Ford has announced the retirement of its small Bronco Sport SUV and Maverick truck due to a shared issue that could lead to unexpected shutdowns while driving. The company has identified a simple solution and will offer it free of charge at Ford dealerships within a month.
The recall affects 2021 and newer Bronco Sport crossovers and 2022 to 2023 Maverick pickup trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discovered in October that both vehicles were prone to failure to start or loss of power while driving, resulting in a no-start condition. Further investigation revealed that most owners’ issues disappeared when their 12-volt batteries were replaced, leading to the discovery of the root cause.
Both the Bronco Sport and Maverick utilized body and powertrain control modules that had not been calibrated properly, failing to consider low battery voltage. In scenarios where the alternator did not generate sufficient power or when the stop-start system was utilized, the engines of the vehicles could shut down and fail to restart, potentially disabling other electronic devices such as emergency lights and increasing the risk of a collision.
A total of 402,978 Bronco Sports and 53,587 Mavericks are affected by the recall. Ford has received 917 warranty reports for the issue, along with three unverified reports of fire and two of property damage, though no injuries have been reported. Starting May 13, Ford will notify owners of the affected vehicles when the recall service becomes available. Owners will need to visit a dealer to update the modules in question at no cost.
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