Ford Bronco Sport won't shift problems

Filed Oct 10, 2026 · Transmission · FL

On Sunday XXX I left my property at [XXX] and at the first stop sign, I braked but the vehicle accelerated causing me to jam the breaks and the engine immediately died. After restarting, and in drive at the stop sign, the vehicle accelerated on its own with my foot on the break, I jammed the breaks and the engine again quit. In this fashion, I returned the vehicle to my property and then had it towed to Palm Coast Ford: [XXX], s [XXX]. When loading the vehicle for towing, the vehicle even though “in neutral” as indicated on the dash, was in gear also causing a safety issue for the tow driver and myself. Note – this vehicle will not shift to neutral unless the vehicle’s engine is on. This situation was extremely dangerous and put myself and others in harm’s way. A vehicle under any circumstances should not “self-accelerate” not the engine die while in operation. A precursory review by Palm Coast Ford technicians suggested a fault with the transmission’s torque convertor preventing the vehicle shifting to neutral. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 16, 2026 · Transmission · WA

Vehicle was taken to Bowen [XXX] ([XXX]) for a transmission rebuild under RO #XXX, following repeated transmission failures. Dealer performed a complete teardown and rebuild of the transmission (replacing clutch components, seals, gaskets, fluid, reprogramming solenoids), and the repair order states the vehicle was road tested after repair with no DTCs present and "operating as designed." Vehicle was picked up on XXX at 11:20 AM. Approximately 24 hours later, on XXX at approximately 3:49 PM, while the vehicle was stationary, the instrument cluster displayed a "Shift System Fault, Service Required" warning, and the vehicle would not shift into any gear other than Park. The vehicle had to be towed by Ford Roadside Assistance back to Bowen [XXX] (tow reference #XXX). This is part of a pattern of recurring transmission-related failures on this vehicle since purchase, resulting in the vehicle being out of service for a substantial period across multiple repair attempts. A shift system fault rendering the vehicle undriveable in park-only mode, occurring within 24 hours of a certified "repair complete" transmission rebuild, raises serious concerns about the reliability and safety of the transmission system in this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · CA

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving downhill on the freeway with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the transmission independently shifted into neutral, the vehicle lost power, and failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and shifted back into drive. The contact exited the freeway, and the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact stated that the word “CANCEL” in orange was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine had seized but was operating under reduced power.

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 Jul 14, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · WA

This is a second occurrence of the Shift System Fault previously reported in the federal safety agency complaint 11749893. On July 13, 2026, while parked, the vehicle again displayed a 'Shift System Fault - Service Required' warning, followed by a 'Service Vehicle Soon' message. The vehicle would not shift out of Park. This incident was captured on video, which is available upon request. The vehicle has an appointment scheduled with a Ford dealership for diagnosis under warranty.

Filed May 1, 2026 · Transmission · IL

I have 130,000 miles on my 2021 Ford Bronco sport. With no warning I'm unable to put vehicle in gear. I attempt to put the car into drive, then reverse and it will not go. The gear gets stuck in park, but unable to park, The car instructs me to intiated emergency park with many warning lights appearing. when driving it jerks , make grinding noises, and I even lost momentum. Ford said the help line states they have attempted to fix the codes and replace the parts on the inside of the transmission and no luck. Ford recommends a new transmission. I believe the 2021 Bronco sport have a faulty transmission and replacing with another will result with the same issue due to the transmission being a close system it isn't preventable. Many other owners have experienced this very same safety issue and Ford should address ot and be responsible.

Filed May 1, 2026 · Transmission · IA

In January of 2026, I took my 2021 Ford bronco sport Outer Banks to the dealership because my car had a wrench light come on and it went into limp mode. Supposedly it was fixed and now it is April 2026 and my car went into limp mode again, it would not shift in the park and would not start and now the dealership is telling me that there’s transmission issues but from what I’ve read, there is clearly been a lot of transmission issues in these vehicles.

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 Apr 27, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · MA

Noticed fuel smell in passenger cabin. Had vehicle towed to Ford dealership. Dealership refused to repair because Ford said parts aren't available. Gasoline odor still prevalent. Took vehicle to independent shop on 4/27 and mechanic found substantial leak pooling near injector #1. So, the software update which is supposed to identify a fuel leak and put vehicle into limp mode and eventually shut down the engine. Independent shop sourced replacement parts and performed the repair as the mechanic said it was a safety hazard which could cause a fire as noted in the outstanding recall. From the federal safety agency database: Manufacturer Safety recall issued the federal safety agency: #25V467 Recall: #25S76 POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE PCM SOFTWARE UPDATE Status: Remedy Not Yet Available

Filed Feb 11, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · PA · crash

This vehicle is subject to the federal safety agency Recall 25V467 involving potential fuel injector cracking and risk of fuel leaking onto the engine, creating a fire hazard. The recall status shows “Remedy Not Yet Available,” leaving the defect unresolved. While driving, the vehicle suddenly displayed an engine overheating warning and immediately entered limp mode, causing abrupt loss of power. The vehicle decelerated unexpectedly and was not able to maintain normal driving speed. This created a dangerous situation in active traffic and required a safety tow. The sudden power reduction could have resulted in a rear-end collision or loss of vehicle control. There were no prior overheating warnings immediately before this incident. The failure occurred abruptly. A warning message appeared at the time of the event, followed by limp mode activation. The vehicle had to be towed to a dealership for inspection. Given that the open recall involves fuel injector cracking and potential fuel accumulation near hot engine components, there is concern that the unresolved recall condition may be related to engine overheating and loss of power. The vehicle remains under an active fire-risk recall, yet no repair remedy is available. Owners are left operating vehicles with a known safety defect and no corrective action timeline. The defect has not been remedied because parts are not available. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership after the overheating event. The primary safety concern is the combination of an open fire-risk recall and a sudden overheating/limp mode event causing abrupt power loss in traffic, creating a serious risk of injury. Due to this open recall with no available remedy, the vehicle cannot be listed or rented on a peer-to-peer vehicle sharing platform, resulting in loss of legitimate income. The vehicle was previously eligible for use, but is now restricted solely because the safety recall remains unresolved without a repair solution. Owners are financially impacted.