2021 Ford Bronco Sport: engine stalls while driving

Filed Oct 26, 2026 · Fuel system, Transmission · OH

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport equipped with an 8F35 automatic transmission. While driving between 25 and 45 MPH under normal acceleration, the vehicle experienced repeated violent hesitation, jerking, and lunging 4 to 5 times in rapid succession, accompanied by rapid RPM fluctuations between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM. The condition mimics an engine misfire or momentary stall and loss of motive power during acceleration, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of rear-end collision in active traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealership (Cronin Ford North) on September 30, 2026. The dealership verified and duplicated the complaint on a road test, monitored PIDs, and officially confirmed that the torque converter clutch (TCC) was slipping. Despite confirming mechanical slip, the dealership stated in writing that there were "no relevant articles," overlooking the published Ford Special Service Message SSM 54797 for 8F35 torque converter shudder below 60 MPH. The dealership recommended replacing the torque converter and main control valve body for over $5,200. When the owner declined due to cost, the vehicle was released back into service without answering the owner's written safety inquiry regarding whether the vehicle was safe to operate with verified drivetrain slippage. Additionally, the vehicle has an open safety recall (25S76) for which Ford corporate confirmed no remedy or parts are currently available. The vehicle has not stalled completely, but the severe hesitation and surging persist under normal acceleration. The manufacturer has not provided a resolution.

Filed Sep 25, 2026 · Engine · CA

After refueling car the car will not start after several attempts. Brought into ford dealership they said they cannot locate issue. They said have a small EVAP leak but would not repair unless a large leak and this would not cause an issue, but online this is exactly the cause of this problem. Additionally now 3rd battery to replace in only 5 years and they claim this is normal. In the past this car has spontaneously turned off while driving as well.

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · LA

The vehicle's entire powertrain and transmission system failed completely. The vehicle will not turn on, will not start, and the electronic rotary gear shifter is physically locked out, refusing to shift into Park or Neutral. The transmission assembly component is currently available for physical inspection upon request. The sudden loss of powertrain and electrical control module communication caused an immediate loss of motive power, stalling the vehicle and leaving it completely stranded and un-drivable. The physical lockout of the shifter mechanism prevents rolling or shifting the asset safely, creating an immediate rollaway or crash hazard if stranded on an active roadway. The car was also jerking vilolently in the middle of an intersection almost causing an accident where we would’ve been rear ended. Yes. The failure was formally diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized dealership, Jim Taylor Ford in [XXX], under Repair Order (RO) #XXX. The component has been physically inspected and diagnosed by the certified technicians at Jim Taylor Ford dealership, who confirmed a total internal failure. They have ordered an entire replacement transmission assembly under Ford Part Number LX6Z-7000-F and Fluid XT-12-QULV. Symptoms and warning signs began showing around XXX, starting with minor shift jerking then eventually turning into violent jerking within a few days. The vehicle suffered from electrical system degradation and complete module power loss, which directly aligns with the known failure symptoms of Ford's active Powertrain Control Module (PCM) and battery safety recalls (such as Campaign 24S24). Ford Corporate was contacted but is refusing to cover this catastrophic mechanical destruction under the safety recall mandate due to the vehicle's mileage (118,365 miles), despite the physical damage being explicitly caused by the unaddressed manufacturer safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 18, 2026 · NC

I was in another town and my car kept stalling. I was going across traffic and it stalled and almost caused an accident. When I was in a parking lot my car would not go in reverse. I had to be pushed out of the parking space. I have already went to the have this recall fixed once. I know the part is not available but I should not have to keep going every few months to keep getting this done on a vehicle that I am paying on. It is not reliable and I could have caused an accident.

Filed Mar 24, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · NV

While driving between [XXX] and [XXX] , the vehicle suddenly lost fuel. The estimated miles to empty started to drop rapidly from 70 miles to 50 miles within minutes. At a safe point, I pulled over, there was no pooling of fuel under the vehicle, no other warning lights were issued. I turned around to return to [XXX] , the engine stalled and ran out of gas at mile marker 18 just north of [XXX] . I left the vehicle on the side of the road and walked back to [XXX] . This stretch of road has no cell service. The vehicle was towed to Corwin Ford for inspection. I requested that Recall CSP25S76 be completed on the vehicle, and replace the fuel injectors. The response was that the fuel tank needs to be replaced. They have not provided diagnostic evidence of why. I think this falls under CSP 21S38. Additionally, the catalytic converter was replaced in January under [XXX] and the emissions warranty extension. The vehicle has high mileage, but the purge valve should not have stuck open and this is a known issue with the Ford Bronco Sports. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Mar 22, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · OR

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

Filed Mar 16, 2026 · Engine · 49,700 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving 78 MPH on the highway, the vehicle unintentionally decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was turned off, restarted, and driven as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,700.

