Ford’s Wrangler rivalling off-roading hit is not being sold in South Africa and while its rugged ability and retro looks make it something that could succeed in our market, there are already reports of Bronco engines failing with minimal mileage on the odometer.
The 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost engine is the culprit behind this catastrophic engine failure which has resulted in the Blue Oval stating: “We are aware of a select number of engines with this concern and we are investigating,”
A thread on the Bronco6g forum has exposed just under 50 owners reporting similar failures with the V6 motor. These are only the reported cases on the forum and it is expected that the defect is far more widespread than this. The first documented case appeared shortly after the flagship adventure off-roaders debut in July 2021 with only 1,146 miles (1,844 km) on the clock. Keep scrolling down the page and an owner who had only completed only 984 miles (1,584 km) holds the title for least mileage covered before engine failure. That is barely run in!
The problem itself has been isolated to models built between June and August 2021 at Ford’s Lima engine plant in Ohio. Inspections and reports have revealed that the engine’s valves became separated from the stem and dropped into the cylinder, resulting in a loss of compression and but more notably, a damaged head, piston and potentially even block.
Rumours state that a bad batch of valves from a third-party supplier are to blame for the failing Bronco engines. The metal composition of which goes brittle under engine heat and causes the catastrophic failure. Fortunately, these problems seem to only relate to second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost motors used in the Bronco and F-150 and not those used in Lincolns and other Ford models.
Ford management have a major PR nightmare brewing on their hands and have foretold The Drive: “If any customers are experiencing issues, they will be covered under the vehicle’s 5-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.”
