{"id":10805,"date":"2025-11-21T14:58:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T18:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10805"},"modified":"2025-11-21T14:58:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T18:58:14","slug":"2025-2026-bronco-and-bronco-sport-instrument-panel-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10805","title":{"rendered":"2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport\u00a0Instrument Panel Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ford has announced a safety recall for certain <strong>2025\u20132026 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport<\/strong> models after discovering a software defect that can cause the <strong>instrument panel cluster (IPC)<\/strong> to fail at startup. While the failure rate appears low so far, the issue can disable the display of critical safety information\u2014and that creates a significant risk for drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Problem:&nbsp; A Startup Timing Error That Can Blank the Instrument Panel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) is responsible for displaying essential vehicle information, including speed, engine warnings, braking system alerts, and other important safety telltales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the affected vehicles, the IPC can fail to initialize at startup. When that happens, the screen stays completely blank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Root Cause<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford traced the issue to a timing-related software fault:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During the IPC\u2019s sleep-entry sequence, there is a narrow window where a <strong>CAN wake-up interrupt<\/strong> can occur.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If this interrupt happens at the wrong moment, it triggers a <strong>memory protection fault<\/strong> in the cluster\u2019s control unit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The result: the IPC fails to boot, leaving the driver with a blank screen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A blank cluster means <strong>no speedometer, no warning lights, and no safety indicators<\/strong>, which can significantly increase the risk of a crash if the vehicle is driven in that condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why This Matters for Drivers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the IPC is blank when the vehicle starts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The driver cannot see <strong>speed<\/strong>, <strong>engine warnings<\/strong>, <strong>brake indicators<\/strong>, <strong>turn signals<\/strong>, or <strong>safety alerts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Important telltales required under federal safety regulations may not display.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The driver loses critical information needed for safe operation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the vehicle can still move, driving without a functioning instrument panel is dangerous\u2014especially in traffic, at night, or in poor weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford reports <strong>no accidents or injuries<\/strong> linked to this defect as of November 2025, but the potential safety impact is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ford\u2019s Internal Investigation Timeline<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The issue first surfaced on <strong>September 18, 2025<\/strong>, when reports of blank screens in 2025\u20132026 Broncos and Bronco Sports were escalated to Ford\u2019s <strong>Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG)<\/strong>. Over the next several weeks, the CCRG analyzed failure reports, warranty data, and comparisons to a similar prior recall (25S88 \/ 25V-540).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What they found was significant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Warranty claims were low so far, but<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>68%<\/strong> of connected vehicles had ignition cycles falling within the <strong>window of susceptibility<\/strong> to this startup timing failure\u2014almost identical to the earlier recall population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No clear factor suggested the newer vehicles were at lower risk than the previously recalled models.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The first warranty claim was logged on <strong>May 15, 2025<\/strong>, and by <strong>November 7, 2025<\/strong>, Ford had documented <strong>12 potentially related claims<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On that same date\u2014November 7\u2014the <strong>Field Review Committee<\/strong> approved a formal field action, confirming the need for a recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Which Vehicles Are Affected?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford has issued a recall for certain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2025 Ford Bronco<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2025 Ford Bronco Sport<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2026 Ford Bronco<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2026 Ford Bronco Sport<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These vehicles are equipped with the susceptible <strong>SX2 Instrument Panel Cluster<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford\u2019s recall number is <strong>25SC3<\/strong>, and the corresponding NHTSA campaign number is <strong>25V-788<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How the Problem Will Be Fixed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford will correct the IPC issue through an <strong>instrument panel cluster software update<\/strong>, available:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At Ford dealerships, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Through an <strong>over-the-air (OTA)<\/strong> update (for vehicles equipped to receive OTA updates)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ford plans to begin mailing recall notices on <strong>December 8, 2025<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Bronco and Bronco Sport Owners Should Do<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your instrument panel cluster ever boots up blank:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do not drive the vehicle<\/strong> until the IPC initializes correctly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your Ford Bronco is affected, contact your Ford dealer to schedule a repair.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check for OTA update availability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitor for recall notifications and verify your VIN\u2019s status on Ford\u2019s recall lookup page.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you haven\u2019t experienced the issue yet, your vehicle may still be at risk due to the timing-related nature of the fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>If You Continue to Experience IPC Problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the problem persists after the recall repair\u2014or if Ford is unable to fix the defect\u2014owners may be eligible for <strong>repurchase, replacement, or compensation<\/strong>, according to California Lemon Laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ford has announced a safety recall for certain 2025\u20132026 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport models after discovering a software defect that can cause the instrument panel cluster (IPC) to fail at startup. While the failure rate appears low so far, the issue can disable the display of critical safety information\u2014and that creates a significant risk&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/?p=10805\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,45,1317],"tags":[140,1650,1620,1658,1432],"class_list":["post-10805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","category-california-lemon-law","category-ford","category-lemon-alert","tag-automobile-safety","tag-blank-instrument-panel","tag-california-lemon-law","tag-software-error","tag-software-update"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10805"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10806,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10805\/revisions\/10806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calemonlaw.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}