Filed Jan 29, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · WA

Since my car hit 40000 miles it has had nothing but issues. I've had it in the shop at least 10 times. My brakes went out while driving with my [XXX] old, I've had loss of power, smell of exhaust in the cabin for the last 3 months and dealership says it can't be fixed, yesterday I had complete engine failure while on the freeway. Stalled and wouldn't start back up for 5 min. The dealership has never fully fixed anything but has only updated the computer system. I feel very unsafe in this vehicle. We still owe on this vehicle so trading it in is not an option since its not even worth the down payment I put down. It has a fuel injector recall that can't be fixed yet due to not having the parts available. What are we suppose to do if we can't drive the vehicle and can't buy a new one. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 30, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · 53,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 25V019000 (Electrical System) and 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the passenger-side of the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that approximately a minute later, the vehicle restarted independently. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact shifted to reverse(R), and the vehicle accelerated forward unintendedly. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact test-drove the vehicle in a parking lot, and the failure persisted. The contact stated that while the hand brake was off, the brakes failed to function and seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact test-drove the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. However, the contact was concerned about the failure, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the recall repair of the 12-volt battery was completed, and the PCM software update were performed. Additionally, the contact was informed that the DTC codes found indicated that the transmission had failed. The transmission was not repaired due to cost. The contact picked up the vehicle and drove the vehicle back to the residence with no issues. The contact stated that the battery failed to function as intended, and the vehicle failed to start two days later . The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle on a separate occasion, the message "Parking Not Available" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the mechanic shop of the previous owner for inspection most recently. The previous owner repaired the rear differentials; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning li

Filed Nov 28, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · 56,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Faulty Battery and Charging System" flashed on the screen, and the vehicle failed to immediately start. The contact stated that while driving later, several messages, including the messages "Faulty Power Steering" and "Faulty ABS" were displayed, and the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train), which the contact related the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 56,000.

Filed Nov 6, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · WI

In 2024, we had our battery replaced in our 2021 Bronco Sport by the Ford certified dealer in response to Recall Number 24S24. We did not have any issues with the previous battery. They replaced the original battery with the AGM battery, which they represented would prevent the issues that necessitated the recall - catastrophic degradation of the battery and complete loss of drive power. In mid-October 2025, my wife experienced unexpected and complete loss of drive power when exiting the interstate in the car, and was stuck in the freeway exit lane as oncoming traffic was exiting at high speeds with minimal time to avoid the stalled car. It was a dangerous situation and the car was almost struck numerous times. No warnings or messages appeared - even the hazards did not work. After about 20 minutes, we were finally able to obtain assistance from a police officer and had the car towed to a Firestone a few blocks away. Firestone confirmed that the AGM battery had failed which caused the complete loss of drive power. They replaced the battery and reprogrammed the car as best they could, but the failure of the battery also destroyed a few computer chips that needed to be replaced by Ford in order to fully reprogram it. We took it to the Ford dealership that initially replaced the battery (10 miles away) the next day, and Ford refused to refund us the costs for towing the car and replacing the battery at the Firestone, claiming our situation did not constitute an "emergency" since we could have had it towed 10 miles to the Ford dealer rather than a few blocks to the Firestone. As we did not know what was wrong with the car, we reasonably chose the Firestone as the best option, since it was only a few blocks away. Ford replaced the computer chips under the recall, but we have still paid over $600 out of pocket due to this incident that Ford refuses to pay us. The Ford dealership also took the battery when we requested the refund, and has not returned to us the battery.

Filed Oct 28, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · NC

I took my vehicle into my local ford dealership to get three active recalls remedied. Within 24 hours, my check engine light reappeared as well as "service engine soon" on my way into work. Upon leaving work, the dash lights were gone. They would come and go periodically. After about a week, it would pop up "service engine soon" and within ten minutes, regardless of speed, the RPMs would fly all the way up and the vehicle would act as if I took my foot off of the gas, almost immediately stopping on the highway. I would have to almost immediately pull off of the road and my vehicle would stall, flashing "shift system failure" as well as failing to let me put the vehicle into park or any other gear. Taking it into the shop, they told me that was due to a software bug WHICH THEY JUST "FIXED" with a recall update. They also proceeded to tell me there is metal debris in my oil and I need my transmission rebuilt, quoting me $13,000.