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2021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review Unveils Many Bad Engineering Decisions

Around a year ago, off-road enthusiasts were looking forward to a proper alternative to the Wrangler. The Ford Motor Company delivered one in the guise of the Bronco, along with a vanilla off-roader in the form of the Bronco Sport. Vanilla as in a cooler Escape with more capability.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar99 20 photos
Photo: Speedkar99 on YouTube
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar992021 Ford Bronco Sport Mechanical Review by Speedkar99
Not exactly a unique proposition in the CUV segment, the Bronco Sport leaves much to be desired from a mechanical standpoint. The overheating PTU comes to mind, along with the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo.

It’s hard to understand why a go-anywhere crossover features a three-potter as the standard engine while the 2.0-liter EcoBoost is reserved only for the range-topping Badlands trim level. On second thought, it’s not hard because the Blue Oval is known in the industry for aggressive cost-cutting measures.

Speedkar99 had the opportunity of reviewing a 1.5-liter Bronco Sport from a mechanical standpoint, and the verdict isn’t rosy. “I think Ford’s got work to do in terms of build quality, reliability, and some easy maintenance items so that someone could actually consider keeping this vehicle long term.” The reviewer’s criticism is backed up by loose cables and wires, a barely hanging fuel line, cylinder deactivation that makes the EcoBoost feel very rough, one-piston floating brake calipers, as well as the substandard suspension.

Another honorable mention is the ECU, which reads “scrap if dropped” on the side as if it’s made out of glass or something like that. The driveshaft’s very thin neck is nothing to write home about either, and the same can be said about the skinny rear half shafts. Cheap is probably the defying word for the Bronco’s mechanicals, but there are some good points as well. The fully-stamped steel subframe received a thumbs up from Speedkar99, along with the bottom radiator support and magnesium-alloy lower control arms.

Although the engineers had good intentions for the Bronco’s brother, the Bronco Sport surely looks as if it’s been designed by the bean counters.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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