2021 badlands electrical issues?

[Andrewgaj]

I have a 2021 bronco sport badlands and I have been having electrical issues since around 20k miles randomly the car wont fully start gets stuck with power only no engine it cycles tons of errors and wont power off. This has happened randomly for the last 1.5 years. Everytime I have had it towed to the dealer prior the tow truck driver jumps it the problems go away. I still have it towed then the dealer said things like it needed a software update or we cant reproduce the problem. After 4 different dealers looking at it they finally gave me a "extended warranty" so if the problem persists again I should be covered. Well here I am now and the vehicle is going crazy worse than ever the vehicle gets stuck in power only mode cycling tons of errors the speakers make loud popping noises, half the lights turn on/off randomly, when I try and start it the break pushes back at me hard, and it still wont turn off. I have attempted disconnecting the battery, jumping it, and everything else that worked prior with no success. Has any one else had a similar problem and found a solution or any ideas on what to do now?

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[Poolmanz Sport Bronco]

WOW. That is crazy frustrating. I have not seen or heard of anything like that problem before .
Have you installed a new AGM battery?
After disconnecting the battery- have you waited a few hours before reconnecting?
Have you downloaded the latest SYNC update on USB and then installed?
Have you added any electrical accessories? If so, have you disconnected them?
Maybe you already done these- but those questions were running through my head .

 

[Bucko]

I'd contact a regional Ford service rep (you can request the phone number from any of the 4 dealer service reps you have been to).

Or, locate the Ford rep that is on this site (check various threads here, as they usually chime into a thread such as yours here) and "start a conversation" by selecting their avatar. They will ask for your VIN and issue(s). Don't post that info on this thread, but rather through a private conversation.

 

[Mark S.]

Do you have a battery charger? If so, the next time you experience this issue try charging the battery. If the problem goes away after charging the battery then it's time for a new battery.

These cars incorporate a complicated battery management system that seems to generate a lot of weird behavior when not supplied with the appropriate voltage. Add to the mix auto stop/start and the fact the car never really fully shuts down--its WiFi/4G communication systems continue to run after you shut down the engine--and you can see your battery takes a lot of abuse. A high-quality battery (generally speaking, an absorbed glass mat [AGM]) seems to eliminate a lot of electrical gremlins for many owners.

 

[rocks]

Do you have a battery charger? If so, the next time you experience this issue try charging the battery. If the problem goes away after charging the battery then it's time for a new battery.

These cars incorporate a complicated battery management system that seems to generate a lot of weird behavior when not supplied with the appropriate voltage. Add to the mix auto stop/start and the fact the car never really fully shuts down--its WiFi/4G communication systems continue to run after you shut down the engine--and you can see your battery takes a lot of abuse. A high-quality battery (generally speaking, an absorbed glass mat [AGM]) seems to eliminate a lot of electrical gremlins for many owners.

Some odd noises after shutting the door.

 

[RSH]

I had similar problems with my Badlands. In my case it was the battery causing all the issues. Dealer replaced the battery under warranty. My original battery was a FoMoCo lead acid battery, it was replaced with a Motorcraft AGM battery. Unfortunately it took 3 trips to the dealer to get the issue resolved as the standard answer was everything is working as it should.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I have a 2021 bronco sport badlands and I have been having electrical issues since around 20k miles randomly the car wont fully start gets stuck with power only no engine it cycles tons of errors and wont power off. This has happened randomly for the last 1.5 years. Everytime I have had it towed to the dealer prior the tow truck driver jumps it the problems go away. I still have it towed then the dealer said things like it needed a software update or we cant reproduce the problem. After 4 different dealers looking at it they finally gave me a "extended warranty" so if the problem persists again I should be covered. Well here I am now and the vehicle is going crazy worse than ever the vehicle gets stuck in power only mode cycling tons of errors the speakers make loud popping noises, half the lights turn on/off randomly, when I try and start it the break pushes back at me hard, and it still wont turn off. I have attempted disconnecting the battery, jumping it, and everything else that worked prior with no success. Has any one else had a similar problem and found a solution or any ideas on what to do now?

Hey there, Andrew! Can you please send me a DM with your VIN and dealer name/location so I can look into these electrical concerns for you? I'd be happy to see what I can do to assist! To send a private message, just click on our username and select "Start Conversation".

