The contact owned a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. Before starting the vehicle, the contact noticed an unknown fluid leaking near the front driver's side tire and detected a fuel odor inside the vehicle. While driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver alerted the contact that the rear tire was on fire. Unknown messages and warning lights appeared two minutes before the vehicle caught on fire. The contact pulled over and exited the vehicle before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames and then got into the other driver's vehicle. The Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to tow yard and was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The contact stated that the engine had previously been replaced in 2025 due to smoke under the hood. Two weeks prior to the fire, the dealer performed an oil change, and oil was leaking from the vehicle afterwards. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer two days later and was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport: fire, smoke or burning smell
25 of the 716 complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 25
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 83,000
- recalls
- 2
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
The bronco sport was being driven, suddenly an gasoline odor was slightly noticed, it was almost dismissed because the intersection the vehicle was currently at has 4 gas stations. The SUV suddenly turned off, alerts popped up on the screen and smoke began to rise from underneath the hood. As the vehicle was exited, the gas odor was noticeable and flames began to shoot from the engine bay. Within a minute the flames had engulfed the whole front end of the vehicle into the interior.
Purchased a Ford Bronco Sport brand new in 2021. I received a recall notice for my bronco sport last July. I took my vehicle to the Ford dealership and they told me there was no remedy available. The recall states that my vehicle could catch on fire and crash at any time while I’m driving it. Ford still does not have a remedy almost a year later and they don’t know when they will have one. They don’t have parts even though my VIN number is affected. Ford expects me to risk my life and the life of my passengers, who happen to be my grandsons, by driving this vehicle on a daily basis. At any time, my car can catch on fire because of the fuel injector recall. I filed a claim with the Ford buyback program, but was denied because my vehicle warranty has expired. The recall didn’t even come out until after my warranty had expired. Recall info: Campaign 25S76/25V467
My car has been stalling at stops and I am unable to fill my car as it will not start so I have to put increments of 10-15.00 at a time they have told me now for over three months that parts were on back order and the recall that can catch my entire car on fire while driving cannot be fixed as their is no fix for it. Multiple issues continue to pile on when the vehicle isn’t even 5 years old
2921 FORD BRONCO SPORT HIGHWAY 14, Santa Clarita CA Driver noticed another car pointing to the Bronco’s hood frantically. As the Bronco slowed, the driver noticed flames coming out of the sides of the hood on both sides. Driver pulled to shoulder of highway and the driver and passenger VERY QUICKLY got out and moved approx.. 100 feet behind vehicle to safety. Flames very quickly engulfed the entire Bronco. 911 was called by driver. Santa Clarita Fire Department responds in 10 minutes. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. The fire burned for about 30 minutes and COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE VEHICLE Towing/Wrecker company was called to remove destroyed vehicle. Tow truck driver provided transportation of passengers to the Freeway Towing Company in Santa Clarita. Freeway Towing held the destroyed vehicle at their lot. Insurance company took possession of the destroyed vehicle on March 11 and is currently holding it at their location. In January the Bronco owner noticed the check engine light was on and took it to a Ford dealership in California to have it serviced. We have videos of the fire as well.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 60 MPH and entering the base at 15 MPH, the overheating message was displayed. The driver pulled over, and the light turned off. After exiting the vehicle, he noticed the vehicle had caught fire. The driver disconnected the battery. There were no reported injuries. Another driver stopped with a fire extinguisher to assist with putting out the fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was contacted, who initially was sending an inspector but changed to viewing the photos. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Car check engine light came on, I came home parked the car, in about 5 minutes the cars embarked in flames, the car burned down to the ground. The safety of my entire home (flames caught onto house) and neighbors home was at risk. The burning car was inspected by Fire Chief of Christiana Fire Company
My passenger seat heater caught on fire, it was very scary but I was able to put it out with sugar after I pulled over and figured out where the smell was coming from. I took it to my dealer for an inspection but I feel as though they were just trying to cover their side of everything and said “the seat heater did not cause the fire unfortunately”. I am currently in contact with ford and my insurance company. My insurance so far just says they need to investigate more but also that my claim is closed so I’m honestly just at a loss and confused about that and will be reaching out to them again soon. There was no warning at all and I’m glad I caught it when I did because I had glasses cleaner in my passenger side door that is very flammable.
