DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Motor Company has agreed to recall certain 2023 Ford Bronco Sport sport-utility vehicles (SUV) to correct an issue with the anti-lock braking (ABS) module.
The 801 Bronco Sports within the recall population potentially have a leak within the Continental-produced module which could impact braking activity.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-021, “A leak will be present in the rear normally closed valves within the ABS Module, in this condition, the driver may experience a longer brake pedal travel without warning. This condition may be intermittent, resulting in inconsistent pedal travel. Additionally, the driver selectable Auto Vehicle Hold feature may not operate as intended if a leak is present in the rear normally closed valves. The vehicle may creep unexpectedly after an auto hold event is initiated.”
The report further states that the cause of the defect was “A foreign object was introduced into the tool that assembles the Normally Closed (NC) valves used in the ABS Module. This foreign object caused flat spot damage to the 1.5 mm ball that creates the seal in a properly functioning NC valve. This flat spot damage provides an unintended leak path through the valve.”
The safety risk associated with this issue is “unexpected increase in brake travel or unexpected movement during an Auto Hold event can increase the risk of a crash.”
According to NHTSA, as of Jan. 10th, Ford was not aware of any accidents, injuries or fatalities related to this condition..
The remedy is replacement of the Bronco Sport ABS module. Dealers were scheduled to be notified last week; owners are scheduled to be notified by Feb. 15th.