 

[13MikeH]

I have a 2021 bronco sport badlands and I have been having electrical issues since around 20k miles randomly the car wont fully start gets stuck with power only no engine it cycles tons of errors and wont power off. This has happened randomly for the last 1.5 years. Everytime I have had it towed to the dealer prior the tow truck driver jumps it the problems go away. I still have it towed then the dealer said things like it needed a software update or we cant reproduce the problem. After 4 different dealers looking at it they finally gave me a "extended warranty" so if the problem persists again I should be covered. Well here I am now and the vehicle is going crazy worse than ever the vehicle gets stuck in power only mode cycling tons of errors the speakers make loud popping noises, half the lights turn on/off randomly, when I try and start it the break pushes back at me hard, and it still wont turn off. I have attempted disconnecting the battery, jumping it, and everything else that worked prior with no success. Has any one else had a similar problem and found a solution or any ideas on what to do now?

Good that they "extended" the warranty but if it's an issue you've asked for service and they haven't been able to resolve...they will resolve it. Local dealer many years ago tried that crap with a ranger I had. Long story short Ford ensured it was fixed properly.

 

[medhat]

I had a malfunctioning “module” that by itself caused a myriad of other issues and dash warnings. My service center found it pretty expeditiously (code reader) and replacing that one part resolved the rest. I think I’m this day and age getting to the “root cause” is the key thing, as fixing just a downstream symptom leaves the underlying issue unresolved. Good luck!

 

[Andrewgaj]

WOW. That is crazy frustrating. I have not seen or heard of anything like that problem before .
Have you installed a new AGM battery?
After disconnecting the battery- have you waited a few hours before reconnecting?
Have you downloaded the latest SYNC update on USB and then installed?
Have you added any electrical accessories? If so, have you disconnected them?
Maybe you already done these- but those questions were running through my head .

Thanks for the input! I have attempted to disconnect the battery overnight and attempted after. I have jumped the battery, tested the battery and so has the dealer on atleast 4 different occasions. I cannot do anything with a jump drive or the systems because even though the electrical components are on they are not responsive. I am currently having it towed to the 5th dealer but luckily (sorta) this time the car will not reset with a jump so they will actually be able to see the issue happening live.

 

[rocks]

Seems to be a lemon law vehicle.

 

[Andrewgaj]

Seems to be a lemon law vehicle.

Yeah its frustrating because it keeps happening at the worst times one of the main things I paid for was reliability and this is the farthest thing from it.

 

[Andrewgaj]

I had a malfunctioning “module” that by itself caused a myriad of other issues and dash warnings. My service center found it pretty expeditiously (code reader) and replacing that one part resolved the rest. I think I’m this day and age getting to the “root cause” is the key thing, as fixing just a downstream symptom leaves the underlying issue unresolved. Good luck!

I hope they can find it! This will be the 5th dealer all of the others claim there were no codes lol...

 

[Andrewgaj]

Good that they "extended" the warranty but if it's an issue you've asked for service and they haven't been able to resolve...they will resolve it. Local dealer many years ago tried that crap with a ranger I had. Long story short Ford ensured it was fixed properly.

Thank you for the reassurance so far ford corporate has been pretty good in general, but the dealers have been difficult hopefully this new dealer will be better to work with.

 

[Noreena]

I have a 2021 bronco sport badlands and I have been having electrical issues since around 20k miles randomly the car wont fully start gets stuck with power only no engine it cycles tons of errors and wont power off. This has happened randomly for the last 1.5 years. Everytime I have had it towed to the dealer prior the tow truck driver jumps it the problems go away. I still have it towed then the dealer said things like it needed a software update or we cant reproduce the problem. After 4 different dealers looking at it they finally gave me a "extended warranty" so if the problem persists again I should be covered. Well here I am now and the vehicle is going crazy worse than ever the vehicle gets stuck in power only mode cycling tons of errors the speakers make loud popping noises, half the lights turn on/off randomly, when I try and start it the break pushes back at me hard, and it still wont turn off. I have attempted disconnecting the battery, jumping it, and everything else that worked prior with no success. Has any one else had a similar problem and found a solution or any ideas on what to do now?

I'd contact a regional Ford service rep (you can request the phone number from any of the 4 dealer service reps you have been to).

Or, locate the Ford rep that is on this site (check various threads here, as they usually chime into a thread such as yours here) and "start a conversation" by selecting their avatar. They will ask for your VIN and issue(s). Don't post that info on this thread, but rather through a private conversation.

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