My car would not start. Turns out it was the fuel pump/filter low pressure recall issue. It was towed to the dealership and has been there since without a remedy from Ford, despite the recall being released over a year ago. Absolutely ridiculous that my vehicle is being held hostage because the manufacturer has not come up with a remedy.
2021 Ford Bronco: won't start
10 of the 231 complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 2
Won't start by model year
- 20261
- 20234
- 20223
- 202110
- 19911
- 19901
What owners say
Fuel pump.has low pressure therefore making vehicle stop running completely. Has happened twice , once while driving on highway. This is extremly dangerous to have your vehicle just come to complete dead stop in middle.of road. FORD has no remedy to fix and now i am without a car I am paying for since it wont start now.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electrical system and the engine seized. The contact noticed fire and smoke which exited from the engine compartment. The contact was the only occupant of the vehicle when the failure occurred. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed with a faulty alternator. The contact was informed that the seized gears overheated the alternator motor, which caused the fire. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke exiting the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was started, however, the vehicle did not start. The contact stated several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the contact's wife and minor child were also occupants of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was confirmed to have a failed alternator motor. The contact was informed that the alternator motor needed to be replaced again. In addition, the contact was informed that the seized gears in the alternator motor caused the fire. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. In addition, the contact stated he was fearful of ever driving the vehicle again. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact requested a vehicle buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
Vehicle stopped multiple times over the course of 2 weeks. 1 time it shut off while driving on a side road. I was able to restart and continue on. The last time it shut off in my driveway abs would not start again. Vehicle Ford dealership was recently towed to Ford dealership awaiting repair.
Bronco lost power, crank no start, 24 miles from a maintained road. Left us stranded and required 5 Jeeps to recover vehicle to pavement before having it towed to dealer 172 miles away. Extremely dangerous situation to lose power descending a steep hill and leaving vehicle stranded miles off road in 100+ degree weather. Low Fuel pressure DTC captured, possible loss of fuel pump, several similar reports on [XXX] . Currently at dealership for diag and warranty work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was out offroading in remote desert of Oregon for hours. I stopped with the engine on to hook up my air compressor to refill the air in them before returning to pavement. Truck idled until timeout time and started back up without problem. Drove less than a mile and bronco started sputtering while attempted in move forward. Completed my turn onto the highway and realized there was a problem. Had barely enough time to get to the shoulder where the vehicle wouldn't start again. Pulled negative battery cable to reset, no help. It was very clear there was fuel delivery issue. Tank was full when I started my adventure and was still over half full when the fuel pump/module died. Luckily I just got back into cellular range and was able to call for a tow. I was on a blind corner as well. There really wasn't much time to get the vehcile to safety thus this complaint. Ford replaced the fuel pump and module, with the same part numers. There has since been a part modification. There are others who have had thier fuel pumps fail.
July 15, 2022 - lost power on I80 during heavy traffic. I had to pull to the side as I could not accelerate. Luckily it restarted and I was able to get home. I took it in for service at the dealership the next day (engine light did not come on until the next morning). I was told it was an issue with the catalytic converter and parts were on backorder but it was safe to drive until the part came in. 3 days ago, on Saturday July 30th, I was in my driveway getting to leave and my Bronco wouldn't start, it turned over briefly and then died. The engine made a loud 'knocking' noise and then complete silence. This was a Saturday so they couldn't schedule a tow until until Monday, its been at the dealership for 2 days and they are waiting to hear back from an engineer. I know it's covered under warranty but I think a recall should be issued before someone dies. I was driving about 60-65 mph when I lost acceleration. There was construction ahead but thankfully, it happened before an off ramp. If it hadn't happened in that spot, I wouldn't have had a shoulder to pull over to.
Whilst traveling at highway speeds on the Jersey Turnpike, black smoke suddenly started emanating from the rear of the vehicle. All power was suddenly lost from the vehicle, with the accelerator pedal being nonfunctional. I was able, even though the vehicle was starting to fill with smoke and leave a trail of smoke behind, navigate across the lanes to the hard shoulder. The engine had of course ceased to run. At this time I exited the vehicle to assess the situation. Upon finding no obvious defects and the smoke having cleared, I reentered the vehicle, to see what the engine would do when the key was turned. The engine would not turn over, with only items running off of battery power. Basically the car was dead. At this time I called a AAA for a tow of the car. Unfortunately AAA can't tow on the New Jersey Turnpike, so a local tow company had to be called, to transport the car to a local exit. After the car was deposited in a car park close by, I then reached out to AAA to transport the car to my local Ford dealer. The Bronco was taken to Stamford Ford, in CT, where after inspection, we were told the car had suffered a "catastrophic failure". The vehicle took over one month before it was returned, as the whole engine had to be rebuilt.
Engine seized when coming to a full stop at a light. Shut off abruptly and shook the vehicle. Would not crank the engine over at all. Towed directly to the dealer 12/31/2021.
On November 14th, 2021, the 2.7 ecoboost engine on my 2021 Bronco, with 2744 miles, shut off without warning. I was traveling on the interstate, going approximately 75 mph, with my girlfriend and elderly mother as passengers. The Bronco lost all acceleration and the "service engine" light came on. Fortunately, I was able to coast to the nearest exit ramp. After bringing the vehicle to a stop, I attempted to restart the Bronco to no avail. The starter would engage, but the engine would not fire back up. I unhooked the battery cable in an attempt to reset the electronics, but this did not work either. I then checked to make sure all of the fuses were tight, but the vehicle still wouldn't start. The vehicle was transported to the nearest Ford dealership. After 6 1/2 weeks at the dealership, the Bronco's repairs were finally complete. The dealership had to replace the entire engine. Based on the paperwork given to me by the dealership, cylinders 4, 5, and 6 had low compression, cylinder 6 spark plug was found mashed from the piston, and they found catastrophic failure in cylinders 4, 5, and 6. Also, the paperwork states that metal was found in the oil, cylinder 6 intake valve was found in the intake manifold, and metal chunks were found in the intake manifold and turbos. Needless to say, we were all pretty shaken up over losing complete acceleration and power on the interstate. We were very fortunate there was an exit ramp close to us, but this could have turned out very differently. I feel like we were unnecessarily put in a dangerous situation in an essentially brand new vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and...
- Certain 2021
- Some 2021-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine, 2021-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped...
- New vehicle demonstration / delivery hold
- Some 2021-2025 Bronco and 2024-2025 Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L/3.0L EcoBoost engine may require...
- Some 2021-2024 Edge/Nautilus, 2021-2025 Bronco/Bronco...
- Certain 2021
- Some 2020 Continental, 2020-2024 Edge/Nautilus, 2020-2025 Explorer/Aviator/Escape/Corsair/F-150/F-Super...
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A short circuit in the engine compartment can create heat or spark, increasing the risk of a fire.
- 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 on July 23, 2026.
Recall number 26V468000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S55.
Recall number 24V635000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Ford Bronco won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 2021 Ford Bronco?
10 of 231 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco (4%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 2021.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Ford Bronco?
There are 2 recalls and 24 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Ford Bronco
Engine failure 34Fuel pump 19Loss of power 18Check engine light 16Wipers 13Stalling 12Backup camera 8Fire or smoke 5
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