2021 Ford Bronco Sport: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
678 NHTSA owner complaints · 12 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2021 Bronco Sport, which scores 33 on 678 owner complaints and 135.6 complaints for every year on the road, with twelve recall campaigns of which six are safety-critical. Buy a 2024, which scores 73 on 103 complaints, the first year the record marks BUY; the 2022 and 2023 are CAUTION at 54 and 65. Read the full note on the model page. 2021 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 678 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport and EcoSport: what the first years on record say, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 678 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 135.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Recall letter received dated AUGUST 2025 advising of fire risk. To date NO PARTS AVAILABLE. UNACCEPTABLE. Recall 25S76/25V467
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The vehicle was slowing down after leaving a stop light and within a short distance completely shut down no lights no power nothing wouldnt start to put in neutral so we can get it from the middle of traffic on a 2 lane highway. After about 15 minutes of trying to see what the issues was it turned over and we put the car in gear and pushed ot to the side of the road
Recalls: 12 campaigns (6 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V625000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump:Control/Drive Module | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles. The fuel delivery module may leak inside the fuel tank, causing low fuel pressure which could result in an engine stall. |
| 24V267000 | Electrical System:Body Control Module/Bcm | 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. |
| 25V158000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V-267. The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge. |
| 25V165000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 22V-859 or 24V-187. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment. |
| 21V011000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Edge, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle. |
| 21V809000 | Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. The moonroof glass may not have been bonded correctly to the moonroof frame, which could result in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. |
| 21V074000 | Suspension:Front:Control Arm | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. These vehicles may have been produced with incorrect front lower control arms. |
| 21V075000 | Suspension:Rear | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Bronco Sport vehicles. The rear suspension subframe assembly may have loose or missing bolts. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System205 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train176 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine141 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes127 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other96 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel System57 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Ford Bronco Sport years
Ford Bronco Sport years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (205 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 33/100, computed from 678 NHTSA complaints and 12 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport's most common problem?
205 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport cost to run per year?
About $6,596 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $32,980 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/08/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 678 complaints, 12 recalls on record
- 678 NHTSA complaints on record (135.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (69.4/yr)
- 12 recall campaigns, 6 touching safety-critical systems