Ford Bronco Sport
Compact off-road SUV · 2021–present. 124,701 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Ford Motor Company. Adrian Aguirre was chief program engineer, Scott Anderson led interior design work, and Paul Wraith was chief designer for the Bronco family.
Ford developed it on the same unibody base as the Ford Escape. It has been built from day one at Ford's Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Sonora, Mexico, which still builds the Bronco Sport sold in the U.S.: in 2025 the plant assembled 171,160 of them.
It was revealed on July 13, 2020 with $100 reservations. It was built in Hermosillo, Mexico, for its late-2020 U.S. arrival as a 2021 model. Ford recorded its first sales in the fourth quarter of 2020; the full-size Bronco began sales in June 2021.
It inherits the name of the original Ford Bronco, introduced on August 11, 1965 as a 1966 model. Donald Frey championed both Mustang and Bronco, which competed with the Jeep CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout. Sport distinguishes the small member of the modern family. The bucking-horse logo even appears on the headlights.
Ford expanded the new Bronco family with a small SUV on the Escape platform, aimed at outdoor adventures. Its designers emphasized function over fashion. User-focused design incorporated features such as washable rubber flooring, liftgate LED lamps and a tall cargo area; availability depends on trim and equipment.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12021–present
The compact Bronco built for the trail
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It arrived as a new model in the modern Bronco family, using an Escape-based unibody structure. Four-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic were standard. The final 2021 specification rated the 1.5 EcoBoost at 181 hp and 190 lb-ft, and the Badlands/First Edition 2.0 at 250 hp and 277 lb-ft on premium fuel. The July 2020 announcement had given preliminary 2.0 targets of 245 hp and 275 lb-ft. Badlands offered up to 8.8 inches of ground clearance with optional tires and water fording up to 23.6 inches. The 2025 update announced a 13.2-inch center screen, 12.3-inch cluster and available Sasquatch package.
The innovation. Badlands uses a twin-clutch rear drive unit with a differential-lock feature and up to seven G.O.A.T. modes. Ford described the system as class-exclusive at launch. The safari-style roof can accommodate two upright mountain bikes with 27.5-inch wheels using the available Yakima interior rack; check each bicycle’s dimensions.
If you buy one usedFor an affected 2021–2026 Bronco Sport in 26V340, do not drive until the front lower ball-joint remedy is completed. On 1.5L engines, 22V859 (2021–2023), 24V187 (2022–2023), and incorrect-repair campaign 25V165 are replaced by 25V467 (2021–2024): final work includes high-pressure fuel rail/injector replacement and software, so an earlier drain tube or interim software update is insufficient proof of final completion. Also check 22V191 oil separators (2021–2022); 24V267/25V158 low-12V-charge detection (2021–2024); and 25V019 battery inspection/replacement (2021–2023), including repeat work after prior campaigns. For 2025, check 25V049 cluster replacement, 25V788 cluster software (also 2026), and 25V372 cylinder-head ball plugs. Confirm actual VIN eligibility, present remedy availability and repair records.
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