Service Brakes Problems of Ford Bronco - part 1

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Bronco 🔎.

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.

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.

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).

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Bronco 🔎.

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!.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Bronco 🔎.

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.

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,.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Brake system makes horrible noises, abs goes wild, brakes click from controller when pedal is pressed.

See all problems of the 2024 Ford Bronco 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Bronco 🔎.

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.

Brake fault warning occurring continuously. Seems to be a wide issue with Broncos 2021-2025. The brakes become “squishy” and have to push them to the floor to stop.

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.

I have experienced three total brake failures in my 2025 Ford Bronco. During the most recent incident on 2-18-2026 the brake pedal traveled completely to the floorboard, requiring extreme force and multiple pumps to stop the vehicle. This appears to be the exact failure described in Ford recall 25s77 (NHTSA campaign 25v488) regarding the electronic brake booster (ebb) module. The vehicle was presented to suntrup Ford twice previously for this issue, but the defect was not corrected. I am reporting a life-threatening safety failure. After February 18th 2026 brake failure I had Bronco towed to suntrup Ford in kirkwood missouri and that's where it will stay. I am too frightened to drive it again.

When braking(going down hill) the Bronco comes to a complete stop and the brakes feel good. But a split second after the full stop, the truck starts to creep forward for about a foot and then you hear a "click noise" and the truck abruptly stops. This is a very scary feeling wondering if your gonna roll into cross traffic. This happens every morning(once every day) and the rest of the day the brakes feel good. This issue has been happening for the last 7 days. I made an appointment with Ford dealer to look at it. Service writer tried looking up any recalls or complaints on this issue and couldn't find anything? on the Broncog6 forum online, there apparently are other Bronco owners complaining about the same issue. One owner (online) stated that the dealer reprogrammed the abs system and his truck hasn't repeated the creep anymore. There haven't been any brake, abs or any warning lamps at all when this happens. This really needs to be resolved before someone get injured.

Loss of braking. Note weather was cold in single digits fahrenheit and midly snowy. I drove my 2025 Ford Bronco that was purchased in octorber about 20 minutes to drop off my child at daycare. Going into the daycare I turned to slippery/4a mode. After about 5 minutes inside I pulled out and switched back to normal/2h mode. Less than half a mile later I got multiple warnings that the brakes, ebb, collision detect, and abs had faulted, and I should service now. I only had the electronic parking brake available. I was able to use it and engine braking with my manual transmission to get to off the road to a parking lot, although I did also receive a parking brake overheat fault the turn before getting into the parking lot. I shut the vehicle off without the parking brake on. I turned it back on and the dash warning lights all disappeared after a few seconds. Brake function returned and I drove it to a Ford service center about 1 mile away. They were not able to reproduce the problem or find any dtcs. I did get notifications of some of the faults to my Ford app on my phone. I am uploading the redacted ro and screenshots of the Ford notifications. Losing braking obviously put myself and my passenger pregnant wife at risk. Thankfully I was moving at lower speeds on a flat section of road and not taking a highway exit at the time of failure.

I own a 2022 Ford Bronco. My vehicle has an electronic brake booster failure that causes multiple warning messages, brake system faults, and loss or reduction of brake assist. When this happens, the vehicle also prevents the 4-wheel drive system from engaging or switching modes. This is especially dangerous during winter conditions. When driving in snow or slippery conditions, I am unable to engage 4wd when it is needed most, while also experiencing brake system warnings. The vehicle becomes difficult to control and does not feel safe to drive. The dealership confirmed this is a known issue affecting multiple Ford Broncos and that the electronic brake booster part is currently back-ordered and unavailable. I was told many vehicles are affected, yet there is no recall for the 2022 model year, even though newer model years have a recall for the same component. This issue creates a serious safety risk due to impaired braking performance and inability to use 4-wheel drive in hazardous conditions. The vehicle had to be parked due to safety concerns. And the he issue happens intermittently, making it unpredictable.

On Jan 15, 2025. A cold start for the Bronco, putting in reverse, the vehicle lurched back and to the hard right, uncommanded acceleration at a high rate of speed, steering locked up, brakes locked up, tires spinning, engine revving causing the Bronco to smash into the exterior of my home garage area. Then, shifting to drive, the vehicle again lurched, uncommanded acceleration hard to the left now, steering locked up, brakes locked up, tires spinning engine revving traveling 20-30 feet crashing into the electrical box coming to rest on top of it. Numerous faults showing multiple systems malfunctioning causing this incident.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the brake warning light illuminated, and the brake pedal needed to be depressed with more force. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft and there was no pressure on the pedal. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake vacuum hose was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Brake light issue: red brake light appears when driving over 40 mph. To fix issue tube vacuum had to be replaced. Part# mb3z 2420 this seems to be an on going issue with 2021 Broncos.

The caliber seized causing the brake pad the fall and destroy the rotator. No brake indicators like turned on to advised of an issue. Ford does not want to take full responsibility for the faulty part that could have caused a major accident. Ford case# cxh06202259-s8k4b1. The vehicle is still at Ford for the repair so I don't have the repair documents yet.

