Burning rubber smell when stopped??

[ralexan5001]

I have a 2023 Bronco Big Bend that is completely stock. I have 15k kilometers on it and this smell started within the last 1-2k kms. I can't smell it when I'm in the car but if I stop after a drive and get out and go to the back of the car, I smell the burning rubber smell.

I haven't had a chance to crawl underneath because of holidays and cold weather.

Did you ever find the cause? I am having similar issue and seems to originate from drivers rear wheel well area. 2 dealers could not find anything but the smell persists especially in the snow. Thanks!

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[Vikkonen]

Did you ever find the cause? I am having similar issue and seems to originate from drivers rear wheel well area. 2 dealers could not find anything but the smell persists especially in the snow. Thanks!

No, the problem just sort of went away on it's own somewhere in the 20k kms range. I have 31k kms on the Bronco now and I don't have any abnormal tire wear or handling issues so I just sort of ignored it.

Now I just have doors the perpetually rub the body no matter how many trips to the dealer body shop it's taken. They had the car cumulatively for 7 weeks in 2024 trying to fix the doors rubbing and it still needs to go back again.

 

[ralexan5001]

No, the problem just sort of went away on it's own somewhere in the 20k kms range. I have 31k kms on the Bronco now and I don't have any abnormal tire wear or handling issues so I just sort of ignored it.

Now I just have doors the perpetually rub the body no matter how many trips to the dealer body shop it's taken. They had the car cumulatively for 7 weeks in 2024 trying to fix the doors rubbing and it still needs to go back again.

Thank you! Wish you the best. The dealers do not seem to be very interested in warranty work and I have been asked several times why I don't take it to the dealer I bought it from. Squeaky wheel!

 

[Vikkonen]

Thank you! Wish you the best. The dealers do not seem to be very interested in warranty work and I have been asked several times why I don't take it to the dealer I bought it from. Squeaky wheel!

To the dealer's credit, they have been very willing to take the vehicle back to get the work corrected to my liking but their quality of work is just very poor. Unfortunately I'm stuck with them until they get it corrected because it's no longer Ford's warranty, it's the warranty on their own work.

I suspect the burning rubber smell might be due to the exhaust heating up some rubber components nearby?? No idea why it seems to get worse in rain/snow though. Best of luck on finding the source.

 

[Lxatoledo]

2021 WT -- 37" Geolanders small perch lift 2". No aggressive off roading. 58k miles: Noticed this recently after driving back from my cabin 143 miles. Smell of rubber on back driver side wheel. It was/is annoying, but could not find a culprit. I figured, 3 hours on the road, something was just warm. HOWEVER........ last week, my wife said I was going to be late to an appointment so I sorta drove a bit more aggressively home. It was probably a total of 7-8 miles (stop/go/accelerate/brake). So the good news, I made it home on time, bad news there was actual SMOKE coming from the driver side wheel well. I looked and could not make anything out. I saw a potential leak at axle seal. Hubs and tires were cool, but the smell was that of rubber not necessarily oil. So from my Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew, Columbo research--- I am assuming it is gear oil that may have migrated from diff to axle seal. ASSUMING........ the aggressive driving may have caused more slosh, with braking generating more heat, and as a result smoke. So that being said, a relatively new car, with no off roading damage should NOT have any issues. So I am hoping FORD will help me out. So if there is a FORD rep watching, please let me know. I have a vehicle that I am NOT comfortable driving long distances now because I don't need smoke to turn into fire. Note. I pulled tire off, brakes looked good and did not appears o be rubbing/causing friction. Tires are not rubbing. FORD --- this sound like a recall issue if this many people are bringing it up. Thx ET

 

[Beach_Bum]

2021 WT -- 37" Geolanders small perch lift 2". No aggressive off roading. 58k miles: Noticed this recently after driving back from my cabin 143 miles. Smell of rubber on back driver side wheel. It was/is annoying, but could not find a culprit. I figured, 3 hours on the road, something was just warm. HOWEVER........ last week, my wife said I was going to be late to an appointment so I sorta drove a bit more aggressively home. It was probably a total of 7-8 miles (stop/go/accelerate/brake). So the good news, I made it home on time, bad news there was actual SMOKE coming from the driver side wheel well. I looked and could not make anything out. I saw a potential leak at axle seal. Hubs and tires were cool, but the smell was that of rubber not necessarily oil. So from my Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew, Columbo research--- I am assuming it is gear oil that may have migrated from diff to axle seal. ASSUMING........ the aggressive driving may have caused more slosh, with braking generating more heat, and as a result smoke. So that being said, a relatively new car, with no off roading damage should NOT have any issues. So I am hoping FORD will help me out. So if there is a FORD rep watching, please let me know. I have a vehicle that I am NOT comfortable driving long distances now because I don't need smoke to turn into fire. Note. I pulled tire off, brakes looked good and did not appears o be rubbing/causing friction. Tires are not rubbing. FORD --- this sound like a recall issue if this many people are bringing it up. Thx ET

You need to contact your dealer. Ford no longer monitors Bronco6G.

 

[ralexan5001]

2021 WT -- 37" Geolanders small perch lift 2". No aggressive off roading. 58k miles: Noticed this recently after driving back from my cabin 143 miles. Smell of rubber on back driver side wheel. It was/is annoying, but could not find a culprit. I figured, 3 hours on the road, something was just warm. HOWEVER........ last week, my wife said I was going to be late to an appointment so I sorta drove a bit more aggressively home. It was probably a total of 7-8 miles (stop/go/accelerate/brake). So the good news, I made it home on time, bad news there was actual SMOKE coming from the driver side wheel well. I looked and could not make anything out. I saw a potential leak at axle seal. Hubs and tires were cool, but the smell was that of rubber not necessarily oil. So from my Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew, Columbo research--- I am assuming it is gear oil that may have migrated from diff to axle seal. ASSUMING........ the aggressive driving may have caused more slosh, with braking generating more heat, and as a result smoke. So that being said, a relatively new car, with no off roading damage should NOT have any issues. So I am hoping FORD will help me out. So if there is a FORD rep watching, please let me know. I have a vehicle that I am NOT comfortable driving long distances now because I don't need smoke to turn into fire. Note. I pulled tire off, brakes looked good and did not appears o be rubbing/causing friction. Tires are not rubbing. FORD --- this sound like a recall issue if this many people are bringing it up. Thx ET

My issue ended up likely being a plastic bag that landed on the top of the muffler and would re-melt over and over. It was a dripping and burning pile of "goo". This was missed by 2 other Ford inspections discovered by a 3rd dealership during a more thorough inspection. Understandably so, I had to pay an hour of labor for the last inspection.

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