While the Ford Bronco Raptor is the top-of-the-line off-road SUV from the Blue Oval, cheaper off-road fun can be found in the Badlands and Sasquatch Broncos. However, based on the latest news, you might want to avoid the hard roads until Ford fixes a recently discovered problem. Announced in mid-January, Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall for nearly 150,000 Broncos from the 2021 to 2024 model years, including two- and four-door models, due to an issue with the rear shocks.
The dates to check from the label on the driver's side door jam are from September 30, 2020 to July 23, 2024. During this period, Bilstein supplied rear dampers for Badlands and Sasquatch Broncos that included an external reservoir as part of the End Stop Control Valve (ESCV) system.
The issue stems from corrosion between the damper body and the integrated external reservoir mounting flange that is welded to the body. This can cause the shock oil to leak and cause a complete breakdown where the reservoir can fall out and become a road hazard for other motorists. If you notice that the rear shocks of your Badlands or Sasquatch are no longer working or that there is a strange fluid leak near your rear wheels, this could be a sign of a broken connection between the reservoir and the damper body.
Currently, the recall is only for the rear dampers, although the same type of Bilstein shock is also used on the front axle. There is no definitive explanation yet as to why corrosion only becomes an issue with rear shocks. There isn't a solution for this yet, and Ford is working to come up with a solution, but since the breakdowns happened on Broncos made up until the middle of last year, it's just hard to replace the broken ones and put in a new OE replacement.
