general problems of the 2021 Ford Bronco - part 1

64 problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 2021 Ford Bronco. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2021 Ford Bronco based on all problems reported for the 2021 Bronco.

1 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 12/17/2025

A safety recall was issued on the vehicle with no remedy. The recall was in reference to the engine intake valves and stated; "the engine intake valves may crack and break, which could result in loss of motive power and increase the risk of a crash". It also stated, " prior to losing motive power, an engine malfunction indicator lamp may illuminate in the cluster and the driver may notice that the vehicle is running rough". This issue was the result of Ford manufacturing using a material that had "hardness issues". This all came out prior to the vehicle reaching the end of its warranty mileage. A test was required on the engine at the dealership at which time, the technician determined there was no need to perform the "recall test" (confirmed by video sent to us). On or around Dec. 17th, while my wife was driving the vehicle and entering a gas station, the check engine light came on, and the vehicle began losing power. She parked and immediately contacted the Ford dealership. They advised her to not drive the vehicle and have it towed to the nearest dealership (she was in pennsylvania picking up our daughter from college). It was determined by the dealership in PA. That compression in a cylinder was down 5% and the vehicle needed a new engine. We had the vehicle towed back to virginia and inspected by the dealership who services the vehicle. Parts of the engine were removed for visual inspection at which time a crack intake valve was found, confirming the engine was no good. Also, confirming the issue Ford had stated in its recall. All information and pictures were sent to Ford manufacturing for determination on fixing the problem. Ford has said they will not cover the total cost to make good on their recall because the vehicle was out of warranty (miles were exceeded). How are consumers protected from manufactures taking advantage of mileage? the safety recall was issued long before the warranty ran out. What if my wife had crashed w/ our daughter?.

2 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 11/30/2025

Ford has 3 safety recalls on 2021 Ford Bronco and they have no remedy to fix any of them yet. My car stalled out 3 times now because of the low pressure fuel pump failure recall. I was pulling out into traffic and it stalled out while a car was coming at me. The only solution Ford had was to put old parts in the car which I refused. I asked for a loaner vehicle and they said they don’t have any. Recall warning is going on 6 months. I am at a risk and other people are at a risk having my car on the road, tried lemon law and Ford denied me. Nobody feels safe in my car and someone is going to get seriously hurt if this happens at the wrong time.

3 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/08/2025

I was notified that there is a safety recall on my vehicle and there is no remedy available. I am concerned because of the issue may cause me to stall and likely crash. This is very concerning . I am not sure why there’s not a remedy. I hope there is soon. Please tell me what can be done as soon as possible.

4 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/08/2025

Component or system that failed or malfunctioned: the fuel delivery system, specifically the fuel pump, which is subject to an active safety recall. The recall states that fuel pump failure can result in loss of fuel pressure and flow, leading to engine stall. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: a sudden engine stall while driving would result in an immediate loss of propulsion and power, creating a significant risk of collision, particularly at highway speeds or in traffic. This creates a dangerous situation for the driver, passengers, and surrounding vehicles due to the inability to accelerate or maintain speed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center: the defect has been confirmed by the manufacturer through an official safety recall. At this time, there is no repair remedy available. The vehicle has not yet been repaired due to lack of an available fix. Has the vehicle or component been inspected: the vehicle has not yet been physically inspected for this specific failure because the recall remedy is not available. The defect has been acknowledged by the manufacturer as part of the active recall. Warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to failure: at this time, there is no warning indicating when or if the fuel pump may fail. The recall states the failure may occur without warning. No prior warning lamps or messages have reliably indicated when the failure could occur. Additional information: due to the nature of this defect and the lack of an available repair, I no longer feel the vehicle is safe to operate. The uncertainty of a sudden engine stall has created ongoing safety concerns and financial hardship, as I am responsible for a vehicle that may fail without warning.

5 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 05/28/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle through the roof. While the vehicle was parked, the vehicle started rolling down the hill. The contact stated that the brake pedal was continuously pumping while being depressed. The contact stated that the brake lights were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally failed to start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the battery was replaced. The vehicle was returned to the contact with rust and mold throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case and discussed a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

6 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 04/08/2025

24s55/24v635 when will the recall resolution or test be available? expected q1 has come and gone.

7 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 04/01/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 24v635000 (engine and engine cooling), 25v025000 (suspension), 25v315000 (back over prevention) and 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts for all four recalls were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the rear camera intermittently displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available for NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v025000, 25v315000, and 25v455000. Parts distribution disconnect for NHTSA campaign number: 24v635000.

8 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 04/01/2025

Ford has failed to remediate NHTSA#24v635 by the end of "first quarter of 2025" as they had promised. No updates have been issued. What are they doing?.

