2026 Ford Bronco Sport: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport at 23–27 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 8 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
6
EPA combined mpg
23–27
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Ford dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 6 safety recalls for the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport, newest first.
Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Hard parts internal/mechanical
NHTSA 26V548000Reported Aug 25, 2026
Filed by
Ford Motor Company (manufacturer recall no. 26S61)
Units affected
10,001 (estimate)
Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
Risk
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (manufacturer recall no. 26S60)
Units affected
23 (estimate)
Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Maverick, F-150, and Bronco Sport vehicles. Certain vehicle joints may be improperly tightened. This can lead to detached parts, unsecured cargo, degraded crash protection, electrical system failure, or a loss of vehicle stability.
Risk
Improperly tightened vehicle joints may lead to a loss of vehicle control, electrical failure, or detached parts, increasing the risk of a crash or fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten the vehicle joints or repair and replace the joint retention mechanisms as necessary, free of charge. Owner notifications letters were mailed October 19, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S60. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 26, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (manufacturer recall no. 26S36)
Units affected
4,653 (estimate)
Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco Sport and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles. The front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at the vehicle assembly plant, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the front wheel knuckle.
Risk
A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge.Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S36. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 29, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and 2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Risk
An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, and inspect and replace the electrical cord if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have an alternative option to replace the engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V343. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 14, 2026.
Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger
NHTSA 26V201000Reported Mar 31, 2026
Filed by
Ford Motor Company (manufacturer recall no. 26C19)
Units affected
3,170 (estimate)
Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles. The Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) unit may fail to correctly detect the presence of an adult or child in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk
Failure to correctly detect a passenger may result in the air bag not deploying as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the passenger seat occupant classification sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C19. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (manufacturer recall no. 25SC3)
Units affected
229,609 (estimate)
Problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
Risk
An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC3.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2026 Ford Bronco Sport fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2026 FORD BRONCO SPORT SUV N/A 4WD
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
4 stars
17.4%
No
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2026 Ford Bronco Sport owner complaints
Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport, most recently on Oct 15, 2026. 1 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 2 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2026 Ford Bronco Sport complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Unknown or other
5
Air bags
1
Electrical system
1
Engine
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control
1
Power train
1
Service brakes
1
Wheels
1
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
