Ford Bronco 2023

I am reporting unresolved safety recalls and unreasonable delay in repair for my 2023 Ford Bronco (VIN: [XXX] ). This vehicle currently has two open safety recalls issued by Ford Motor Company • NHTSA Recall 25V721 (issued October 2025) – seat frame defect that may increase injury risk in a crash. There is currently no available remedy, and Ford has notified me that a repair is not expected until April 2027. • NHTSA Recall 26V124 (issued March 2026) – APIM defect that may overheat and cause the rearview camera to fail while reversing, increasing crash risk. In addition, this vehicle has had prior recalls (25V025 and 25V273) that remained unresolved for extended periods. One of these recalls had no available repair for approximately 10 months. These recalls affect critical safety systems including suspension, rear visibility, and seat safety. The delay for Recall 25V721 is expected to exceed 18 months, which I believe is an unreasonable delay for a safety recall repair. Ford has continued issuing new recalls while prior recalls were still unresolved, indicating a pattern of repeated safety defects and delayed remedies. Due to these active recalls, I have been unable to use my vehicle commercially. Rental platforms such as Turo prohibit listing vehicles with open safety recalls. This has resulted in financial losses exceeding 80,000. This situation forces consumers to choose between operating a vehicle with known safety defects or suffering significant financial loss due to lack of repair availability. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether Ford is complying with its obligation to provide timely safety recall remedies and whether delays of this length are reasonable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have a 2023 Ford bronco that has the 2.3 L engine and seven speed manual transmission. It was originally purchased in January 2023. I live in Colorado so it is cold and on cold mornings, since I have received delivery of the vehicle, It has made and continues to make a grinding, scraping sound when the vehicle is in neutral, or the transmission is not engaged. The grinding, scraping sound will occur when driving in first, second, and third gear. If the weather is warm, as over last summer, it does not make the grinding, scraping sound. It has been consistently documented amongst other owners of this particular vehicle, the new sixth generation Ford bronco full-size vehicle with the 2.3 L engine and seven speed manual transmission , that these transmissions make this grinding, scraping sound. I have had it investigated by my local Ford dealership on two separate occasions, and although the tech on site at the dealership states that he can hear the grinding sound and agrees that it is an abnormal sound for a vehicle transmission to make, the Ford motor company has refused to do any type of repair or modification, or replacement of the transmission in my particular vehicle to correct the problem. However, when discussing this problem with other Ford bronco owners, Ford motor company’s response has been very irregular, one friend, in particular, has had his transmission replaced. I am very concerned that as transmissions tend to suffer with wear and tear, that should this transmission fail early due to the grinding, scraping sound, ford motor company will not replace it under warranty, stating that it was my fault or expected wear and tear, that the transmission failed early, when, in reality, it is just as likely that the early failure would be due to this abnormal, grinding, scraping sound.

Windshield wiper blade action slows down or comes to a stop, no matter low speed high speed or intermittent. Driving at 55 mph at early morning darkness during a heavy rain the windshield wipers come to a complete stop. Oncoming traffic headlights glaring through the rain soaked windshield provided almost zero visibility. Quick action had me reaching for the wiper control to fiddle with it upon which the wipe motor started up again, no matter the position the blade continually stopped, unless I constantly flipped the wiper stalk from high to low to keep the blades functioning. I have a manual transmission, imagine trying to shift gears with one hand, flipping the wiper stalk with another all while maintaining control of the vehicle. This not only endangers me, but others on the road should I lose control and hit them head on! What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? WINDSHIELD WIPERS How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? TOTAL LOSS OF VISION OUT THE WINDSHIELD Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? NO HOWEVER OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUES. VISIT THE FOLLOWING FORUMS - BRONCO6G - https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/wiper-control-speed-issues-urgent-safety.31809/ - BRONCO NATION - https://thebronconation.com/issues-repair-and-warranty-n.154/bronco-2-door-windshield-wipers-weird-%E2%80%9Cfeature%E2%80%9D-when-on-high-or-low-speed-t.16155/page-1 Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? AS OF NOW SEVERAL NEW CAR DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN CONFRONTED WITH CUSTOMERS PROBLEMS, SOME HAVE REPLACED THE WIPER MOTORS Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO PRIOR WARING, JUST COMPLETE STOPPAGE

