Bronco 2.3L sudden death on way home from work! ***UPDATE #2***

[Buck N Bronc]

a lot of the problem is a lack of qualified technicians. This country needs more blue collar. If I could do it all over, that's how I would go. Much less stress better hours and probably higher billables in this market.

exactly. And it took a lot of hard work to get to this point in the tech shortage. From pushing college over skilled trades, undervaluing the skill and knowledge it takes to work on modern vehicles, dismissing the cost to the employers to properly train and equip the technicians, to complaining about the cost of a “labor hour”. After all, who wouldn’t want to be a “grease monkey parts hanger” when you have all that going for you?

OP - glad they’ve diagnosed the issue for you and will get you back on the road.

Sponsored

 

[Wathoff24]

Dealers much prefer finance customers. The make as much on financing as they do on the car in many cases.

indeed, and I know for a fact that they made $4k over what we got on the trade-in. It's not so much about them making money, it's about treating the customers like crap while they do it.

 

[Dialtone]

a lot of the problem is a lack of qualified technicians. This country needs more blue collar. If I could do it all over, that's how I would go. Much less stress better hours and probably higher billables in this market.

Sounds like you've never done blue collar work if you think there is no stress, better hours and higher billable hours. Double the first 2 if you are running your own small business.

 

[ctskier]

Sounds like you've never done blue collar work if you think there is no stress, better hours and higher billable hours. Double the first 2 if you are running your own small business.

I do run my own. It's no longer fun

 

[ShiftyBronco]

Wait how long has this been an issue? Was it only for broncos built in specific months? Can you preemptively go to a dealer and get the fuel pump checked to make sure it’s ok?

I have a 2022 and haven’t had any issues yet, thankfully. But now I’m worried.

This is at least the third Bronco 2.3 I’ve heard about having fuel pump issues. They were all sudden failures and around 10k miles too. Scares me as well because I’ve felt acceleration issues recently, also around 10k, and I have a newborn & don’t want to be rear-ended with all these distracted drivers these days. Trying to get the dealer to look at it, but they are saying they are backed up.

 

[Razorbak86]

This is at least the third Bronco 2.3 I’ve heard about having fuel pump issues. They were all sudden failures and around 10k miles too. Scares me as well because I’ve felt acceleration issues recently, also around 10k, and I have a newborn & don’t want to be rear-ended with all these distracted drivers these days. Trying to get the dealer to look at it, but they are saying they are backed up.

Less than 2,500 miles on the odometer when my fuel pump failed two years ago, and the gas tank was over 3/4 full…

Susan, I'm sorry that I missed your question earlier. The gas tank was over 3/4 full (see Ford app screenshot below). I just filled the tank yesterday morning, before heading south and hitting the trail.

 

[ShiftyBronco]

Less than 2,500 miles on the odometer when my fuel pump failed two years ago, and the gas tank was over 3/4 full…

Any warning signs before yours failed? Lurching during acceleration, noises, or worsening mpg?

 

[Razorbak86]

Any warning signs before yours failed? Lurching during acceleration, noises, or worsening mpg?

Nope.

 

[7sKnuckledragger]

My 21 f150 with 5.0 suffered a fuel pump failure at 15k miles. No warning just dead. It happens. Global market, cheap parts poor QC and what not

 

[broncobase1]

This is at least the third Bronco 2.3 I’ve heard about having fuel pump issues. They were all sudden failures and around 10k miles too. Scares me as well because I’ve felt acceleration issues recently, also around 10k, and I have a newborn & don’t want to be rear-ended with all these distracted drivers these days. Trying to get the dealer to look at it, but they are saying they are backed up.

Can you describe your acceleration issues? Is it is completely cutting out or just slower than expected? If it is cutting out you need to get in in ASAP. You might consider getting a ODBC scanner, they are not very expensive and you can check for DTC codes.

