Software bug leads to recall of nearly 230,000 Ford Bronco SUVs

Ford is recalling Bronco and Bronco Sport models

While the Bronco and Bronco Sport are incredibly successful models in Ford’s lineup, they are not without their problems. While one-off software issues are quite common these days, Blue Oval’s latest recall concerns something much more widespread.

229,609 vehicles, including 101,002 units of the Bronco and 128,607 units of the Bronco Sport, are being recalled due to a defective instrument cluster. This recall includes Ford Broncos produced between May 31, 2024 and November 3, 2025, and Bronco Sport models produced between March 7, 2024 and November 3, 2025.

What about vehicles made after November 3, you may ask? Well, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recalled IPC (Instrument Panel Cluster) software was discontinued on the date mentioned, so Broncos built after that should be fine. It’s worth noting that Ford has received twelve warranty claims to date regarding the defective IPC.

Software update issued for defective IPC

So what exactly is the problem? According to the NHTSA, the Bronco’s instrument cluster can go out during cranking, making safety-related telltales and gauges unreadable under certain conditions. If you’re geeky, a CAN wakeup interrupt can occur during a very brief moment when the IPC goes into sleep mode, causing a memory protection error. The solution? Ford will disable the memory protection feature via a software update.

According to Blue Oval, vehicle owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their Broncos to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the IPC resolved – free of charge, of course. Dealers are expected to be notified on November 24, 2025, while owners should receive the email between December 8 and December 12, 2025. One thing Ford didn’t mention is the date when the affected VINs will be searchable.

If you suspect that your Bronco may be part of the recall and you don’t want to wait that long, the NHTSA recommends that you call Ford’s toll-free line (1-866-436-7332) or contact your nearest dealer as they can obtain specific information about the vehicles from Ford’s OASIS database, also known as the Online Automotive Service Information System.

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on November 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a preferred source by clicking here.