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Windshield wipers. Yes, it's available, but since it is environmentally dependent, it may be harder to capture. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Per Ford: "The vehicle is equipped with protection features to prevent damage to the wiper motor in case of overheating, usage on dry windshields or obstructions to the wiper blade due to snow or ice accumulation on the windshield. In such conditions, the wiper motor may restrict its speed, reduce area of cleaning or completely stop operation. System returns back to normal operation mode once conditions are resolved." The current "safety" measures put in place by Ford are actually causing a safety hazard when driving. When driving in rain so heavy that I couldn't see, in 37-degree weather, the wipers slowed down to once every 3-7 seconds, which means I was virtually blind that long on a freeway, going 70mph, and surrounded by vehicles. I haven't seen the issue when the wipers run slower (light-mid rain). At the most recent time of occurrence: * The temperatures were near, or below freezing, which should've helped keep the motors cool (I was driving through the mountains at the time). * There was so much rain that my windshield was completely obfuscated by a layer of water within about 1 second. It was not dry, at all. * There was no debris or build-up on the windshield, impeding the blades. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. Other Bronco owners that have reported it were told "this is normal." Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Nothing indicated why it was happening. It just would happen.

Factory hard top developing cracks around the corner of the back window on the passenger side. Vehicle is still under the 3-year / 36,000 mile factory warranty. This is the first instance that I have experience with this type of cracking on the factory hard top, and appears to be a known issue to Ford Motor Company since they have issued a General Service Bulletin (23-7004) regarding this type of issue. I am in the process of having the vehicle inspect by local Ford dealership for warranty claim. As a consumer, I do have concern about the long term durability of the hard top or any factory replacements. There are numerous examples of owners that have had multiple hard top replacements under the factory, in some cases 3-4 hard top replacements, prior to exhausting the 3 -year /36,000 mile factory warranty. These cracking issues associated with this hard top can present at different points in the part lifetime; In some cases within a few hundred miles and in others, not until the vehicle has surpassed the factory warranty. Regardless of lifespan, which does appear to be much short than a consumer would expect, The greatest concern I have as a consumer is the potential for this part to suddenly and unexpectedly fail without warning, and potential risk that could have on the vehicles' occupants or other vehicles on the roadway. The inner core of these factory hard tops are made come a cardboard composite material; Ford has stated the cracks are generally cosmetic in nature, but myself, as well as numerous other owners, have concern that with time, if moisture penetrates the hairline cracks, the cardboard may cause unexpected deteriorate enhancing risk for part failure. This gives consumer a false sense of safety and security. Ford should be finding a long term solution to this issue instead of replacing factory hard tops replacements of the same kind that also fail. It is a matter of time before injury or death occurs due to Ford's lack of a long-term solution.

A little over 10000 miles, the "Check Brake System" and "Parking" Brake Lights came on after starting the vehicle. Both Ford and the dealership were contacted and was advised that the coding through the system showed brake fluid level low with possible indication of brake fluid leaking. I asked if the vehicle was safe to drive and neither Ford or the dealership would say either way. The vehicle was taken to the dealership. For the first visit, the vehicle was at the dealership for an entire day and was told by the service advisor there wasn't anything wrong and to take it home. After leaving the dealership, the lights came on again. I took my vehicle to the dealership a second time and it sat there for another two days. Upon picking up my vehicle on the 2nd visit, I was told that the brake fluid level switch needed to be replaced and was resolved. The next day, the light comes on once again while driving. I called the dealership to talk to a service manager and was advised she would have an experienced technician dedicate their time to try and resolve the issue. The vehicle was at dealership for two days and upon pickup of the vehicle was told that the issue was due to an air bubble in the brake line and issue was resolved. I requested that the vehicle be test driven before pickup. Upon five minutes into my drive home, the lights come on once again. I've taken my vehicle to the dealership 3 times now and the dealership has had it for about 6 days during that time without resolution. I've contacted Ford customer service and the representative advised the issue would be documented, but there were currently no recalls for this issue. I've communicated with several other owners of the same vehicle experiencing the same issue without resolution. The lights are accompanied by a loud beeping noise and come on and off constantly making it a distraction when driving, and I am unable to tell if the parking brake is actually on or off since the light is constantly lit.

