2026 Ford Bronco reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2026 Ford Bronco holds 7 complaints after 1 year, a rate of 7 per year. It is too early to rank against other Bronco years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Curtain, Internal engine parts, and Engine.

2022 Ford Bronco Outer Banks 4-door with Sasquatch package — Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (2 of 7), then Engine (1) and Powertrain (1). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 676 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2025

The 2025 Bronco has 51 complaints, 26 per year.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2026 Ford Bronco. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (9)

Recall air bags, side and window, curtain 2026-09-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V580000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Bronco vehicles. The mounting bracket on the right-hand-side side curtain air bag may have a metal burr that can tear the air bag during deployment.

Remedy Dealers will increase the space between the bracket and air bag to remove the contact condition, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed September 15, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S64. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 10, 2026.

Vehicles affected 2,711

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 26V548000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.

Vehicles affected 10,001

Recall Engine 2026-07-20 · NHTSA campaign 26V468000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness may become damaged and short circuit.

Remedy Dealers will install sheathing over the wiring, free of charge. This is a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2026 Bronco Raptor notified owners on 7/31/2026. Phase 2 will include 2021-2025 Bronco Raptor vehicle will notify owners on or about 8/14/2026. Phase 3 will include 2021-2026 Bronco will notify owners on or about 9/1/2026. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S55. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 23, 2026.

Vehicles affected 565,691

Recall structure, body 2026-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 26V403000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Bronco vehicles. The fender flares may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the fender flares as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 1, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S47. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 7, 2026.

Vehicles affected 36,046

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-05-27 · NHTSA campaign 26V343000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer, Ranger, and Bronco vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will replace the engine long block, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S35. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.

Vehicles affected 1,536

Recall Labels 2026-05-26 · NHTSA campaign 26V335000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The vehicle specifications listed on the tire placard and safety certification labels may be incorrect, including the VIN, capacity weight, seating capacity, front and rear gross axle weight rating (GAWR), tire and rim dimensions, and recommended cold tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims" and 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."

Remedy Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the certification and TREAD labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C24. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.

Vehicles affected 268

Recall Seat fasteners 2026-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 26V268000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The front seats may have a loose or dislodged seat frame height-adjust pivot bolt.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the pivot links and bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26S30. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 30, 2026.

Vehicles affected 179,698

Recall back-over prevention, software 2026-03-03 · NHTSA campaign 26V124000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Ford Bronco and 2021-2024 Ford Edge vehicles. The Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) may overheat and shutdown, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended.

Remedy The APIM software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 13, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S09. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.

Vehicles affected 849,310

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2025-11-14 · NHTSA campaign 25V788000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.

Remedy The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC3.

Vehicles affected 229,609

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (7 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Powertrain

Seat belts

Seats

Structure, body

Visibility

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 2 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 676 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2026 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70-75 MPH in the left lane on the interstate on a sunny day, near the grass, the driver's side rear window exploded without…"
Visibility · filed 2026-09-02
"While driving on the roadway at approximately 5,841 odometer miles, the vehicle's fender moulding/flare clip retention failed, causing the moulding to loosen and completely detach from the vehicle. The detached fender…"
structure, body · filed 2026-08-31
"Seat beat created a laceration on arm with normal use."
Seat belts · filed 2026-08-14
"The contact owns a 2026 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator to make a left turn, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The transmission…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-07-16
"Description On your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety Risk An improperly installed engine camshaft…"
Engine, Seats, Electrical system · filed 2026-06-12

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2026 FORD BRONCO 2DR SUV N/A 4WD	Not rated	4 stars	Not rated	3 stars
2026 FORD BRONCO 4DR SUV N/A 4WD	Not rated	4 stars	Not rated	3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Bronco four-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	17	17 MPG	$3800
Bronco four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	18	22	20 MPG	$3250
Bronco four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Manual 7-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	18	21	19 MPG	$3400
Bronco Badlands four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	19	18 MPG	$3600
Bronco Badlands four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Manual 7-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	18	17 MPG	$3800
Bronco Outer Banks four-wheel drive	2.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	19	21	20 MPG	$3250
Bronco Raptor four-wheel drive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	15	16	15 MPG	$4300
Bronco Sasquatch four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	19	18 MPG	$3600
Bronco Sasquatch four-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Manual 7-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	19	18 MPG	$3600

Specs and fitment

6th generation, 2021–present

Body styles 2-Door SUV, 4-Door SUV

Oil 5W-30 synthetic blend (2.3L EcoBoost) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 255/70R16 (Base) to 315/70R17 (Badlands Sasquatch/Wildtrak/Everglades); 37x12.5R17 (Raptor)

Known issues for this generation

Ford is recalling certain 2021-2022 Broncos whose 3-door and 5-door Molded-In-Color hard top roof panels may have been manufactured improperly, which can allow sections of the outer roof panel to separate and detach from the vehicle; a detached section can create a road hazard. Dealers inspect and replace the hard top as necessary, free of charge (NHTSA campaign 26V299, 16,200 vehicles). A separate Ford technical service bulletin, 21-2403, covers 2021 Broncos with a water leak originating from the left or right A-pillar or the windshield header, attributed to excessive gaps in the body seams from the factory and corrected by resealing the affected body gaps and replacing the front header seal.

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Previous year 2025 Ford Bronco See every Ford Bronco model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 Ford Bronco reliable?

What are common problems with a 2026 Ford Bronco?

Is the 2026 Ford Bronco more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2025 Bronco has 51 complaints, 26 per year.

Has the 2026 Ford Bronco been recalled?

The 2026 Ford Bronco has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2026 Ford Bronco?

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2026 Ford Bronco with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2026 Ford Bronco get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2026 Ford Bronco is 18 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Ford Bronco take?

US 6th-gen Bronco with the 2.3L EcoBoost commonly lists 5W-30 synthetic blend (about 6.0 qt with filter); confirm viscosity for other engines in the owner's manual.

Does the Ford Bronco have a hardtop roof-panel recall?

Ford recalled certain 2021-2022 Broncos whose molded-in-color hardtop roof panels may separate; dealers inspect and replace affected panels as directed.

What generation is the Ford Bronco?

6th generation of the Bronco nameplate, model year 2021 onward in the US.