2023 Ford Bronco Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/19/2026

After rainfall, my 2023 Ford Bronco would not start. The dealership (Stivers Ford Lincoln, Waukee, IA) diagnosed water intrusion behind the dashboard that corroded the body connector electrical harness and Body Control Module (BCM). A warranty claim (#109441186) was submitted to Ford and denied on the basis that the affected component was not listed under a current Special Service Message or Technical Service Bulletin. The vehicle was subsequently taken to a second Ford dealership (Dewey Ford) for a second opinion. That dealership identified the root cause as an inadequate factory seal between the dashboard and the wiring harness, allowing water to repeatedly enter the electrical system — consistent with Ford's own Special Service Message 53814 and Technical Service Bulletin 21-2403/22-2074, which document water intrusion at the A-pillar/windshield header area on 2021-2024 Bronco vehicles. This is also consistent with NHTSA Recall 25V546/Ford 25C43, in which Ford recalled 2024-2025 Mustang vehicles for water intrusion into the Body Control Module caused by improperly sealed body seams. Repair costs for this failure were quoted at approximately $8,400. Ford ultimately agreed to a partial goodwill adjustment, but I was required to pay a significant amount out of pocket for a failure I believe stems from a factory sealing defect rather than normal wear or owner-caused damage. I am filing this complaint because this appears to be part of a broader, recurring pattern of water-intrusion-related electrical failures on the Bronco platform that has not yet been addressed by a formal recall.

STRUCTURE — Filed 07/24/2026

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco equipped with an aftermarket Bestop Skyrider retractable rooftop, Part Number: 5246217. The contact stated that while driving, the mounting bolts on the roof loosened up. The contact was concerned that the rooftop might detach and fly off while driving at highway speeds. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle from the rooftop. The contact was concerned that water leaking into the vehicle could cause damages to the air bag system. The manufacturer and service center were notified of the failure. The aftermarket top was replaced, and the factory roof was reinstalled.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 08/31/2026

Transmission failed while towing in Neutral Flat Tow mode and destroyed the entire transmission resulting in a $7,600 repair bill. Ford will not warranty this as they claim is was might fault. Not true, I had flat towed the vehicle for months without an issue and its their electronic system that failed and destroyed my transmission.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/26/2026

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.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 08/29/2026

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.

STEERING — Filed 08/10/2026

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.

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 09/16/2026

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

POWER TRAIN — Filed 08/28/2026

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.

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/09/2026

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.

STRUCTURE — Filed 01/01/2026

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/29/2026

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/23/2026

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 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING — Filed 08/15/2026

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

STEERING — Filed 08/08/2026

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.

STRUCTURE — Filed 08/10/2026

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.

STRUCTURE — Filed 03/01/2026

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.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,FIRERELATED — Filed 06/01/2025

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.

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/09/2026

My husband was sitting at a stop light when he noticed what appeared to be steam/smoke coming out from under the hood of the Bronco. Then smoke came into the vehicle through the air vents. When he looked up, flames were coming out from under the hood. He got out and the whole front of the car burst into flames and torched the car.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/10/2025

The vehicle was parked and not in operation when a fire occurred. There was no collision or impact. The fire originated in the vehicle and caused significant damage. Emergency services responded to extinguish the fire. The vehicle had been properly maintained and there were no aftermarket modifications. The cause of the fire is unknown at this

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/21/2025

While attempting to back up I was checking my backup camera and it showed that nothing was behind me, as I started to turn while backing up I felt a bump, there was a car right behind me, I couldn’t see it in my mirror and apparently the camera was frozen on my Bronco.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 05/03/2025

Hello, I previously wrote about this problem under ID#116588898 however i feel as though it did not explain what happened correctly. As I was backing out of my garage, I stopped my vehicle putting it in park. After putting my vehicle in reverse and looking in my mirrors I didn't see anything behind me. (a blind spot) I was on an angle. My radio was on and as I proceeded in reverse, I hit a car that was in my driveway. There was no damage to my vehicle however there is about $3900 damage to the car behind me where the spare tire crushed the trunk lid and rear left qtr. At no time did I hear any warning lights, the radio did not lower, and warning lights and sounds were not doing the job of what they were supposed to do. As I thought about it, I'm not even sure the camera was on. I hope this explains this a little better than ID# 11658898. Sorry for the inconvenience of reporting this twice. If the other can be deleted that would be appreciated.

BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 05/03/2025

Backing out of the garage then stopping for a minute and putting it in park then in drive afterwards I forgot there was a car behind me in my driveway. After looking in my side mirrors i saw nothing. I hit the vehicle behind me. With the radio on and playing music at no time did the radio lower in sound and the avoidance system sound off. If the avoidance system sounded off the music was louder. I hit the vehicle behind me. I guess i should have turned my head to check behind me but if the sounds were going off it might have helped me to avoid this. I really can't remember either if the camera was on. Usually if the sounds start chirping i look towards the screen. There was no damage to my vehicle only the vehicle i hit. It was my rear spare tire that caused the damage on the other vehicle. I will need to take the family vehicle to get an estimate.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/03/2024

Loss of power

VISIBILITY — Filed 06/17/2023

While driving on a highway at +70 mph, the rear window shattered inward, with such force that it sounded like a shotgun had discharged. I did not stop, because literally thought I may have been shot at. The window shattered with such force that the plastic molding around the rear speakers were sliced by the glass. Thank goodness no one was in the back seat, my wife and I were both covered in glass fragments, including small shards of glass. The Ford dealership stated the glass must have been faulty.

WHEELS — Filed 03/29/2023

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 why this occurred as this situation could have ended tragically for not only me but also for other drivers around me. Unfortunately, as of this time, neither the dealer nor Ford have been much help.