Ford Motor Co. has announced a major safety recall affecting more than 200,000 of its popular Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles in the United States. The action is due to a critical fault with the instrument panel, which can fail completely upon starting the car.
What is the Instrument Panel Defect?
The core issue, identified by federal auto safety regulators, is that the digital instrument cluster may remain blank during vehicle startup. This failure leaves the driver without access to essential safety information, including speed, fuel levels, and warning lights. This lack of critical data significantly increases the risk of an accident.
Which Vehicles Are Affected?
The recall is specific to recent model years. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the action encompasses 128,607 Ford Bronco Sports from model years 2025-2026 and 101,002 Ford Broncos, also from model years 2025-2026. In total, 229,609 vehicles are part of this safety campaign.
What Owners Need to Do
Ford has stated it is not aware of any injuries or crashes resulting from this specific failure. The remedy for the problem is a straightforward software update. Beginning 8 December 2025, the automaker will start notifying owners by post with instructions to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership. The update will be performed free of charge. The official NHTSA recall number for this issue is 25V540.
