NHTSA Complaint #11657676 — 2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT

This is a correction and expansion to complaint #11650564. My 2021 Ford Bronco Sport has now experienced complete transmission failure at approx. 86,000 miles, following earlier rear differential (RDU) failure at 60,600 miles. Both major drivetrain components failed well before expected lifespan under normal, mostly interstate driving. The vehicle has never been off-roaded. Transmission symptoms include shuddering, fluttering, failure to engage park, and severe gear engagement issues. Critically, the vehicle would power forward while placed in neutral — it was not rolling. The wheels received torque while in neutral, which should not happen. Reverse gear would also engage forward motion, and drive would fail to engage at all unless I toggled 4WD low. Park would not hold the vehicle, requiring the parking brake to prevent movement. One serious safety incident occurred when stop-start activated at a red light and the car failed to re-engage drive, leaving me stranded in live traffic. In another case, reverse engaged late and suddenly surged backward near a building. I scanned the vehicle using FORScan and found a code for stuck solenoid A (failure to engage park). I asked the dealer to check the valve body — they refused, claiming the transmission was “shot” without verifying the issue. Ford issued SSM 49930, internally on Aug 5 2022 acknowledging these behaviors in this transmission. These are not just mechanical issues — they are dangerous. I respectfully request NHTSA investigate the 8F35 transmission used in the 2021 Bronco Sport.