I bought my 2021 Ford Bronco at Morrie's Grand Ledge Ford. I live 10 minutes away from Morrie Ford Okemos. I received a recall notice from Ford Motor Company in August of this year regarding a recall of my specific vehicle. The issue is: "there is a possibility that a fuel injector may crack, which may result in fuel accumulating on the top of the engine. Liquid fuel and/or fuel vapor that accumulates near a hot surface, such as a hot engine or exhaust components may ignite resulting in an under-the-hood fire, increasing the risk of injury." I spoke to the Morrie's Okemos Ford Service Manager and was told "Ford Motor Company has not authorized this repair" and "there's nothing I can do about it." And, then he told me to call Ford Motor Company if I had a complaint. I am out of my mind furious with his response to a required repair that, if not done, could result in "injury" or death. I told the service manager not to return my Bronco until the fuel injectors are replaced, and he gives me back my original ones to prove the service has been completed. Imagine being on the road, going to work, or shopping, or on vacation and having your Bronco Sport start on fire. It's horrifying! So this is the boilerplate and impersonal reply I received from Morrie's Okemos Ford: "Hello, it appears that our team did handle the recall that was affecting your vehicle. This specific recall does have a possible extended policy for fuel injector replacements; however, in order to replace the fuel injectors, there has to be an existing issue with them. Your fuel injectors did not fall under this criteria, so we were not able to replace them under the recall warranty. We have let you know that your vehicle's recall is complete and is ready for pick up. Thank you." So, do I have to wait for a possible "under-the-hood" fire before my possibly defective fuel injectors qualify for this recall "criteria?" This is a frightening response, and I will never buy another Ford product in my life.
The contact owned a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. After pulling to the side of the road, the contact noticed that the engine compartment had caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, but a fire report number was not provided. The cause of the fire had not yet been determined. A police report was not filed. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated while her husband was driving 15 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the engine. The driver was able to pull into a parking lot and noticed white smoke coming from the engine while awaiting tow truck assistance. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and was waiting to make a decision on what assistance to provide. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I hit the start button on my car and it began to flicker lights and start over and over again then it started an electrical fire in the front of the vehicle. We had to quickly disconnect the battery to get it to stop trying to start. I took it to the dealer and they said it was a defective starter. If I didn’t have tools or if my car was in the garage I could have been asphyxiated or my house could have caught on fire.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Lack of air conditioning (A/C) cooling while at a stop and idling in ambient temperatures of 100°F (38°C)...
- Various 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (BLIS) may...
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless...
- Various connectivity concerns with The Ford App Lincoln App including but not limited to: missing...
- Pop noise and/or static in the speakers at start up that cannot be turned down or off using the audio...
- Various 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a partially or fully black...
- Inaccurate notification in the FordPass®/LincolnWay® app indicating Vehicle Has Entered Deep Sleep Mode
- Certain 2020-2023 Model Year Bronco Sport, Escape, Corsair, E-Series, F-650/F-750, F-53 Motorhome Chassis,...
Related recalls
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles. The 12-volt battery may experience degradation and suddenly fail.
- Risk
- Battery failure can result in a loss of electrical accessories, including the hazard lights, or cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the 12-volt battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S02. Vehicles in this recall were previously repaired under 24V‑267 and will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 25V019000 · Recall details
Electrical system: body control module/bcm
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles. The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge.
- Risk
- An undetected low battery charge can result in a loss of electrical accessories such as hazard lights, or cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will recalibrate the body control module and power train control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S24.
Recall number 24V267000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?
25 of 716 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport (3%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2021.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?
There are 2 recalls and 30 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport
Stalling 62Grinding brakes 59Check engine light 49Loss of power 49Won't start 34Transmission failure 32Engine failure 28Jerking 22Shudder 21Fuel smell 16Hesitation 14Overheating 11Start-stop 10Warning lights 10Brake failure 9Collision warning 8Screen failure 8Slipping 8Won't shift 8Ball joint 7Battery drain 7Wipers 7Knocking 6Fuel pump 6Misfire 6Backup camera 5Fuel leak 5Windshield crack 5
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