2023 Ford Bronco Sport Problems

What owners report

Most complaints on this model year center on the 1.5L engine's fuel system: owners describe strong fuel or exhaust odors reaching the cabin, stalling or loss of power, and in the most serious cases under-hood smoke or fire, often on vehicles waiting for a recall remedy. A second recurring theme is electrical trouble — no-starts, stalling, battery and charging messages, screen and camera dropouts — alongside transmission harshness, notably rough shifting and a shudder at low speeds. Reports arrive across a wide mileage range, from under 2,000 miles to past 60,000.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor in cabin and stalling (fuel injector recall)

   • 47 complaints (29%)
   • median 36,800 mi at 3.0 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe a strong fuel or exhaust smell entering the cabin through the vents, most noticeable while idling or at a stop, and sometimes after refueling. Complaints also describe sudden loss of power, hesitation on acceleration, stalling at low speed or at a stoplight, and an illuminated check engine light. Many say the dealer confirmed the vehicle was covered by a fuel injector recall but that parts were not yet available, so no repair was made; a few report smoke or fire from the engine compartment after a fuel smell. Mostly reported between roughly 20,000 and 50,000 miles, with some cases under 5,000 miles.

   Recall 25V467000Recall 25V165000Recall 24V187000Recall 22V8590001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel injector recall work has actually been completed, not just scheduled, and get it in writing. Check for a fuel smell around the engine bay and at the vents after a cold start and after driving.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our brand new 2023 Ford Bronco Sport was destroyed by a spontaneous under-the-hood fire that occurred within thirty days of delivery and with less than 50 miles on the odometer. An independent examination found this consistent with a fuel injector fire. Ford Motor Company has publicly acknowledged similar problems with the Bronco Sport models and purportedly has recalled and fixed all effected vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11566257, filed 2024-01

   “The affected component is the fuel injector system covered under Ford’s safety recall. According to the recall notice, a fuel injector may crack and allow fuel and/or fuel vapors to accumulate on top of the engine, creating a risk of fire if exposed to hot engine or exhaust components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The safety risk is significant because the defect involves the potential for an under-hood fire while driving or while the vehicle is parked after operation. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11742490, filed 2026-06
2. 2
   Electrical system

   No-start, stalling and battery or charging faults

   • 26 complaints (16%)
   • median 25,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe the vehicle failing to start or needing a jumpstart, Auto Stop/Start not working, and stalls at low speed or in traffic. Several owners report charging system or 'service vehicle soon' messages, loss of power at highway speed, and warning lights across multiple systems appearing at once. Dealers in some cases replaced or recharged the battery, with owners saying the 12-volt battery was identified as the source. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 45,000 miles, with several cases in the 20,000-35,000 mile range.

   Recall 25V019000Recall 24V267000Recall 25V158000

   What to check: Ask whether the 12-volt battery recalls (24V267 / 25V158 / 25V019) have been performed. Have the battery and charging system load-tested, and check that the vehicle restarts cleanly after sitting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The alarm was going off when I opened the lift gate to put bags in. The alarm would not turn off so I opened driver’s door and stepped on brake and started the car. Alarm went off but car suddenly went into reverse and catapulted me out of the car. Driver four was open and I got pinned under the care while it continued to Move in reverse. The vehicle ran over my left lower leg both knees and R thigh. It kept moving about 35-40’ in reverse. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11618629, filed 2024-10

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11596223, filed 2024-06, 25,000 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sunroof and windshield cracking or rattling

   • 8 complaints (5%)
   • median 8,500 mi at 0.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners report the panoramic sunroof glass shattering while driving with no impact, and windshields developing cracks from the mirror area without a visible chip. Some describe a rattling from the moonroof traced to a failed gasket and rail assembly, and a few report a stuck rear window. Dealers have replaced wiper motors and roof hardware where diagnosed. Reported mostly between about 1,000 and 30,000 miles, sometimes on nearly new vehicles.

   Recall 24V594000

   What to check: Inspect the windshield and roof glass for existing cracks or stress lines, and listen for rattles over rough pavement. Confirm the wiper motor recall (24V594) has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I was driving at about 40mph another car cut me off and launched a pebble to my windshield. When I got home I saw a tiny chip in the windshield at mid-height in line with the front seat passenger's sight line. Over the next month or so a crack developed spontaneously and spread across the whole windshield. Replacing the windshield was very expensive!”

   NHTSA complaint #11582750, filed 2024-04

   “My Ford Bronco Sport windshield cracked without a any sign of impact. The crack on the windshield just appeared overnight just below the area of the rearview mirror. There is no sign of a chip that could have explained how the crack would have started to expand. Maybe a stress crack from the factory? After doing a quick online search it appears that similar issue has happened to other 2023 Ford Bronco Sports.”

   NHTSA complaint #11533159, filed 2023-07
4. 4
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Backup camera and center screen failures

   • 11 complaints (7%)
   • median 19,000 mi at 2.3 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the rearview camera image going blank or freezing, and in some cases the whole display going black, taking the speedometer and other readouts with it. Owners say the dealer advised the vehicle was covered by a camera software recall but that the remedy was not yet available. Others report intermittent loss of blind spot monitoring or driver-assist messages. Mostly reported under about 35,000 miles, with several cases below 10,000 miles.

   Recall 25V4420002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the vehicle and check the backup camera and display, including in reverse and with the screen under load. Ask whether recall 25V442 (rearview camera software) has been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the display unit, including the back-over prevention camera and speedometer malfunctioned, and displayed a solid black screen creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11582084, filed 2024-04, 8,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 speedometer, TPMS, and back over prevention system malfunctioned, and the warning lights illuminated while activated on the infotainment center. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11674476, filed 2025-07, 31,500 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh shifting, shudder and loss of reverse

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe rough or jerky shifting, uneven RPM behavior, and in some cases the vehicle not shifting into Park or Reverse, requiring a tow. Others report a shudder or chatter at low speeds or while turning. Dealers have handled these through diagnostic road tests and reprogramming procedures rather than a single parts fix. Reported across a broad range, commonly in the 20,000-40,000 mile area, sometimes earlier.

   Recall 25V158000Recall 24V2670007 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at low speed and in stop-and-go traffic to feel for shudder or harsh shifts, and confirm Park and Reverse engage immediately. Ask the dealer whether transmission software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle shifted into NEUTRAL and the Park Break engaged while driving in Eco Mode at 25-30 mph. This incident happened twice prior to the following incident and within minutes apart. Parked and exited the vehicle for about 10 minutes. Entered vehicle, applied the break and ENGINE START button, vehicle did not start. The brake felt hard and the following warnings appeared: SERVICE VEHICLE SOON, CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM FAULT, FULL ACCESSORY POWER ACTIVE, PARK AID FAULT, PRE COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE, SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11641111, filed 2025-02

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle suddenly stalled while attempting to accelerate. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle to continue driving; however, the vehicle stalled twice. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11731018, filed 2026-04, 36,600 miles

Buying note. Ask for the recall history in writing and confirm which fuel injector and battery recalls have actually been completed, since complaints often describe waiting on parts. A low-speed test drive and a check of the camera display and roof glass will surface most of what owners report.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.