Bronco Sport Engine Failure

[KimT]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport. As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

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[Blue oval fan]

I clicked on this thinking I would see a piston hanging out of the oil pan. Not really an engine failure. Just sounds like a battery, charging issue, electrical issue. Depending on the climate a car battery can give up sooner then one might think. Extreme cold and heat can greatly reduce the life of a battery. Never a good time to lose power to a car, been there not fun. Curious if it really was just a dead battery. No other symptoms leading up to this?

 

[69cuda340s]

A bad battery can cause a vehicle to shut down. Happened to me on another car I used to own.

 

[baja_bob]

This problem could also be caused by a loose ground connection. A loose ground cable could cause the battery not to charge and may affect electronic systems, I've had this problem before on another vehicle.

 

[RSH]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport. As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

This type of incident happened to my wife. She was driving to lunch with a coworker and the BS went completely dead in the street. The coworker suggested moving the key fob closer to the center console since the fob was in my wife's purse on the back seat.
The wife was able to restart the BS and continue like nothing happened. I checked out the BS that evening, the only thing I found was the battery cables didn't seem to be as tight as they could have been. I removed, cleaned and re-seated the terminals, then tightened them.
Bottom line, have not had that issue repeat for more than a year until recently when the battery started acting up with random no start episodes and the auto start stop was intermittent. Had the battery replaced under warranty, no issues since.

 

[Mark S.]

As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

The term "engine failure" generally connotes a catastrophic event, so that's why so many here are chiming in on that score. Technically, your engine did indeed fail—a failure to function is a failure.

That said, I don't think anything catastrophic occurred. These engines rely heavily on computer integration to function, and computers require a reliable energy source. If you lose electrical power the engine won't run. Given you couldn't turn on any electrical components after the shutdown it seems very likely there is a problem with the electrical system in your car, and the most likely culprit is the battery.

It seems counterintuitive, but a bad battery can certainly cause a problem like this. When the engine is running all electrical components are powered from the battery, which is constantly getting a charge from the alternator. Ordinarily, a bad battery will not affect vehicle operation once the engine is running because the alternator will continue to supply power no matter the status of the battery. If, however, a battery develops an internal short it can result in overheat if the alternator continues to apply charging power to it. I suspect the charging system incorporates sensors to detect and prevent such events by shutting down the alternator. If the alternator shuts down and the battery cannot provide power the engine will shut down.

The other possibility is a bad alternator. If the alternator fails the battery can continue to provide power needed to keep the engine running until it's exhausted. When that happens the engine will shut down because the ignition system requires electrical energy to make a spark.

I would trust your service department until they give you a reason not to.

 

[KimT]

I clicked on this thinking I would see a piston hanging out of the oil pan. Not really an engine failure. Just sounds like a battery, charging issue, electrical issue. Depending on the climate a car battery can give up sooner then one might think. Extreme cold and heat can greatly reduce the life of a battery. Never a good time to lose power to a car, been there not fun. Curious if it really was just a dead battery. No other symptoms leading up to this?

This type of incident happened to my wife. She was driving to lunch with a coworker and the BS went completely dead in the street. The coworker suggested moving the key fob closer to the center console since the fob was in my wife's purse on the back seat.
The wife was able to restart the BS and continue like nothing happened. I checked out the BS that evening, the only thing I found was the battery cables didn't seem to be as tight as they could have been. I removed, cleaned and re-seated the terminals, then tightened them.
Bottom line, have not had that issue repeat for more than a year until recently when the battery started acting up with random no start episodes and the auto start stop was intermittent. Had the battery replaced under warranty, no issues since.

Thanks for chiming in. I tried to restart it several times using the key fab with no luck. Hopefully this is an easy fix like yours and I won’t have this issue again.

I clicked on this thinking I would see a piston hanging out of the oil pan. Not really an engine failure. Just sounds like a battery, charging issue, electrical issue. Depending on the climate a car battery can give up sooner then one might think. Extreme cold and heat can greatly reduce the life of a battery. Never a good time to lose power to a car, been there not fun. Curious if it really was just a dead battery. No other symptoms leading up to this?

The term "engine failure" generally connotes a catastrophic event, so that's why so many here are chiming in on that score. Technically, your engine did indeed fail—a failure to function is a failure.

