The Bronco is a cool and capable off-roader.
It comes with a variety of features and safety tech that emit beeps, chimes, tones and audible warnings.
We’ve trawled through the forums and owners manuals to bring you the most common causes of these sounds.
If you’re unsure why your Bronco keeps beeping, this article is here to help.
Table of Contents
Ford Bronco Beeping: Airbag Warning Light
A common cause of beeping on a Ford Bronco is the airbag warning lamp has blown in the gauge cluster. The problem is not necessarily related to the airbags themselves, however if the bulb has blown then the beeping noise is the only way to alert the driver to a light that is no longer working.
There is a quick and simple way to check this:
- Turn the key to the ‘ON’ position.
- Observe the gauge cluster
- All lamps should illuminate, including the airbag lamp
- If it doesn’t you will hear the beeping noise
The gauge cluster refers to the collection of driving instruments behind the wheel and includes things such as speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and tachometer.
If there is no light for the airbag warning in the dash when you turn the key on, then you’ll need to replace the bulb and the beeping should stop, be sure to also check for loose connections.
If changing the faulty bulb didn’t do the trick or you’re not confident to change the bulb yourself, we recommend contacting your local Ford dealership.
What Does The Manual Say?
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above safety devices [seatbelts, airbags, safety canopy] plus the crash and occupant sensors.
The readiness of the safety system is indicated by a warning indicator in the instrument cluster or by a backup tone if the warning indicator is not working.
Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
- The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after you switch the ignition on.
- The readiness light either flashes or stays on.
- You hear a series of five tones. The tone pattern repeats periodically until the problem, the light or both are repaired.
Source: 2022 Ford Bronco Owner Manual
Why Is My Ford Bronco Beeping?
1. Dashcam Beeps
If you have a dashcam equipped, check to make sure it’s not the source of your beeping. If you hear the beep after going over a bump or a rough patch of road etc. then this is likely the dashcam recording an incident notification. You will need to adjust the sensitivity and/or volume settings.
“The answer: my dash cam was beeping to tell me it had recorded an ‘incident’, triggered by the jolt it detected. Disabling or reducing the sensitivity of that dash cam feature should fix the problem…” – Bronco6G.com
“If you have a dash cam it is an incident recording notification. If so, you can set a stronger sensitivity in the camera settings.” – BroncoSportForum.com
2. Headlights ON
An audible warning will sound if you have left the driver door open and the exterior lamps are ON.
“I think you might have the headlights “on” and not auto. The ol knee hit the switch on way out issue.” – Bronco6G.com
“That was it, thank you!” – Bronco6G.com
“Headlight switch. I hit my leg on mine when I get out a lot.” – Bronco6G.com
“That’s the number one cause of door chimes on mine.” – Bronco6G.com
“Verify everything thing is set as expected. Mine was beeping at me when exiting for a couple of days. Realized the light switch got turned from automatic to on!” – BroncoSportForum.com
Since the headlights being on will cause the chime to sound, it is also possible the headlight switch has a loose connection or is faulty.
3. Doors And Locks Audible Warnings
An audible warning will sound when a door is not fully closed or removed and your vehicle is moving.
Make sure the door isn’t being obstructed and the latches are free from dirt and debris.
“One of your doors or the lift gate hatch/glass is open.” – BroncoSportForum.com
“Come to think of it…I did open the liftgate this morning when it happened. I put a UPS package in there….then later in the morning I went to UPS…opened and shut the liftgate and it did not happen. Perhaps it just wasn’t shut all the way and it didn’t show a warning on the dash.” – BroncoSportForum.com
4. Navigation Alerts
Many mysterious beeps can be attributed to navigation alerts and this is common on many vehicles. You can disable the navigation or the navigation alerts to see if the problem goes away.
