Ford Dropping Universal Remote for Bronco Sport

[Mrmike]

These are the reasons I won’t buy another Ford due to Ford dropping these features:

#1 drivers door exterior keypad (eliminated on earlier models - the stick on option was a joke)

#2 universal garage door opener (never needs a battery, super easy to program and to remove programming)

(adjustable flood light on Bronco Sports)

(rear hatch release button on the dash - eliminated on earlier Bronco Sport models)

The wireless charging pad isn’t needed by me because wired CarPlay both charges the battery and is more robust - wireless CarPlay is ok on rental cars if available but not something I would use everyday

rain-sensing wipers - never had and that along with the engine block heater aren’t useful in phoenix

I agree. I have a '23 OBX with all these options. I also added things not included like an engine cover, hood insulation and a few more. I really like my OBX, but I will probably be going back to Lincoln to get all the bells and whistles I like when I'm ready to trade.

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[Stircrazy]

Ford continues to disappoint. Universal Garage Door opener is shown as a product deletion along with the wireless charging pad in the 26 Order guide. Not available at all. Just the latest deletion.


ford-wants-to-retain-vast-majority-of-edge-escape-owners

well the wireless charge pad should have been deleted in 2022, it is garbage and basicly unusable for any android auto user.

universal garge has been hit and miss since its inception, hard to program and not always reliable.. I think it was disapearing in favore of homekit anyways, is that one being deleted also or just universal?

I am surperised people don't think rain sensing wipers are worth it though, well I guess if it never rains where you are. I find it the best when you are driving on a slushy highway orjust wet and overtaking abig truck and it just coats your window with slush/water spray. before I would have to read over and then turn the knob to fast spped so I could see, the auto sensing dows this before I can even think of moving my hand.

 

[Stircrazy]

I agree. I have a '23 OBX with all these options. I also added things not included like an engine cover, hood insulation and a few more. I really like my OBX, but I will probably be going back to Lincoln to get all the bells and whistles I like when I'm ready to trade.

I have hood insulation in my 23 OB

 

[Dude]

well the wireless charge pad should have been deleted in 2022, it is garbage and basicly unusable for any android auto user.

universal garge has been hit and miss since its inception, hard to program and not always reliable.. I think it was disapearing in favore of homekit anyways, is that one being deleted also or just universal?

Ford’s Universal garage door opener is gone across all Bronco Sport models in 2026

The reason it’s often “hard to program” has more to do with the type of garage door opener installed in someone’s garage - for me the Universal garage door opener is dirt simple to program and to delete the programming before selling the vehicle

And there are many Android users that report the Bronco sport charge pad works great!! Certainly helps when the phone isn’t allowed to slide around

 

[Stircrazy]

Ford’s Universal garage door opener is gone across all Bronco Sport models in 2026

The reason it’s often “hard to program” has more to do with the type of garage door opener installed in someone’s garage - for me the Universal garage door opener is dirt simple to program and to delete the programming before selling the vehicle

And there are many Android users that report the Bronco sport charge pad works great!! Certainly helps when the phone isn’t allowed to slide around

the problem is you have to be plugged in to use android auto on the 21 to 24 models , and I haven't heard one person with thoes years that religiously uses android auto say they like the charg pad. its a double redundency as you have to plug in to use android auto anyways so you get better charging via the USB C

when you do that and put it in the charger it over heats the phone on longer trips. even jsut putting it in there with out pluging it in and streaming music off your phone (not using android auto) the charger won't charge it will just keep up. its low powered to start with and most people use some sort of case, even with out the case if your charging because you are plugged into android auto via USB, the usb is doing all the charging the wireless is just making your phone hot. on longer trips it gets so hot the phone will shut down android auto. for now I just put it on the right side of the cubby untill I see if I can disable the charge pad through forscan.

I do like the molding to keep the phone in one place with it. I just wish they would have made it easy to turn off the wireless charging.

 

[Dude]

the problem is you have to be plugged in to use android auto on the 21 to 24 models , and I haven't heard one person with thoes years that religiously uses android auto say they like the charg pad. its a double redundency as you have to plug in to use android auto anyways so you get better charging via the USB C

when you do that and put it in the charger it over heats the phone on longer trips. even jsut putting it in there with out pluging it in and streaming music off your phone (not using android auto) the charger won't charge it will just keep up. its low powered to start with and most people use some sort of case, even with out the case if your charging because you are plugged into android auto via USB, the usb is doing all the charging the wireless is just making your phone hot. on longer trips it gets so hot the phone will shut down android auto. for now I just put it on the right side of the cubby untill I see if I can disable the charge pad through forscan.

I do like the molding to keep the phone in one place with it. I just wish they would have made it easy to turn off the wireless charging.