9 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 01/02/2025

Ford has issued a recall (24s55) stating the intake valves on the Ford Bronco with engine2. 7l and 3. 0l will harden and crack or break and loss of power. I had the same issue in my 2021 Ford Bronco with the 2. 3l engine while I was driving in the highway I got a check engine light then it started cutting out horribly so I slowed down to pull off the road through a metal gate that was open with a cattle guard and the engine died as I was turning in and loss power steering trying to turn the wheel back in time I didn’t and ended up side swiping the pole and knocking off my side mirror and damaging my front quarter panel along with the front door. No damage to the solid metal pole. But I took my vehicle to the local Ford dealership to see what the issue was and at the time they should have gotten the recall and at least put two and two together and let Ford know about the issue in the 2. 3l also but they didn’t mention anything about the valve being broken but said it had no compression and the spark plug diode was broke off. I’ve never seen a diode and the diodes ground hook break off on its own it’s always been broken off from being hit by something but they said it needed a whole new engine for $13,000 so I took it to another mechanic since that’s always that dealerships go to answer for everything is it needs a new engine so the new mechanic did the same stuff and also used a bore scope but instead of just saying the cylinder was bad he seen the hole in the valve and said it just needs a new head with new valves so since I needed my ride to be able to get to work and for half the price they tore it down and sure enough the valve was cracked with a hole just as they said and just like the recall (24s55) but had that dealership paid attention to safety alerts and ran the issue up with Ford and let them know the same issue had happened in the Bronco with the 2. 3l engines also I wouldn’t be writing this right now. I’d be putting a 5 star review on their page not a 1.

10 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 10/31/2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 24v635000 (engine and engine cooling) and 25v025000 (suspension); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was hydraulic fluid leaking from the vehicle near the rear struts. While driving approximately 35-45 mph, one fluid reservoir on the driver’s side rear strut detached from the vehicle. The contact continued to drive to an independent mechanic. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that both rear struts were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. Additionally, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was towed to another mechanic who replaced the struts. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to request a reimbursement. The failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

11 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 08/16/2024

When driving on the highway and pressing down on the gas pedal, the Bronco immediately stalled without warning. The vehicle gradually slowed down and I was unable to do anything except turn the wheel. I was lucky that there was a shoulder to pull over to. (this time of year there are tons of spots on the highway that there isn't a shoulder to pull over to and could have posed a huge safety issue!) even with the shoulder, large vehicles were driving by at speeds of 80mph with just a few feet of clearance. I was unable to start the vehicle after multiple attempts. Electrical power to the vehicle still worked. I had to call a tow truck and tow us the remaining way to our destination. After several hours (roughly 3 hours) the vehicle was able to start again. I drove to the dealership to have them look at it. They could only tell me that it was a low fuel pressure incident and could not replicate it. They said could just be "bad gas". This same exact incident -vehicle stalling while driving and pressing on the gas pedal, without any warning, has happened two additional times since this major incident. I took it to another dealer to have it looked at again and they said almost the exact same thing. System shows a low fuel pressure event but that they can't replicate it. I believe it could be tied to the NHTSA action number pe24019 that is currently under investigation. This is an extremely dangerous issue and wildly unpredictable that could leave me stranded or hit on the side of the road at anytime. Additionally, it's frustrating to see the possible issue under investigation for recall since July 2024 (before any of my issues) and have neither of the two dealerships tell me this information after I specifically asked if there had been any similar incidents reported. I had to do my own research to find this. Please help! please recall!.

12 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/07/2024

Bronco lost power, crank no start, 24 miles from a maintained road. Left us stranded and required 5 jeeps to recover vehicle to pavement before having it towed to dealer 172 miles away. Extremely dangerous situation to lose power descending a steep hill and leaving vehicle stranded miles off road in 100+ degree weather. Low fuel pressure dtc captured, possible loss of fuel pump, several similar reports on [xxx] . Currently at dealership for diag and warranty work. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

13 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 05/02/2024

Week and half ago engine started idling real rough, sputtering, then drove about 100 yds. Engine conked out in middle of intersection and would not restart. Was dangerous because had 3 grandchildren in back seat. Because engine wouldn’t start I had trouble trying to get it in neutral to push vehicle to side of road. Had to walk grand kids back to their house. Got a aaa tow approximately 35 miles to Ford dealer where purchased. There were no warning messages prior to engine failure except the rough idle and sputtering vehicle was diagnosed as a fuel pump failure, but vehicle is still at dealership over 10 days awaiting parts.