1. Component/system that failed/malfunctioned — Braking system (electronic parking brake and brake control modules) combined with electrical/communication defect preventing storage of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Vehicle available for inspection upon request. 2. How safety was put at risk — Repeated "Park Brake Fault – Service Now" and "Brake System Fault" warnings on dash while driving risk sudden loss of parking brake function, reduced braking, or unexpected behavior (e.g., transmission no-engagement beyond walking pace after cold start), impairing safe stopping/control and endangering driver and others. 3. Problem reproduced/confirmed by dealer — Yes — reproduced/confirmed multiple times by authorized Ford dealer (Town & Country Ford, Evansville, IN) across five visits (invoices attached): active brake faults visible on dash during service, yet "no codes found," "unable to verify," "NP no problem found." Examples: [XXX] (30,113 mi) brake fault while driving; [XXX]intermittent parking brake light, no codes; [XXX] transmission slip and brake fault, no codes. 4. Inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others — Inspected only by dealer. Ford CX team contacted (CRM [XXX] , July 2025) but no further inspection/resolution. No police or insurance inspections. 5. Warning lamps/messages prior to failure and when first appeared — "Park Brake Error Message" and "Park Brake Fault" warnings first documented 25,722 miles (early visits after [XXX] purchase at 13 miles). No-DTC retention defect prevented earlier alerts/diagnosis. Symptoms escalated (transmission slip, cold no-start die-out, brake faults recurring). 6. Additional notes — Out of service 60 cumulative days; loaner restricted to local driving only when provided. Part of Indiana Lemon Law claim (BBB AUTO LINE Case [XXX]). Due to 10-file/10MB upload limit, core documents attached; additional photos, full invoices, loaner agreement, BBB correspondence available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO

The main issue is the airbag light, it is available for inspection. Warning indicator on Ford app states safe to drive without a passenger. Dealer repaired a couple parts got better for a while but continued. Was told they had a wiring harness ordered, but canceled and told to call Ford about a buyback, dealt with Ford, Better Business Bureau about lemon law, but still have not giving me a price for the buyback even though they agreed to buy it back. The vehicle had been in an accident [XXX], it was repaired at the Ford dealer And completed 6/7, was dropped off to have a new aftermarket bumper and winch, lights installed. The first time airbag light came on was [XXX]. At first, I could turn the vehicle off and then back on, and the light would go away, did not get consistent enough to take to dealer till [XXX]. Warning light was on when I dropped it off, which was witnessed by the associate but off by the time it made it to repair bay. Back to ford on [XXX]. Did get a code to change an airbag indicator and sensor in the rear seat. Picked up after repairs February 16. No warning lights, next day the warning light was back on contacted Maria at Ford. Dropped off to Ford again on 2/26. Call the dealer not being done in a timely manner on 3/15. I was told to request a buyback on March 18. The vehicle status changed on 3/20 showing no alerts on my Ford pass app. They had a wiring harness ordered, but canceled. Picked up my vehicle on March 29. I asked if the vehicle failsafe that if it can’t tell if somebody’s in a seat while the airbag go off and got no reply. Wife is afraid to drive in the front seat on the airbag light is on. Light on continuously now Ford won’t give me a rental car to do more investigation because I get no code to tell him what part to change and I’ve not been given a buyback price. Intermittent Pre-collision / adaptive cruise control will stop working while driving on the highway be out for 11 minutes and then come back on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURS

The contact owned a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The contact's boyfriend had pulled over. They discovered an unknown fluid leaking under the vehicle and a spark coming from the engine before the vehicle caught fire. There were no injuries were sustained. The firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. Upon research, the contact related the failure to the fuel injector. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

-Complete steering and suspension failure occurred while driving on highway. Vehicle is currently sitting at Ford dealer. - The safety of all passengers was put at risk and nearly caused a fatal accident. -Dealer and another shop are saying it was lower control arm and bushing failure. They are unclear on path forward for repairs and it seems like something bigger is going on they do not want to disclose. They deny problem has been reproduced on this model, however a similar recall for this type of failure has occurred on other bronco models under recall number 26S36. That recall report matches what happened to my vehicle. -It has been inspected by Ford and Bronco Barn in Las Vegas. I will be getting a third opinion for a clear path forward since none has been supplied by ford or the third party company. -There were no warning lamps, check engine lights, or messages prior to failure. There was a slight misalignment of tires felt while driving just prior to losing full steering control.

Camera and sensor on driver side does not indicate movement/stops working. This results in the Blindspot detection not working or any cross traffic alerts or object detection, which can lead to an accident. occurs intermittently and car does not issue a warning that the system is not working or down. Also causing an issue when backing up

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE IN 2023 BRONCO. What happened is exactly what is described for current recall of the electronic brake booster for 2025 broncos. Mine is a 2023.

After making a right hand turn, when the steering wheel recenters for some unknown reason it is turning on the left turn signal. I had noticed it in the past and thought I was wrong, but it continuing to do it.

2023 Ford Bronco with 7 speed manual transmission. The transmission started grinding while shifting into 3rd gear and occasionally popping out of 3rd gear. This mostly occurred while upshifting and rarely while downshifting. All other gears are operating as normal. While the grinding problem would pop up occasionally around the 40,000 mile mark, it became chronic at 58,000 mile mark (24Jun2026)

The MIC hard top component on my Ford Bronco is cracking. I have gotten it replaced twice through Ford for the same issue, but now this is my 3rd top and the issue keeps coming back.

The MIC hardtop is bubbling some at the top and has a line where it looks like perhaps it is assembled on the back panel over the top that is discolored in comparison to the rest of the top. Furthermore, the middle panel is a different color than the rest of the hardtop. It is available for complete inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected by dealer but was bought used and did not show the bubbling whenever it was purchased--but rather it has happened in the months since it was purchased. It was found when the top was removed and the bubbling was noticeable when running my hand over it. Note that it is not visible to be seen via picture, and the bubble must be felt. It cannot be seen in a photo.

I was going really slow down an easy dirt road in 4L and all of the sudden the steering wheel spun violently two full turns left in under a second on its own. This threw my right arm off the wheel where it hit the shifter with force leaving a large bruise. Steering system fault warning appeared, the tire position on the camera screen was stuck all the way left, and i could no longer disconnect my stabilizer bar. i turned the car off for 5 minutes then back on and everything was fine. If this steering glitch happened at highway speeds I could have rolled the car and dies. Luckily i was going really slow on a relatively smooth part of the trail when this occurred and it only shook me and my passengers up a little and bruised my arm. If the trail had been more steep or if there were rocks on the trail, this could have flipped my vehicle.

Steering rack component failure, vague steering, play during steering directional change, Light grinding noise when turning steering wheel.