That said, I don't think anything catastrophic occurred. These engines rely heavily on computer integration to function, and computers require a reliable energy source to function. If you lose electrical power the engine won't run. Given you couldn't turn on any electrical components after the shutdown it seems very likely there is a problem with the electrical system in your car, and the most likely culprit is the battery.

It seems counterintuitive, but a bad battery can certainly cause a problem like this. When the engine is running all electrical components are powered from the battery, which is constantly getting a charge from the alternator. Ordinarily, a bad battery will not affect vehicle operation once the engine is running because the alternator will continue to supply power no matter the status of the battery. If, however, a battery develops an internal short it can result in overheat if the alternator continues to apply charging power to it. I suspect the charging system incorporates sensors to detect and prevent such events by shutting down the alternator. If the alternator shuts down and the battery cannot provide power the engine will shut down.

The other possibility is a bad alternator. If the alternator fails the battery can provide power keep the engine running until it's exhausted. When that happens the engine will shut down because the ignitions system requires electrical energy to make a spark.

I would trust your service department until they give you a reason not to.

Thank you for this! I don't know too much about how cars work, but I know a running engine will help to charge a battery which is why most batteries don't die while the car is in motion. I was thinking alternator or electrical as well.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport. As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

Hello, Kim! Send us a private message with your VIN and the name and location of your local Ford dealer. I’d be happy to see what I can do to assist with this concern. Thanks!

 

[KimT]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport. As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

Update: After having my car for about a week the dealership has told me this is purely a dead battery issue and nothing out of the ordinary caused the battery to die while it was in motion. After a new battery it is working again, but I don't trust it not to fail again.
A Ford Customer Specialist reached out to me but after receiving my information they went silent and never responded to other messages.

 

[Mark S.]

but I don't trust it not to fail again.

Unfortunately, the possibility of a breakdown can never be completely eliminated. The fear you might experience one is amplified if you are unfamiliar with exactly how your car works, something that's difficult at best given the complexity of new cars.

Hopefully you will drive you car with few or no problems in the months ahead and your confidence will be restored.

 

[RSH]

Update: After having my car for about a week the dealership has told me this is purely a dead battery issue and nothing out of the ordinary caused the battery to die while it was in motion. After a new battery it is working again, but I don't trust it not to fail again.
A Ford Customer Specialist reached out to me but after receiving my information they went silent and never responded to other messages.

Like I mentioned in one of my replies, I had similar issues to what you were experiencing.
The replacement battery I received under warranty solved my Badlands electrical woes.
Knock on wood or not, everything has been working like it should, though it's only been a few months since the battery was replaced. Just have to wait and see how the battery holds up over the long term.

 

[AKA444]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport. As I was driving the car went into complete engine failure and stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection. I wasn’t able to turn on my hazards, put it in neutral, or jump start it. I had it towed to the dealership who’s trying to tell me it’s just a dead battery. Has anyone else had this issue?

I had the exact thing happen a week ago. With Ford service saying it was just a dead battery.

 

[SgtT11B]

Need to change the title..

 

[NMhunter]

Unlike many, I use and like the Auto Start/Stop feature. It turns out it is an early warning system that tells you when your battery is getting low. When it quits working, your battery doesn't have enough charge.

In the winter, making short drives in the dark, I need to charge my battery every week or two.

Some Sports came with AGM batteries (which are better and more expensive). Mine came with an "enhanced" lead acid battery. No big issues in the 18 months I've owned it.

When I go out of town, I carry a big jump starter. I always carry one of the small jump starters, although the one time I needed it for my Jeep, it didn't work.

It seems like a huge safety issue to have a vehicle stall in the middle of an intersection. I once had a truck stall just as I pulled out onto a busy highway. I was able to roll onto the embankment on the other side, which was steep enough I was worried about rolling the truck.

I recommend reporting this issue to the NHTSA National Hiway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

[KidWiff]

Glad it was “only” a battery. Not sure if it would have helped in your specific situation but this is a great product in case you need to jump start your BS. I’ve had one for years and it works WAY better than I ever expected. In a pinch, you can inflate a tire, charge your phone and use as an emergency light.

https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Bolt-Air-Emergency-Interchangeable/dp/B08KJNKC6V/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_maf_4?adgrpid=61514410052&hvadid=656772424058&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9003347&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=851856350723774489&hvtargid=kwd-390976509830&hydadcr=11147_13612525&keywords=halo+car+jumper&qid=1697984707&sr=8-3

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