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U.S. public vehicle records

2023 Ford BRONCO problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

220 owner complaints analyzed

18 distinct recall campaigns

10,821 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2023 model year. Data snapshot: . 22 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Visibility/Wiper is the most frequently named component, appearing in 89 of 220 complaints (40.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior209.1%
Transmission and shifting177.7%
Steering behavior94.1%
Electrical and battery issues73.2%
Engine operation52.3%
Fuel system concerns20.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Visibility/Wiper
89
Electrical System
22
Power Train
20
Engine
19
Unknown Or Other
17
Service Brakes
16
Suspension
13
Structure:Body
10
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Visibility/Wiper89
Electrical System22
Power Train20
Engine19
Unknown Or Other17
Service Brakes16
Suspension13
Structure:Body10

Visibility/Wiper: 89; Electrical System: 22; Power Train: 20; Engine: 19; Unknown Or Other: 17; Service Brakes: 16; Suspension: 13; Structure:Body: 10

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
18
25,000 to 49,999
2
50,000 to 74,999
2
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00018
25,000 to 49,9992
50,000 to 74,9992
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 18; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (18). 198 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2022
1
2023
112
2024
36
2025
36
2026
35
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20221
2023112
202436
202536
202635

2022: 1; 2023: 112; 2024: 36; 2025: 36; 2026: 35

Pattern summary

Visibility/Wiper leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 17 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11513648 · 2023-03-24 (March 24, 2023)

Emergency brake failure. I have a very slight slope on my driveway. My car rolled halfway down my driveway. I assumed I did something wrong although I knew I had the car in gear with the E brake on. Two hours later I came back from an errand parked on my driveway was sitting in my car and my car started rolling backwards. The car was off in gear with the E brake on. I videotaped this happening every 20 seconds the car with balance, and roll back an inch or two. After 4 1/2 minutes, the car rolled the rest of the way down my driveway until it hi…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11513648 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11514510 · 2023-03-29 (March 29, 2023)

The vehicle was purchased new on 03/23/23.Yesterday, I began to notice a vibration at low speeds when not applying the brake or gas. Today (03/29), 6 days after purchase, as I’m taking it back to the dealership and while in heavy traffic on I-10, the entire rear drivers side wheel separates from the car. All six lug studs had been completely sheared. My concern is that the studs may not be sufficient for the larger 35” tires that come standard on the Wildtrak series of the Bronco. If they are proven to be sufficient then I’d like to figure out…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11514510 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11507718 · 2023-02-16 (February 16, 2023)

Within the first 500 miles on my brand new bronco, I noticed a strange burning smell after driving it one day. The next morning when I started it, I heard what I thought was a heat shield rattle, and as I continued to drive my bronco to work throughout the week the noise got worse. Last weekend my wife and I went on a 400 mile trip and the noise was so bad when we returned I scheduled an appointment with the dealership this week. They apparently opened up the transmission today and found metal shavings and a broken case piece so they determined…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11507718 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11511626 · 2023-03-13 (March 13, 2023)

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission made grinding sounds when shifted into neutral(N), 1st, and 2nd gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2371 (MT88 Manual Transmission - Rotational Scraping Noise from Transmission Whe…

Owner-reported narrative. 60 miles reported. Look up ODI 11511626 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11525503 · 2023-06-05 (June 5, 2023)

While driving eastbound on a major parkway traveling at approx. 50mph in the middle lane, the steering completely failed on our 2023 Ford Bronco outer bank’s Sasquatch (the steering wheel was spinning freely and was not controlling the vehicle in any way). The truck was now uncontrollably moving from the middle lane into the left lane narrowly missing several other vehicles. The truck then continued uncontrollably moving left towards a large concrete center barrier, finally coming to a stop against the left shoulder cement barrier. I have inclu…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11525503 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11558502 · 2023-12-05 (December 5, 2023)

While driving at multiple different speeds in the rain and snow, the wiper blades on the vehicle slow down on their own to an intermittent speed without driver input. This slowing of the wiper blades causes the driver to lose visibility while driving, creating a safety hazard on the road. This issue has occurred numerous times when the wiper blades are set to the highest speed. After about one minute, the wiper blades start to slow down and eventually reach a stop/start speed where the blades only wipe every 5-10 seconds. To remedy this, the dr…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11558502 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11575788 · 2024-03-06 (March 6, 2024)

The rear parking sensors (all of them) stopped working. Whenever the vehicle is placed in reverse a warning message is displayed on the dash. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer and it turns out a wire was damaged in the rear wiring loom. This was most likely due to physical damage from something hitting the wiring loom behind the right rear tire. It seems that this is poor placement/protection of the wiring loom, especially considering that this is an 'off road' vehicle (Bronco). The dealership refused to fix the problem under warranty…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11575788 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11584681 · 2024-04-23 (April 23, 2024)

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while in reverse, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended with the accelerator pedal depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that there were signs that rodents had chewed the engine electrical wiring. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,792.

Owner-reported narrative. 9,792 miles reported. Look up ODI 11584681 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11512068 · 2023-03-15 (March 15, 2023)

Within about three hours of buying the vehicle, while driving the ten speed automatic transmission at normal highway speeds there was a hard popping sound. The vehicle began to vibrate harshly and jerk. Upon continued driving it would stall in intersections in traffic like it was going to stop moving then jerk accelerate and pause again, multiple times. I have owned the vehicle for about 8 days and it has been in the shop for about 7 of those. I was told by the shop that i could continue to drive it or come get it until they are able to further…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11512068 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11518527 · 2023-04-23 (April 23, 2023)

While at a stop with vehicle running, the vehicle sputters and stalls when trying to accelerate/start moving. This has happened multiple times when stopped at an intersection and creating a safety hazard for the occupants of the vehicle. Multiple attempts to restart it have to be made and it eventually gets going again but this is very dangerous to be stalled at a busy intersection. Vehicle is going into the dealer to be checked out this week. The only message we have seen is "Manual Restart Required" on the instrument panel.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11518527 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11548505 · 2023-10-05 (October 5, 2023)

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the power train and service engine soon had warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was bad gasoline in the vehicle, and gasoline needed to be drained from the fuel tank. The fuel tank was drained and refilled; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer and diagnosed with a faulty turbocharger. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. T…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11548505 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11737859 · 2026-05-14 (May 14, 2026)

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 rese…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11737859 at NHTSA ↗