Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Ford Bronco owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Cruise control and brake lights quit working. Replaced fuse and it blew and still no brake lights or cruise. The problem is the brake pressure switch that controls the cruise goes bad and causes fuse to blow and cruise does not work and brake lights will not work. After finding the problem I replaced the switch with a new one from moses Ford. Within two weeks fuse blown again and switch was bad again. When switch goes bad it allows brake fluid through switch and onto the wiring leaching up harness and to a larger harness and the fluid caused a short which melted harness. I fortunately saw it had melted and have left harness unplugged since. Now because of the two defective switches it ruined cruise servo and harness. I was totally unaware of brake lights being out until my wife followed me home one night I thought it was just cruise problem. …
While cleaning my 96 Bronco I noticed smoke coming out of the left side of the hood. After opening it, I saw the cruise control box to be smoking heavily. I poured water on it and cooled down the superheated device. Except for the cruise control not working, I did not encounter any other problems. Lately I've been reading about investigations into potential systematic defects of the cruise control of Ford trucks and extensive recalls due to that problem. The symptoms described are matching what happened to my car - I seem to just have been lucky to be present. I reported the incident to my car dealer and to Ford but both denied a claim because there was no recall on my kind of vehicle. There have been recalls on Ford f150 trucks but I could not find any regarding the Bronco model which is surprising since both cars are essentially the same except for the flat bed.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Bronco. Sparks were dripping below the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact's neighbor attempted to extinguish the fire with the garden hose, but was unsuccessful. Eventually, several neighbors were able to extinguish the flames with garden hoses and fire extinguishers. The flames appeared from the driver's side wheel and inside the passenger compartment. The police and fire departments were called to the scene and a report was filed. The fire department continued to extinguish the fire inside the vehicle. They also disconnected the battery in fear that it May cause an electrical fire. The vehicle was deemed as destroyed by the insurance company. The cause of the failure was unknown. The current and failure mileages were less than 130,000. Updated 4/28/09 updated 04/30/09. Updated 12/08/09. Updated 12/10/09.
Driven 96 Bronco to store, noticed "squishy brakes on way home. Parked vehicle for approx. 20-30 min. When came outside to find flame balls of dripping plastic; opened the hood to find master cylinder on fire & spreading to areas below. Unable to quickly access fire extinguisher; pulled a garden hose back to vehicle & at this time all areas beneath master cylinder were involved and spreading over to tires, wiring harness & insulation dripping onto fuel lines. Reported to Ford motor co. Immediately and not getting anywhere with them to accept liability for the damage. Continually receiving recall notices from Ford as to why this repair has not been done... ??? Please help!!
Dt: consumer stated that 1996 Ford Bronco xl caught on fire and burnt on June 5, 2005. The fire started under the drivers side left front fender well right at the master cylinder. The vehicle had been parked for about 20 minutes. The vehicle had driven just fine before this. Consumer has not contacted the manufacturer at this point. There was a fire department and police deportment reports. There was no insurance report. Driver had not smelled any smoke or seen any smoke from the vehicle. The vehicle was totaled. There are pictures of the vehicle before it was moved by the consumer. The owner going to take more pictures of the vehicle for odi.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Bronco. While the vehicle was parked in a lot, it suddenly caught fire. Flames and smoke appeared from the hood of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire and a report was filed. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. Through numerous research, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign id number 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). He called the manufacturer and they acknowledged the defect and stated that they would investigate to determine if the fire was linked to the recall. The contact believes that he should have received a recall notice. The current and failure mileages were 136,000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Bronco. The vehicle caught fire after being parked for 20 minutes. The vehicle had previously been driven for 30 minutes and the cruise control was not activated. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The fire department stated that the cause of the fire was electrical. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 07V336000 (vehicle speed control). The current and failure mileages were 120,000. Updated 11/26/07
The Ford Bronco was sitting in front of my car. Overnight the car caught fire and burned the front console of the car and below the dashboard. The hottest point of the fire was underneath the hood where the metal turned white and destroyed the paint. A claim filed with Ford was filed after the recall for the cruise control switch was issued a few weeks after the fire. Ford denied the claim because they could not locate the switch, which, accordingly to the local Ford dealership, was not in the engine block.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Ford Bronco. While parked, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher but was unable to control the fire. The fire department reported to the scene and a report was filed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 05V388000 (vehicle speed control) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure was 180,000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Bronco. On June 15, 2005, the vehicle began to smoke and then caught fire while parked. The contact extinguished the fire. The manufacturer confirmed that safety recall # 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). The majority of the engine compartment suffered fire damage (master cylinder, engine wiring harnesses, plastic fender, and the chrome plating on the grill peeled). The engine size was unknown. The current mileage is 225,000 and failure mileage was 210,000.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
Acceleration complaints in other Bronco years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1996 Ford Bronco?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1996 Ford Bronco, 27% of the model year's 81 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Bronco acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-388 (vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Bronco acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 140,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 18 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.