Selling a broken Ford Bronco, old or new

The name covers two very different vehicles. Through 1996 it was a truck-based 4x4, and from 1987 on a short-wheelbase version of the F-150. After a gap of 24 model years it came back for 2021, in two- and four-door forms with turbocharged EcoBoost engines. Both came out of Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, and from 1987 to 1996 Ford also assembled the truck in Valencia, Venezuela. Their troubles barely overlap, so find your era below.

Which Bronco is it?

On October 10, 2026 we pulled NHTSA's Bronco complaint and recall files, which supply every count in this table. One fuel line recall covers both 1986 and 1987, so it counts in two rows. Five complaints filed under 1997-1999, years with no Bronco, are left out.

2021-2022: intake valves that break

NHTSA opened PE22-007 in July 2022 on 25,538 2021 Broncos with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost after three petitions asked for a defect investigation. It grew into EA23-002, covering 411,315 2021-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicles with the 2.7 or 3.0 engines Ford calls "Nano." The cause was intake valves that fractured. Failed valves showed "grinding burn" or hardness out of spec at the keeper grooves, and came from a May to October 2021 production "spike period." Most failures happened before 20,000 miles, and over half before 5,000.

Ford answered with recall 24V635 (its number 24S55), filed August 23, 2024 for 90,736 spike-period vehicles. Dealers run an engine cycle test and replace any engine that fails it. A follow-up program, 24N12, applies to Michigan-built 2021-2022 Broncos in listed windows that went through that test. Ford's bulletin calls it "a no-cost, one-time repair (if needed) for an engine long block replacement," good for "10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle."

Recalls that say park it

NHTSA flags three Bronco recalls do-not-drive. Recall 23V283 covers 1,434 2023 Broncos and Rangers whose driver's-side lug nuts may be loose. Recalls 25V260 (two trucks) and 25V308 (three) cover front control arm fasteners that may let the arm come off. Recall 23V155 also tells owners of 343 2022 Raptors and 2023 Wildtraks to wait for a new steering gear before driving, since the wheel can lock up.

The big campaigns since 2021

• 26V468 (July 2026): 565,691 Broncos and Raptors from 2021 to 2026. Engine-bay wiring can be damaged and short, a fire risk. Dealers add sheathing, in phases.
• 23V358 (May 2023): 175,550 five-door 2021-2023 trucks with front seat belt latch plates that are hard to reach.
• 25V721 (October 2025): 163,256 2021-2023 trucks whose front seat height-adjust pivot bolt can loosen.
• 25V025 (January 2025): 149,449 2021-2024 trucks whose rear shocks can corrode until the external reservoir drops off.
• 22V451, 26V299 and 26V403: a windshield that may not be properly attached (63,294 2022 Broncos and Rangers), molded-in-color hardtops that can shed sections (16,200), and fender flares that can come loose (36,046).

Wipers draw complaints but no recall: 60 of 379 complaints on the 2022 and 86 of 229 on the 2023 mention them, mostly wipers that slow down or change speed in rain.

1984-1996: fuel, switches and fire

Owners flagged a fire on 151 of the 658 complaints from these years. Several recalls on these trucks deal with fire risk:

• 87V139 (1986-1987 trucks): NHTSA's notice says the "spring lock fuel line coupling may not be properly engaged," which can leak fuel. Dealers added retainer clips.
• 96V071: the ignition switch on 1988-1991 trucks can short inside and cause smoke or fire in the steering column; Ford recalled 7.9 million vehicles over it.
• 05V388: the speed control deactivation switch on 1994-1996 trucks may overheat, smoke or burn; the first step was having it disconnected.

Other old-truck recalls: a carburetor throttle shaft that can stick partly open (84V119, 1984), a parking brake that may not hold (94V169, 1992-1994), door latch cables that can freeze (92V006, 1992), and 1,389 1993 trucks with the wrong transfer case shift motor, which could slip out of 4x4 high and roll as if in Neutral (93V089). On the 1994, 37 of 104 complaints in the online lookup mention the brakes.

NHTSA's Bronco file by model year

We leave out NHTSA's death counts for the Bronco. One 1987 record lists 10 deaths on a complaint about dead lights and a rich-running engine, so the field can't be trusted here.

Fix it or sell it

1. 2021-2022 with engine trouble: before paying for an engine, have a Ford dealer check the VIN for recall 24V635 and Program 24N12. Ford's current new-vehicle terms are 3 years/36,000 miles basic and 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain; ask what applies to your truck's start date.
2. Any 2021-2026: fifty campaigns are on file, three of them do-not-drive. Look up open ones at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
3. An old truck: run the VIN too, then set the repair quote against what the truck would bring running. The blown engine and wrecked car guides help with the two most common dead ends.

How selling it works

1. Gather the VIN and mileage, the engine, and whether it's a two- or four-door.
2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe the spot: a barn, a backyard, a repair shop. Say whether the tires hold air, whether it rolls, and whether it's lifted on oversized tires.
4. Leave the parts on, including wheels, tires and the catalytic converter. List anything that's already missing.
5. At pickup, sign the title and show ID. After you sell explains what to do with the plates in your state.

Looking for a smaller Bronco? See the Bronco II and Bronco Sport, or the F-150 and Expedition.