14 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 03/04/2024

2. 7 engine failure while accelerating on to a hwy. Loss of acceleration and power. I was unable to get fully off the road. Engine was replaced under warranty only 3,636 miles on car. No warning lights prior to this failure. Once engine failed and started smoking the check engine light came on.

15 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 12/26/2023

Four hours into a drive today, going down a fairly steep hill @ ~30mph into a 4 point intersection my Bronco lost all power, brakes and steering. I mean it had nothing. We barely made it thru the intersection because the cars coming directly at us slammed brakes. I had no control and went off the road into someone’s yard, barely missing their fence. It was the scariest thing we’ve ever encountered. My son in the back screaming stop at the top of his lungs is burned in my brain. What makes all of this worse is that Ford just had it in the shop for 3 days because the week before when they had my Bronco in the shop for yearly inspection/oil change and under their care it had the first symptoms of this issue. I received an app notice of a battery failure and at their request because of this new issue they wanted my car for a “longer look” the following week. Today was first time driving it since they handed it back to me (I use the valet service that picks up and drops it back to me). Ford could come back and say they will give us a new car and there’s no way I can ever convince my wife to get back in this car. She was absolutely freaked out as the cars coming towards us would have drilled her door. It took Ford 4 hours to come 17 miles to tow us (probably a contractor) to the local Ford dealer that was closed by the time it arrived. We had to uber to enterprise and then drive the rental home four hours.

16 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 11/05/2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and the accelerator pedal became inoperable. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty fuel pump inside the fuel tank and a faulty fuel module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was advised to call NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 16,900.

17 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 09/10/2023

Good day! Bronco 2021 (VIN 1fmee5dp4mla68250) - my engine suddenly broken while driving - I heard some unusual clicks-knocks from the engine side, check engine lamp apperared. I stopped vehicle, look under the hood and saw puddle of oil under the engine (car mileage about 7000 miles). Service man said that I should buy a new engine - old one broken with no chance of repair. . . How can you help me? thanks.

18 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 03/02/2023

Driving on the highway, the check engine light came on. I felt a loss of power in the vehicle, and couldn't accelerate. I was able to pull over put the car in park and turn it off. When I tried to turn it on, there was no power. Had to get it towed to the dealership to replace the engine.

19 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 12/25/2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the accelerator pedal however, the engine failed to engage, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified, and the contact was scheduled and appointment for the following month. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

20 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 10/22/2022

I have reported this prior (complaint number 11481579). Another total catastrophic shut down of the vehicle occurred while my son was driving causing a near miss fatal rear ending on a busy road. The vehicle loses all power and electrical for no reason while being driven. Only after 5-10 min can the vehicle be restarted. I am reporting this story to new agency so I recommend the NHTSA take issue seriously.

21 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 10/14/2022

Check engine light came on and I took it into the dealership. They found the codes and confirmed low compression in cylinder 6. Was told I needed a new engine.

22 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 09/17/2022

My car went from 50 mph to nothing. Lost power. Coasted to the side of the road barely avoiding traffic. Dark road, sheriff had to sit behind car so I was not rear ended in pitch dark had to be towed to the dealer. One week later dealer uncertain. Likely complete engine failure maybe fuel valve less than one year old. 11,000 miles.

23 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 09/09/2022

I was driving about 65mph on a bridge when my engine completely shut down. I barely was able to coast to the end of the bridge and was almost struck by multiple vehicles. This is a new Bronco with 3000 miles on it. I see they had problems with this in the 6 cylinder but I have the 4 cylinder and this happened. Also when u got to the side of the road every single warning light in the vehicle went off. There was no warning sign. No previous issue. It just happened out of the blue and I could have been killed because of this. My wife was in the vehicle with me and was terrified. Then it took 4 hrs to get a tow truck to get us using road side assistance. Now I'm out a brand new vehicle for god knows how long and have no transportation.

24 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 08/26/2022

While driving approximately 40 mph the engine just shut off and the car stopped without warning on an extremely busy road. I could not turn the car back on at all and had to have someone help me push the Bronco to the side of the road. My Bronco had only about 3,500-4,000 miles on it and is less than a year old. About 5 months earlier I did hear a strange and very faint tapping noise from the engine right around the wheel base when I drove under 35 mph. About a week or two after I noticed this noise, it then went away. When I was at the Ford dealership getting an additional key programmed for my Bronco, I asked if they had heard of such an issue or if they thought it was something they should look into. They thought it was just a new car working out new car sounds.

25 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 08/09/2022

Engine failed and replaced under warranty.

