Ford Bronco Used Buying Guide: Known Issues

• Most of the Bronco’s commonly reported problems occur due to high mileage and normal wear-and-tear.
• The modern, sixth-generation Bronco has proven to be one of the most reliable models in Ford’s current lineup.
• You can avoid some future headaches with proper maintenance and extended warranty coverage for your used Bronco.
• For nothing but quality used Broncos, shop our SUV inventory at Brighton Ford!

Although the modern, sixth-generation Ford Bronco has proven pretty reliable, it’s not perfect. Luckily, most of its common customer complaints have been tackled via safety recalls (and free repairs). We do, however, have a few cautionary tales about older Broncos, as well as a word to the wise about flat-towing one of these rugged SUVs!

If your Bronco reports high revs in spite of the fact that it’s idling at a stoplight, your intake manifold gasket might be a goner. When this part fails, it creates an engine leak that leads to a high-idle state. This problem is common for 1990-1996 Broncos with six figures on the odometer.

So, your 90s-era Bronco won’t start? Ignition module failure is a very common problem with these models. Generally speaking, it’s a high-mileage issue, with drivers reporting between about 100,000 and 230,000 miles on their odometer when their troubles began. Intermittent stalling is a big clue that you need a new ignition module. Often, a Bronco will stall but start again after a 20-40 minute wait period. Further down the road, though, it’ll stall once more.

When the sixth-generation Ford Bronco first debuted, drivers quickly found they had problems trying to flat-tow these SUVs. Eventually, Ford realized there was a compatibility issue between supplemental braking systems and the Bronco’s electronic brake booster (EBB). Before coming up with a more effective solution, Ford released detailed instructions on how to safely flat-tow these models that involved removing a pair of fuses.

Ford was eventually able to fix the problem with a software update released in 2022. Therefore, if you’re shopping for a 2021-2022 Bronco or a 2022-2023 Bronco Raptor equipped with an electronic brake booster, it’s very important you verify whether it’s had all of its software updates before you attempt to flat-tow it behind another vehicle.

Any damage you incur from flat-towing your Bronco is not covered by Ford’s limited warranty. To protect your transmission, make sure you carefully follow the instructions in your owner’s manual on how to recreationally tow your vehicle.

Luckily, you have a lot of control over your used Bronco’s future performance. Following this SUV’s recommended maintenance schedule will go a long way to help you avoid trouble. And if you’re not sure about a particular used model, you can always purchase extended warranty coverage to help you cover the costs of major repairs.

Before you commit to a particular used Ford Bronco, run its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through the NHTSA’s recall checker. Not only will this tool tell you whether a Bronco needs outstanding recall-related repairs (which are free at your local Ford dealer), but it’ll also give you some hints about how well the previous owner was taking care of the vehicle. And don’t forget to consult the Bronco’s vehicle history report to make sure nothing’s amiss!