2022 Ford Bronco Sport: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Engine · MI

Vehicle developed a hum when accelerating on July 5, 2026. Made an appointment with the dealership to have it diagnosed. They could not get me in until July 16, 2026. On July 15, 2026, the vehicle went into limp mode and had to be driven at an unsafe speed to the dealership to diagnose and repair the issue. There are 81,000 miles on the vehicle. The issue turned out to be a cracked catalytic converter. The catalytic converter had previous been replaced in August 2025 due to the same issue at 67,000 miles.

Filed Apr 29, 2026 · Brakes, Transmission · IA

Brakes moan when reversing at low speeds. Was told it was “normal.” Complete transmission failure—car sputtered and died at the stoplight. Then it would not shift into a gear other than park without dying.

Filed Jan 30, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · TN

The car sputters when fuel is added but will drive. Went to get it checked out. Ford said it was spark plugs and a canister purge valve stuck. Got it looked at for a second opinion and they said the plugs were fine and the note saying the canister purge valve was stuck, but the canister purge valve was operating fine. Second opinion said it was throwing a transmission fault code. Possibly solenoid somewhere or an issue with the PCM, TCM or BCM. Then the car started shifting really hard, getting stuck in gears and shutting off. I had to get it towed to my house. I’m thinking there’s a bad PCM, TCM or BCM in this model and it just hasn’t been mentioned yet. Historically, Ford says it’s the spark plugs often and other issues and take several times to fix the issue. Last time it has a shut off problem, they tried two different things before replacing a solenoid somewhere and it lasted for a while up until now. Seems like they can’t really determine what’s wrong with it even after paying for the professional diagnostic fee

Filed Dec 4, 2025 · Engine · TX

Recurring Safety Defect: Powertrain Cooling System Failure causing Engine Overheating, Coolant Intrusion, and Loss of Motive Power. The vehicle has experienced three catastrophic cooling system failures within a 9-month period, posing a crash and fire risk. Incident 1 (February 2025): Water pump failure caused significant coolant loss. Diagnosed and repaired by authorized dealer under warranty. Incident 2 (June 2025): Vehicle leaked coolant and emitted visible smoke and burning odors from the exhaust. Dealer diagnosed internal turbocharger failure resulting in coolant intrusion into the engine and exhaust system. The catalytic converter was damaged by coolant burn-off and required replacement. This failure kept the vehicle out of service for 38 days. Incident 3 (November 2025): The vehicle engine overheated again while driving, triggering the "Fail-Safe" cooling mode. This resulted in a sudden reduction of motive power (limp mode), creating a collision hazard at highway speeds. The Check Engine light illuminated. Dealer diagnosis confirmed codes P1285 (Cylinder Head Overtemperature) and P05A1 (Active Grille Shutter failure). The manufacturer's dealer has confirmed the current failure but refuses to acknowledge it as part of the recurring powertrain thermal defect. The safety risk involves sudden deceleration in traffic due to overheating protection mode and potential fire risk from repeated coolant leaks onto hot engine components. The vehicle is currently at the dealer and available for inspection.

Filed Apr 17, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · TN

On April 8th 2025 our vehicle went into "limp mode" for the third time in 6 months. The previous incidents were part of an active recall and we're repaired by a does dealership. This time it is supposedly the failure of a fuel pump sensor causing the issue (per ford service diagnosis) which they say is NOT covered by fords recall nor is it covered under any warranty and must be paid for out of pocket. This repeat occurrence has caused our vehicle to stall in traffic not just when at stops but also just when turning or pulling onto streets or highway. This has happened while crossing busy streets putting the lives of our family at RISK MULTIPLE times. Ford refuses to pay for rental vehicles while our vehicle has been in repair for this issue and also while the vehicle is in an unsafe condition to drive. This also causes undo hardship for our family as we are not able to pay for a rental vehicle for extended amounts of time while our vehicle is in an unsafe state. I am highly concerned that Ford is trying to "wash their hands" of this vehicle and avoid true remedy the overwhelming evidence of problems of these vehicles. I have included the previous invoices for the recall repairs that caused this. I have not yet received the invoice for the repair being done currently as of 4/17/2025 .There are additional safety issues we've encountered with the "safety features" of the vehicle that i will be submitting separately.

Filed Nov 21, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · UT

Over the past year my Bronco Sport has thrown two different codes, powertrain malfunction and collision assist unavailable, and put me in limp mode, 25 times. And the last several times it has gone into limp mode it is accompanied by a weird smell. It has been on the hoist several times at the Ford dealership Service Center having parts replaced to “fix” this issue. But nothing they try has fixed it. They even had a Ford Corporate technician call and walk them through what to try/test/fix. It’s been on the hoist being “fixed” again a couple of times since then. They said they would fly a Ford Engineer out to “fix” it over a month ago but have not done so. It’s terrifying when it goes in to limp mode because I can’t GO. I just pray I don’t get slammed in to every time it throws these codes and puts me in limp mode. The most recent occurrence was just today!