On XXX, our 2023 Ford Bronco, VIN [XXX], was stopped on an incline. The vehicle was not moving, and the driver exited the vehicle believing it was in Park. The vehicle was actually still in Drive. A passenger remained in the vehicle. While the Bronco was stationary, the passenger pressed the START/STOP button from the passenger seat to turn the vehicle off. Immediately after the vehicle was switched off, it began rolling backward down the incline. The passenger was unable to safely stop the vehicle and attempted to exit the moving Bronco. The open vehicle door struck the passenger in the back of the leg/hip area. The passenger had to throw herself to the ground to avoid being dragged, run over, or more seriously injured. The Bronco went off a significant drop off and crashed into a tree. The passenger narrowly escaped the vehicle before it went over the drop off. After the incident, the vehicle displayed a "Park Aid Fault" warning. Ford's 2023 Bronco Owner's Manual states that a "Transmission Not In Park (P)" audible warning is supposed to sound if the vehicle is switched off before being shifted into Park and also if the driver's door is opened before the vehicle is shifted into Park. [IF TRUE: We do not recall hearing a Transmission Not In Park warning before the rollaway.] I am concerned that the vehicle remained stationary on the incline while still in Drive, creating the appearance that it was secured, but began rolling backward when the START/STOP button was pressed. I am also concerned about whether the transmission-not-in-park warning, braking/holding systems, ignition system, and related safety systems functioned as designed. The unexpected rollaway resulted in an injury and created an immediate risk of the passenger being crushed, dragged, or run over. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this vehicle's behavior and warning systems operated as designed and whether this represents a potential vehicle safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE F

When making a right turn with the turn signal on, as you complete the turn and straighten the steering wheel the left turn signal turns on as the right turn signal turns off. This is intermittent and occurs when turning from a complete stop or a turn while moving. This is very unsafe as it looks like your making a quick left after completing your right turn to the driver behind you. This has happened many times over the last couple of months so I don’t have a date of incident but it happened 6 times while running errands on 8/29. Lafontaine Ford has had my vehicle in service all day today, 9/1, without resolution.

Front roof panel is cracking and chipping. Rear roof panel is cracking around the side windows. Bronco is never in direct sunlight unless driving. And the vehicle is never driven off-road.

Cracking of the roof which has caused leaks. Common issue for Broncos, but only recalled for 2021-2022 Broncos. My Bronco is 2023 and has the same issue. It should also be a recall.

We sometime have loss of drive power while driving or a total failure to engage a gear. Happens sometimes when moving from a stop sign or stop light. Like the transmission is slipping in def case.

Rear defroster connector becomes detached from the defroster grid rendering it inoperable. Ford has acknowledged it is a common issue due to poor design. My local dealership repaired the broken tab and it once again broke off within a week or two. When I returned to the dealership, they refused to cover it under the vehicles original owner warranty or their labor warranty for working on it previously. After some back and forth with management and Ford Customer Care, they told me they have changed the design of the entire rear glass and the only way to fix it would be to pay $1600~ to have it replaced with the updated design. Upon researching the issue online, it is clear that the rear defroster has an astonishingly high failure rate, and Ford should be pushed to offer a better solution than to charge owners to fix something that was sold to them defective. To learn more about this issue, simply search “Bronco Rear Defroster” and you will see the amount of owners complaining

The steering rack on my 2023 Ford Bronco Outer Banks failed at approximately 23,000 miles. This caused my steering wheel to lock up and become very difficult to turn, especially while making turns. The dealer confirmed that the steering rack failed and needed to be replaced. They performed the repair. There were no other warning lights or indicators.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an issue with the rearview camera while in use. The contact received a notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V124000 (Back Over Prevention), and the recall repair was subsequently performed. However, after the recall repair was completed, a new 'overheating' warning appeared on the infotainment system. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where technicians tested the system and confirmed that during a single operation, the system's temperature spiked from 93°F to 150°F. The contact confirmed that they received an overheating warning on the infotainment system display. The manufacturer has been notified of the failure, but the vehicle has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage was 32,752.

My 2023 Ford Bronco is experiencing cracking and delamination on its Molded-in-Color (MIC) hardtop roof. [ADD A SENTENCE HERE DESCRIBING YOUR SPECIFIC DAMAGE, E.G., The cracks are visible on the exterior corners / The roof is beginning to leak water into the cabin].This structural failure matches the exact defect described in Ford's May 2026 recall for 2021–2022 models. Ford has excluded the 2023 model year from the recall, claiming a manufacturing change fixed the issue, but the root material defect and the resulting safety risks—potential roof panel structural failure, pieces detaching at highway speeds, or water intrusion damaging electrical components—are identical. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate and force Ford to expand the recall parameters to include 2023 models.