Bronco Sport owners have a name for it: the whale noise. You back out of the garage on a damp morning, touch the brake, and the rear of the SUV lets out a long, loud moan. Plenty of owners say dealers told them it was normal. Ford's own paperwork says otherwise.
What owners are reporting
NHTSA has a lot of complaints for this model. As of October 2026, the 2021 Bronco Sport alone has 707 complaints, with 128 tagged as service brakes. Read through them and the same story repeats: a loud moan, squeal or groan from the rear brakes in reverse, often first thing in the morning or when it's raining. Owners describe it as a whale, a ship's horn, or louder than the car's horn. Some say it happened after the brake recall, and several made four or more dealer visits.
Ford's fix: bulletin 25-2031
Ford first addressed this with bulletin 24-2348 (October 2024), then replaced it with 25-2031 in February 2025 to cover more vehicles. Here's what it says:
- Covers: 2021-2025 Bronco Sport built on or before December 21, 2024, plus 2020-2025 Escape.
- Symptom: a moan from the rear brakes when reversing in cold and/or humid weather.
- Cause: Ford says it may be due to the vehicle's suspension sensitivity.
- Procedure A (no reinforced bushings yet): replace the rear caliper bushings (one reinforced, one standard), guide pins and caps, anchor plate bolts, and pads with clips. Machine or replace rotors as needed.
- Procedure B (bushings already done): replace pads with clips, anchor plate bolts and guide pins. Machine or replace rotors as needed.
- Labor: 0.9 hour for pads on both rear calipers, or 1.4 hours with bushings and pins. Machining Bronco Sport rotors adds 0.7 hour.
The brake recall: 21C31
Ford recalled about 115,000 2021-2022 Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs (Bronco Sports built January 27 to November 11, 2021) because the supplier may have made the rear brake linings wrong. Auto Informed reported that the linings could have lower friction than specified, which matters most if the power brake booster fails. NHTSA's own test on a 2021 Bronco Sport with no booster assist measured a stop of 191.9 meters against a 168-meter limit. The remedy listed by NHTSA is new brake pads, free at a Ford dealer.
What a Bronco Sport brake job costs
| Job | Who | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pads, 2022-2024 Bronco Sport | Shop (RepairPal) | $239 to $296 |
| Pads, 2021 and 2025-2026 Bronco Sport | Shop (RepairPal) | $235 to $292 |
| Pads, one axle, 2022 Bronco Sport | Independent (KBB, Columbus OH ZIP) | $266 to $311 |
| Pads, one axle, 2022 Bronco Sport | Dealer (KBB, Columbus OH ZIP) | $297 to $348 |
| Rear moan repair (25-2031) | Ford dealer | $0 if eligible under warranty |
| Recall 21C31 pads | Ford dealer | $0 |
Easy things to try first
- Check your VIN. Look for open recalls at NHTSA.gov and ask the dealer about 25-2031.
- Notice the pattern. If it only moans in reverse on cold, damp mornings and goes away once things warm up, that's the classic bulletin symptom.
- Record it. A phone video of the noise helps a lot, because the dealer probably won't hear it on a warm afternoon.
DIY or shop?
If you're out of warranty, the bulletin parts are a pad kit with clips, anchor bolts, guide pins and maybe a reinforced bushing kit. A confident DIYer can do this, but check the service info for your trim before you start on the rear. Some modern rear calipers need a special retract procedure or scan tool, and forcing the piston back can ruin the caliper. If that sounds unfamiliar, let a shop do it.
What to ask the dealer
- "Does bulletin 25-2031 apply to my VIN, and which procedure?"
- "Was recall 21C31 done?"
- "Were the reinforced rear bushings ever installed?"
- "Is this covered under my warranty?"
Is it worth fixing?
Yes. The moan won't usually stop you from stopping, but it's covered on eligible SUVs, and the parts are cheap if you're paying yourself. A full brake failure is a different story. Treat that as an emergency.
More help is on the Ford Bronco Sport repair page. Losing power at stoplights? See our Bronco Sport battery recall guide. Prices checked October 14, 2026.