 

[BigJim1957]

My 22 2.3L with just 10K miles suddenly died on my way home from work. I made a left turn at a stoplight and felt a momentary cut out in power. What was that? At the next stoplight I went to accelerate, and it died completely. I managed to coast through the intersection, but I was blocking traffic on a major city throughfare for two hours waiting for a tow. What a way to spend an evening! I called the dealership it was towed to and they said they might be able to look at it in two or three days. Like WTF should not something like this get some priority? I have been driving for 46 years, this is the first time ever a vehicle has left me stranded on the road. There were no codes or symptoms before this happened. My Bronco is 100% unmodified and has never been on a gravel road much less off roading (it’s a mall crawler!). I am so pissed right now I don’t know if I want to see the darn Bronco again. I’m very disappointed and frustrated with Ford, first for the breakdown at 10K miles which is totally unacceptable, and the dealers nonchalant attitude well get to it when we can.

Just got a call from the dealer, they said it is the fuel pump. He said they tried to get one locally but had to order and should be in on Monday (its Friday today). I'm retracting what I said about the dealer, that was in the heat of the moment when I was upset.

Got my Bronco back, all is well for now. I asked the service guy about the history of fuel pump fails and if Ford has made any corrective actions. All he said is we don't do very many and there are no TSBs on it.

I wonder what their definition of "very many" is? He should have been able to give you the exact number of Bronco fuel pumps they have replaced over any given period of time.

 

[ShiftyBronco]

Can you describe your acceleration issues? Is it is completely cutting out or just slower than expected? If it is cutting out you need to get in in ASAP. You might consider getting a ODBC scanner, they are not very expensive and you can check for DTC codes.

Not sure if you’ve ever driven a motorboat, but it’s kind of like when you’re in a motorboat, just before it runs out of gas. Surging and then decreasing in power about two or three times. Only happened once that way, the other two times were more subtle. The first time it happened I was in eco-mode and I’m wondering if it made it worse because of that. Had about a quarter tank of gas. I also a watch my mpg‘s religiously and noticed it was going down 1/10 of an mpg the more I drove. From 19.6-8 down to 19.3. However, since I got a new tank of gas, it hasn’t happened. I’m wondering if I got a bad tank of gas. Problem has not re-occurred with the last two tanks of gas and mpg has gone back up to 19.6+. Scheduled to bring it into the dealership, but dealership doesn’t have a loaner for me until early July.

 

[bloominguez]

Just for future reference if you are blocking traffic and electronics still function you can still shift into neutral and push it out of the way until the tow truck arrives.

Alternatively if no power.

USING BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK E346836 1. Insert a screwdriver between the shifter boot material and trim ring to access the retainer tabs from the top panel trim ring.
2. Lift the shifter boot upward. 3. Locate the release lever on the side of the transmission selector lever. 4. Using a screwdriver, move the release lever toward the front of the transmission selector lever. 5. When holding the release lever in the forward position, move the transmission selector lever out of the park (P) position and into another gear.

Most people are still willing to push a car if one poor sap is trying to do it by himself.

Seems like overkill. I suggest pressing the clutch and moving the shifter into neutral.

 

[markpilip]

Hi there. This power concern doesn’t sound like something we want you to experience with your Bronco. Could you please send us a PM with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer? I'd be happy to look into how I can assist you on my end. To send a private message, just click on our username and select "Start Conversation".

Annnnnnnnnd here come the summer interns to the rescue!

 

[Dirty Bronco]

Had this happen to me last year in South Carolina. Similar situation with the power crapping out at the worst time. There was a shooter in the area and the grid was completely locked up. Bronco died on a bridge overpass. Luckily there were cops nearby but it took the dealership forever to diagnose. I took to the forums and discovered it was the fuel pump ahead of time. They ended up having to replace my transfer case as well. I’m not sure if that was directly linked to the failure or the fact that the dealership seemed completely helpless. They gave me the runaround until I reached out to a Ford VP I happen to know through Twitter (no joke lol) and he was able to get it resolved quickly.

Sponsored