults. One report describes sudden acceleration and no brakes while reversing, ending in a collision with a house.
Most of these reports are lists of open recalls rather than new failures. The recalls cover loose or missing upper ball joint fasteners, a do-not-drive inspection of the front lower arm fasteners, transmission valve body replacement, and cylinder head inspection or replacement. On manual cars, one clutch slave cylinder failed at 783 miles and burned out the clutch, and Ford blamed driver misuse. Another report describes the engine refusing to rev above about 800 RPM after a missed downshift, then stalling. The owner says it happens repeatedly in traffic.
The wheel jerks or moves on its own at highway speed, and two of the three reports involve crashes. In one, the wheel was jerked from the driver's hands on an interstate. The vehicle rolled over, the right front wheel assembly was found sheared off, and the owner points to a steering-related recall. Another owner reports the wheel moving by itself several times on highways. A third crash, with an injury, is filed here but involves the instrument cluster going black during a lane merge.
Braking is lost entirely. One of the two reports involves a crash with an injury. In the other, the brakes, ABS, EBB, and collision detection all faulted at once shortly after the driver switched from the 4A mode back to 2H in single-digit cold. Only the electronic parking brake still worked, and it then threw an overheat warning. The driver got off the road using the parking brake and engine braking. This is a serious loss-of-control risk.
Rear seat belt buckles stop holding the belt tongue, so passengers cannot buckle up. In one case a dealer refused warranty coverage and quoted $700 to replace the buckles. The owner then found a bent belt tongue jammed in the buckle and freed it with a screwdriver. In the second report, a rear belt failed to retract and hung out the door far enough to catch under a rear tire, jerking the car to a hard stop. At least one of these reports concerns the Bronco Sport.
The LED headlights ice over in freezing drizzle, sleet, or slush because they do not give off enough heat to melt buildup. In one case visibility dropped within 15 minutes of driving. Both reports describe nighttime visibility getting dangerously poor and drivers repeatedly pulling onto the shoulder during storms to scrape the lenses by hand. Both owners treat this as a design problem for cold climates, not a part that failed.
Excerpts from complaints Bronco owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While slowly backing into our home garage, the vehicle accelerated brakes were not working and smashed into the side of the house, put the car in drive to move it. It accelerated forward over correcting and drove into our power box and came to a halt. No brakes were working and the wheels/steering locked up.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
The slave Cylinder failed causing the clutch to not fully disengage burning out the clutch at only 783 miles on the vehicle. Ford headquarters claims driver misuse, dealership disagrees at such low mileage.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2025
2025 Bronco Sport Safety Recalls* Replace instrument panel cluster Recall incomplete Block heater element replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head inspectionreplacement Recall incomplete DO NOT DRIVE! RECOMMENDED TO REPORT NATIONAL ALERT FOR OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE TYPE. INVESTOR REPORTING FOR BROADCAST RECALL ALERT!
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 5 Bronco years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Ford dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
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.
Risk: A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle steering and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. Dealers will inspect and verify that the lower control arm fasteners are tightened properly. If a fastener is loose or missing, the dealer will replace the fastener. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S48.
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.
Risk: A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle steering and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. Dealers will inspect and verify that the ball joint fastener is tightened properly. If a fastener is loose or missing, the dealer will replace the ball joint and knuckle assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in April 2025. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S40.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electronic brake booster, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed December 15, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in January 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 3, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC3.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting.".
Risk: In the event of a crash, windshield detachment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace the windshield, free charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 20, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C52. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The EBB module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S77.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 11, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. The parts are anticipated to be available the fourth quarter of 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco four-door vehicles. The left-hand rear door may be able to be opened from inside the vehicle when the child safety lock is in the "ON" position.
Risk: A malfunctioning child safety lock that allows a rear door to be opened unintentionally can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear door latch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S64.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco vehicles. The active vent flap on the passenger side may prevent the air bag from deploying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C27.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The bolts that secure the driver's seat frame to the body may be loose or missing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems.".
Risk: A seat with loose or missing fasteners may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the seat fasteners and tighten or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 23, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C16.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. The front upper control arm ball joint fastener may be missing or tightened improperly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.
Risk: A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle steering and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the ball joint fastener as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 23, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S45.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
Risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco Sport, Escape, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may not illuminate at startup or while driving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" as well as FMVSS numbers 126, 108, 135, 138, 208, and 305.
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C02.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Ranger, and 2024-2025 Bronco vehicles. The front upper control arm ball joint nut may not have been installed or tightened properly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.
Risk: A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle steering and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and verify that the ball joint fastener is tightened properly. If a fastener is loose or missing, the dealer will replace the ball joint and knuckle assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 20, 2024. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S64.
Cars shoppers compare with the Ford Bronco, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
