Ford is recalling over 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can lead to the loss of drive power and increase crash risks. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the body and power train control modules for these cars may fail to detect changes in battery charge. When undetected, a low battery charge can result in an unexpected loss of drive power, including sudden stalling or inability to restart, and the use of other electric features like hazard lights.
The recall covers approximately 403,000 model year 2021-2024 Bronco Sports produced between February 2020 and March 2024, as well as more than 53,000 model year 2022-2023 Mavericks manufactured from February 2021 to October 2022. To address this issue, dealers will recalibrate the impacted vehicles’ body and power train control modules at no cost. Owner notification letters are set to be mailed out on May 13. The software update is not yet available but should arrive later in the second quarter. In a statement, the spokesperson emphasized that safety is a top priority and that they are taking proactive measures to address this issue promptly and effectively.
As of Feb. 8, the NHSTA recall report notes that Ford was not aware of any injuries tied to the issue – but there were 917 related warranty reports, 11 field reports, and 54 customer complaints. There were also two property damage claims and three unverified fire reports. This isn’t the only recall impacting Bronco Sport owners; last week, the NHTSA said it was investigating the remedy proposed by Ford after the recall of nearly 43,000 select Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs. In these vehicles, gasoline can leak from the fuel injectors onto hot engine surfaces, increasing the risk of fires. The NHTSA stated that the remedy did not include repairing the fuel leaks.