2021 Ford Bronco Sport · symptom sheet
Transmission fails or needs replacement
- 25owner reports
- 80,000median miles
- $7,000median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 6, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
183 of the 696 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 25 of those describe transmission failure.
Tick what matches of 25 reports
Transmission failure on other Bronco Sport years
No other Bronco Sport model year has enough reports of transmission failure for a sheet of its own. See every Bronco Sport year.
What this problem usually is
This is the end of the road for a transmission: the car stops moving under its own power, or a shop says the unit has to be replaced or rebuilt. Half of the owners here mention a warning light or message, and a quarter mention it happening again or to a second unit.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (25 reports) and the torque converter (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2021 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge.
An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.
All 16 recalls on the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
9 of the 25 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $300 to $10,971.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 75,000 and 102,357 miles, from the 12 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“The vehicle was parked in my parking garage and rolled away causing a collision. There were no warning lights indicating an issue. The vehicle is currently sitting at a shop awaiting warranty paperwork for a transmission replacement that was done last year.”
Filed Jun 24, 2026
“My wife's 2021 Ford Bronco Sport has had a complete transmission failure and the vehicle has less than 75,000 miles on it. We're told by Ford that the Powertrain warranty ends after 60,000 miles. This has been a disaster for us as we're paying a note on a vehicle that we cannot drive because it will cost $10-11K to repair. I've never owned a vehicle that has had so many problems in my life.”
Filed Oct 17, 2025 · 75,000 miles
“The Vehicle was serviced as normal, everything came back in good shape. A few days later the transmission began to slip. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership where I was told that the Torque Converter was broken and the vehicle would require a full transmission replacement costing a total of $8K. The vehicle currently has 102,357 Miles on it.”
Filed Sep 23, 2025 · 102,357 miles
“We brought the car to the dealership for oil change and recall fixes. After picking the vehicle up, the transmission failed the next day. The dealership nor Ford customer service have been any help and claim that they didnât do anything that could have impacted the transmission. They are wanting us to pay $13k to replace the transmission”
Filed Sep 4, 2025
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 25 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 127 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 126 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 107 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 66 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 40 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 37 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 35 reports
- Driveshaft, axle or transfer case problems 35 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 26 reports