26 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/15/2022

July 15, 2022 - lost power on i80 during heavy traffic. I had to pull to the side as I could not accelerate. Luckily it restarted and I was able to get home. I took it in for service at the dealership the next day (engine light did not come on until the next morning). I was told it was an issue with the catalytic converter and parts were on backorder but it was safe to drive until the part came in. 3 days ago, on Saturday July 30th, I was in my driveway getting to leave and my Bronco wouldn't start, it turned over briefly and then died. The engine made a loud 'knocking' noise and then complete silence. This was a Saturday so they couldn't schedule a tow until until Monday, its been at the dealership for 2 days and they are waiting to hear back from an engineer. I know it's covered under warranty but I think a recall should be issued before someone dies. I was driving about 60-65 mph when I lost acceleration. There was construction ahead but thankfully, it happened before an off ramp. If it hadn't happened in that spot, I wouldn't have had a shoulder to pull over to.

27 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/15/2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph he heard a ticking sound from the engine and then a grinding noise and the engine stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated at that moment. The contact came to a safe stop. The contact stated that once stopped numerous warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle and it had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,812.

28 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/05/2022

Multiple times the engine has failed to respond to the accelerator pedal when engaged from a cold stop. The delayed response has happened several times while attempting to merge into moving traffic so even a 1 second delay is both dangerous and scary from a driver perspective. The vehicle was taken in for service recently and no problems were identified after mechanic testing. However, I wonder if this problem is related to the ongoing investigation of defective valves in the 2. 7l ecoboost engine.

29 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 07/01/2022

Very rough idle, rpm’s bounce and do not stay smooth at all. Have 10,000 miles, has run rough since purchase. Getting worse as we accumulate miles. Will be taking to dealer very soon. Not throwing a code or light yet, but obviously something is wrong.

30 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 06/10/2022

Engine died, won’t start again.

31 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 06/08/2022

8:28pm 6. 8. 2022 - Bronco was towing 1 boat on a single axle trailer (total weight less than 3000lbs). - first soft top convertible roof panel was open - music playing at medium volume to drown out adjacent highway noise - heading ne on the highway 820 feeder road. - stopped at stop sign at intersection of cahoba drive. - pulled out of intersection and was traveling on a slight uphill at 18pmh - interior of vehicle smelled sweet and we noticed white smoke filling behind the vehicle - warning lights for battery (red battery) and service (wrench) came on and then a warning to stop vehicle and restart engine. This coincided with a sudden decrease in power. - pulled to the side of the road to a safe position and powered off the engine, allowed several minutes for it to cool then attempted to restart the engine with no luck. Service (wrench) light turned off and check engine light came on. - open hood to allow engine too continue to cool and to check for exterior engine damage. - documented current state of vehicle with photos. - had Ford tow to grapevine Ford in grapevine, TX. 8am 6. 9. 2022 - service advisor reached out to confirm vehicle was in shop and would be looked at this week. - I advised that based on the engine build date on the engine sticker, this vehicle was in the batch of potentially faulty valves from the lima facility. He said he and Ford had no knowledge of potentially faulty valves and that the tech would perform the necessary checks. 10am 6. 10. 2022 - service advisor & manager reached out to advise that one spark plug was sheared off and that the engine would need to be replaced and possibly the turbos; fomoco would confirm what to replace. They actively avoided any discussion of the valves and did not respond when I mentioned them. I verbally requested copies of all videos/photos/reports related to my vehicle and access to parts. 1pm - I requested via text message to scott service advisor access to the my request above. Dealer to follow up next week.

32 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 06/08/2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made clicking sounds and then lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 923.

33 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 05/17/2022

On may 17th at 6,800 miles my motor randomly experienced catastrophic engine failure and has been at the Ford dealership since. The dealership has not told me anything on how or why this happened other than the motor needs to be replaced. The dealer received the new motor on June 22nd.

34 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 05/13/2022

According the the service department at the dealership, the valves on my vehicle's engine failed and caused a complete engine failure.

35 Engine And Engine Cooling problem

Failure Date: 05/05/2022

Engine failure. My wife was driving the vehicle and was enveloped in smoke and the engine stopped and she was stuck in the middle lane of a busy road in rush hour. A dangerous section of road a few miles from our house. I drove down and gave her my SUV and then called aaa who towed it to the dealership. The motor was dead. The vehicle was towed to future Ford of sacramento. They then diagnosed it a few days later and informed us that it is a complete engine failure and that it will take several months to get the vehicle back to us. There were no warning lights or any warning prior to the engine stopping and a large amount of smoke to the point that my wife thought the whole vehicle was on fire. Four people stopped to help her and get her to the side of the road.


Other Engine And Engine Cooling related problems of the 2021 Ford Bronco


Bronco Service Bulletins
Bronco Safety Recalls
Bronco Defect Investigations