You are correct … on the ’21-‘24s the charge pad is about 3.6w and sliding around on the pad and the phones case is going to reduce the effective charging and of course heat is generated as that’s how the charging works

But I don’t understand your point about plugging in the USB cable and using the charge pad simultaneously… the phone (iPhones for sure and most likely androids as well) will charge via the USB Cable when plugged in and will ignore the charge pad (heat might still be generated) … the phone never uses both methods simultaneously to charge (at least iPhones don’t)

When plugged in, the instructions state do not put the phone on top the charge pad

But there are android owners of ‘21-‘24 that state they love the charge pad and it keeps their phone charged without getting too warm - those probably are using the Bluetooth only connection without AA since you are correct to use AA the Android has to be plugged in

Different owners … different use cases … different experiences

Personally I do the same as you with my iPhone… it’s plugged in and never is on the charge pad (I have a 2022)

 

[ScareCrow]

All these deletions/changes are one reason I’m still driving my ’21 BL. I’ve worked around the charger and keep my door opener in the sunglass cubby; won’t part with the folding rear headrests, rear gate button, and rear floods. Don’t put thousands of miles on per month, have extended warranty, and with any luck will drive the wheels off.

If I have to change vehicles I’ll probably be giving a hard look at some other brands, not because of any problems with my BS, but because of the loss of things I thought made the BS so attractive for my life style.

Same here, got the extended warranty, knobs , AT-3's........ All the Bell's and whistle's I need for sure.

Love driving it and it's perfect for my needs. I'll drive it till the wheels fall off or I croak!

 

[dwrufus53]

the problem is you have to be plugged in to use android auto on the 21 to 24 models , and I haven't heard one person with thoes years that religiously uses android auto say they like the charg pad. its a double redundency as you have to plug in to use android auto anyways so you get better charging via the USB C

when you do that and put it in the charger it over heats the phone on longer trips. even jsut putting it in there with out pluging it in and streaming music off your phone (not using android auto) the charger won't charge it will just keep up. its low powered to start with and most people use some sort of case, even with out the case if your charging because you are plugged into android auto via USB, the usb is doing all the charging the wireless is just making your phone hot. on longer trips it gets so hot the phone will shut down android auto. for now I just put it on the right side of the cubby untill I see if I can disable the charge pad through forscan.

I do like the molding to keep the phone in one place with it. I just wish they would have made it easy to turn off the wireless charging.

Yeah, the wireless charging pad never made sense with the SYNC3 models, as they required a wired connection for CarPlay... and the wired connection keeps the phone charging, too, so the redundancy is obvious.

My '25 Bronco Sport has SYNC4 (wireless) and the wireless charging pad, but I'd liked to have seen them add a MagSafe type connection to keep the phone properly aligned and prevent the phone sliding around in the charging pad space. The molding helps hold the phone in place, but there's still plenty of wiggle room for the phone and the charging pad to be misaligned at times.

 

[Ernest T]

We have four garage doors in two buildings and I wish the universal remote had four instead of three buttons. I’d hate to have to carry four remotes clipped to my visor. It’s hard to fathom deleting something that has become ecpected like they have.

 

[Garth]

I find rain sensing wipers a hit and miss item. When they work its nice but mine seem to take over the intermittent process completely and I cant set speeds manually. I would turn that feature off when I get forscan.

 

[TheX]

On my 2025 BL never once have I seen that message. Works every time.

#metoo

 

[DWG]

I would miss the universal garage door (Homelink) opener if it wasn't available anymore. When I bought my 24 BS I think it took me a while to program the button to the opener but that could have been because of user error or the garage door opener instead of the button in the car. When I got my 25 Escape the universal garage door opener button programing only took a couple of minutes and worked the first time. For me the convenience of having the homelink button on the visor far out ways carrying around a separate remote control that can be easily lost. I don't want to clip it on the visor.

I never really use the phone charging pad unless I am going out and the phone charge level was very low so would not miss the feature.

I do miss the automatic wipers on my BS and my 25 Escape but I do understand the issue of forgetting to turn it off before going into a car wash so when I did have the feature I got into the habit of turning the feature off until I needed it.

 

[Mrmike]

I have hood insulation in my 23 OB

I had to order mine separate and install it myself. Same for the panel under the glove compartment. Also had to order and install illuminated cup holders. All these little things that were deleted over the years by Ford.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

I’m surprised more people are not using a wireless dongle for the sync3. I hate plugging my phone in except for longer trips. I don’t have the wireless charging pad but my battery doesn’t last the whole trip if going for several hours. Not having access to Carplay would be the biggest non starter for me when buying a new car. Almost all the other stuff is meh For me.

 

[Arcee]

I have the universal garage door opener in my '25. Have had the car for 6 months and haven't even programmed it yet for my garage doors. The wireless charging pad works just fine for my Android phone. I rarely ever have my phone on it, though. At this point, I wouldn't miss either feature in a future Bronco Sport.

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