Brake and visibility issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The Ford Bronco, first launched in 1966, evolved over three decades until it was discontinued in 1996. In 2021, Ford launched its sixth generation Bronco that was originally planned for 2020. Available in three versions, a 2-door, 4-door, and small sport SUV, it has already had 8 recalls and a large number of complaints about everything from airbags to service brakes, the engine, and the electrical system.
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The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has two files on the 2021 Ford Bronco. The first records 119 complaints while the second, specifically for the Bronco Sport, currently has a list of 295 complaints.
Overall, the most common problem with the 2021 Ford Bronco relates to brakes and engine.
One of the complaints records an injury that was the result of brake failure. The driver crashed into a parked car and had to have medical treatment at a hospital for back injuries and whiplash.
In addition to service brake complaints and 50+ nebulous complaints listed for all Ford Bronco 2021 models as “unknown or other,” there are multiple complaints about:
There are also complaints that relate to exterior lighting, the fuel/propulsion system, and lane departure.
The 2 complaints about the structure are both about water leaking from the passenger side roof through the airbag when it rains. Ford issued a technical service bulletin, Water Leak From A-Pillars And/Or Windshield Header on 15 November 2021, but there is no recall.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Suspension |
There are two primary issues that show in the NHTSA reports.
Sometimes these problems happen simultaneously. One complaint reads: “The car wouldn’t stop even after normally hitting the brakes. It continued to slide (and) almost hit another car. The brakes make (a) squeaking noise when in reverse mode.”
The accident victim mentioned above didn’t talk about squeaks but said “the brake pedal was stiff while depressed and the brakes failed to engage” and the car crashed into a parked vehicle.
One complainant was told by the dealer that the manufacturer “determined that the noise was acceptable.”
Of the 16 service brake problems reported to NHTSA, more than half of the complaints focus on brake malfunction or failure.
Clearly, brakes failing to engage are dangerous. Ford knows this too, and as a result, has issued a Bronco brake recall. This was on 23 November 2021 with potentially 114,996 vehicles affected. The company acknowledges that the rear brake linings may have been incorrectly manufactured which can affect braking performance.
That may sound good, but according to complaints to the NHTSA since the issue of the recall, dealers say the recall repair part is not yet available. While not all mention the recall in their complaints, 9 do. Most state that the manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair.
Comments include:
Additionally, several complainants are trying to get a buyback, trade-in, or some other solution. Those that mention this all say they have had zero success.
The accident victim says Ford was reviewing a buyback and was told not to drive the car, which had only 9,000 miles on the clock. Another 2021 Bronco owner whose vehicle had just over 5,000 miles on the clock, was told that the parts for the recall repair weren’t available. They wanted to trade the car in but said: “the manufacturer did not provide any assistance.” Another said, “Tried to trade vehicle in but manufacturer didn’t assist.”
In essence, by late-January 2022, the replacement parts needed still aren’t available and Ford is doing little, if anything, to provide other forms of compensation. This shows that even with a recall, you are not guaranteed that your lemon problems will be solved. This is why you need a firm like Lemberg Law on your side.
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Most of the visibility/wiper problems involve windows and windshields shattering. One, where a rear window shattered, resulted in injuries to a child.
A common complaint is that a stone or small rock hitting the windshield results in major cracks. Several people claim that nothing hit the windshield before the crack started to develop. Some claim that the windshield glass is too thin.
Other complaints relate to visibility, with the windshield fogging up.
If you believe you’ve bought a lemon, contact Lemberg Law sooner rather than later. You don’t have to mess about with dealers or a manufacturer that doesn’t take your requests for replacement or buy-back seriously. We do that for you, and you won’t have to pay us, the law says that Ford must.
Call our Helpline today and we’ll evaluate your case.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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