I am writing to formally report a safety-related malfunction involving the parking brake system in my vehicle. The issue poses a significant safety hazard while driving and warrants investigation for potential design or manufacturing defects. During normal operation, the parking brake actuator malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to pull to one side and creating an unsafe driving condition. When I took the car to an authorized dealership, I was informed that the issue was due to a faulty parking brake switch. The switch was replaced; however, the malfunction persisted. Further inspection revealed that the parking brake motor and actuator needed replacement. Even after these repairs, while driving, the dashboard repeatedly displayed warnings such •“parking brake engaged,” •“please release parking brake,” and •“parking brake system overheated. ” when attempting to release the brake, the system would only disengage after manually pressing the release button, rather than automatically disengaging when the vehicle began to move — as it should. This malfunction not only causes confusion but also increases the risk of loss of vehicle control or brake system failure during operation. Given the repeated failures and persistent warnings, I believe this issue represents a potential safety defect that should be reviewed by your agency to determine if other vehicles are affected. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and to ensuring this issue is properly addressed to prevent future incidents.

Tail lights sensors / control are defective in some way. To be clear the tail lights at the rear of the vechile work perfectly fine and are very bright. They light up during lock and unlock. Also if you set headlight to on when parked. Also note brake lights still work in all situations. However. When they are set to auto at times they don’t light at all even at night. Also if in auto every time when you shift into reverse or drive they also go out. Took video of this issue after two dealer visits they said they were unable to replicate. They are suppose to replace the vechile control unit next week. I have my doubts that’s the issue. I’m willing to wager it’s the body control unit that’s the issue which my vechile doesn’t have for some reason because it wasn’t equipped with the tow package.

I have a 2. 7l v6 Bronco with an automatic transmission. There is a steep downhill road (22% grade) a couple blocks from my house that ends at a stop sign for a major cross street. I apply the brake pedal to slow down for the stop sign and the Bronco behaves normally and comes to a full stop, but then with no change in brake pedal pressure by me nor any pedal feedback, I notice the Bronco starts creeping forward a few feet, then abruptly stops again. When the Bronco starts creeping downhill and then abruptly stops again, there is no brake pedal feedback or movement, and the engine does not change rpm. The only sound I hear is something that sounds like service brakes releasing pressure then suddenly reapplying full pressure. I compensate by stopping early, so I don’t drift into the intersection, or a vehicle in front of me, or pedestrian. It can startle any pedestrian that starts to cross in front of my “stopped” Bronco and it suddenly starts creeping down on them. I have noticed this for months but have not taken it to a dealer for resolution yet. The problem appears to not happen after I have been driving for a few minutes. Because this is a problem that occurs on hills in the first few minutes of driving, it likely will be hard to demonstrate to a dealership for diagnosis because there are no hills near my local Ford dealership. The incident occurrence date entered below ([xxx]) is just today’s date - this problem has been present for many months, if not since new. Other uses have reported this same issue in online forums: [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

When my brakes are cold and I stop on a hill. . . The brakes do not hold and the car moves about a foot forward. Then something kicks in and it jerks the car to a stop (all the while my foot is completely pressed down on the brake. No warning lamps, no lights, nothing. . . Just rolls when brake is completely applied. It only does this when the brakes are cold. After they warm up it doesn't do it anymore. The dealer has looked at it and couldn't replicate (because the brakes weren't cold) and told me to bring it back if it happens again. It happens every morning but by the time the dealer gets it it doesn't do it anymore. A plethora of Bronco owners are experiencing this same thing. Our thread on [xxx] is full of people experiencing the same thing. Some guy in canada said he had every brake part replaced and it still happened. Then they did some sort of software update and he hasn't experienced it since. Why is this update not available to all? this is a serious hazard! someone is going to get hurt! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

There are reports of Ford Broncos rolling forward under braking, after a full stop. This occurs most often on a hill. To be clear, the brakes are already fully depressed, the vehicle is stopped, and then the vehicle suddenly rolls forward while the brakes are depressed, endangering pedestrians and others. This is not caused by driver error. Here are some vehicle owner complaints about this issue: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

After owning the car for 3 years and two weeks my check brake system light went on. I took my car to the dealer and was told that I needed a new brake vacuum line. They replaced it with a different part than what was originally installed, leading me to believe that there is something wrong with the original part. And there is no recall for the original part. And because I was out of the warranty period, I had to pay for the $230 part plus $525 of labor. Total bill was $875 for a car just out of warranty.

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.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "pre-collision system fault detected" message was displayed. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "powertrain fault detected - reduced power”, “service engine soon" and "brake fault detected" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the brake actuator. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 5,000.

Car began flashing multiple warnings including power steering, brakes, basically all warnings. Power steering and brakes both failed. Took to dealership. Found wires and wire harnesses burnt and melted. Delaliship says it was due to a pinched wire on an after market winch however the winch was installed in 2022 and never had any issue before. They cited damage underneath on the skid plate which is very minor in nature and should not be able to cause such egregious errors.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the brake warning lamp remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the brake booster vacuum line was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.