“Pretty sure I figured it out!! Well my buddy did; he saw the notification on the top right of the center display screen. It was the “school zone” nearby alert on the Ford Nav map… there’s a checkbox to disable it in the settings. lol… I never saw text in that top left area while driving so… thankfully he saw it. We were on a little trip and it kept happening so that’s why I always got it like a minute after driving as there’s a school like a mile up the road from me.” – Bronco6G.com
“Yeah I had the same thing. I could tell that the nav was giving me a warning but the words would disappear faster than I could read them so it took a while to figure out why.” – Bronco6G.com
5. Airbag Bulb Burnt Out
As previously mentioned at the start of the article, a burnt-out airbag light can cause beeps. The fix is simple, replace the bulb.
“The module will beep if the airbag light bulb burns out. It does that to keep people from removing the bulb.” – fullsizebronco.com
“My truck did the same thing…it just had a burnt-out bulb behind the dash… they are 194 bulbs. it takes like 2 mins to pull the cluster, and then a second or two to swap the bulbs out…give it a shot.” – fullsizebronco.com
“I had just a few minutes today to look into the shop manual on the Passive Restraint System. Yup, the Air Bag light should turn on for about 6 seconds when key turned to Run. If the airbag monitor module can not turn on the bulb, then the module will put out 5 beeps, then another 5 beeps etc. It’s not a code, it is a warning that the system may not be functional” – Ford-Trucks.com
6. Fob battery
A low key fob battery can cause a wide range of issues, including mysterious beeping noises.
Make sure your key fob battery has plenty of life left and the inside of the fob is clean.
7. Transmission Not In Park
A warning sound will occur under the following scenarios:
- You switch your vehicle off before shifting into park (P).
- You open the driver door before shifting into park (P).
- You unlatch your seatbelt before shifting into park (P) when the driver door is removed.
However, there may be an issue with the shifter sensor that detects the position of the shifter.
“I’d guess either that or the gear selector switch doesn’t know it’s in park.” – Reddit.com/r/FordBronco
8. Electric Parking Brake On
You will hear an audible warning if the parking brake is applied and your vehicle is moving.
If the warning sound carries on after you have released the parking brake, this indicates a problem and you should have your vehicle checked as soon as possible.
9. Phone Alerts
Your phone could be the source of your beeping, especially if it is connected by Bluetooth.
“I had something like this happening on my F150 earlier this year. It turned out to be the iHeartradio app on my phone confirming it was connected by bluetooth. It happened quite a few times before I caught the App’s logo popping up at the top of my phone when it made the sound, then it would disappear.” Bronco6G.com
10. Seatbelt Sensor
If you have weight on a seat such as a bag of groceries, a dog or a laptop, the car may think you have a passenger not wearing their seatbelt and thus will make a beeping noise.
If you need to place items on the seat and don’t want to hear the seatbelt chime, simply buckle the seatbelt.
11. Faulty ignition switch
If you have a faulty ignition switch, the car will think the key is still left in the ignition which can trigger a beeping sound.
“I had the same problem. The mechanic ended up replacing the ignition cylinder and a switch to correct this problem.” – FullSizeBronco.com
“New ignition assembly with key from ford fixed mine.” – FullSizeBronco.com
“We had one do that and it was a bad key switch…can you pull your key out if it’s started?” – BroncoZone.com
12. Faulty Parking Sensors
A warning tone sounds when your vehicle approaches an object. As your vehicle moves closer to an object, the rate of the tone increases.
The sensors however may be dirty, damaged or faulty which could be causing the mysterious beeps.
13. Weak 12V Battery
A weak 12V battery can cause a myriad of problems.
To rule this out of the equation, simply have a battery health check performed.
These can be done at AutoZone for free.
Also check to ensure the connections are tight and free of dirt and grime.
14. Electronic Devices Inside or Outside of The Car
The beeping may not actually be coming from your Bronco. Do you have any other electronic or battery-powered devices in your vehicle or your garage that could be causing the beeping? Usually, it’s their batteries going bad.
For example, a garage door opener, a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, or a dropped wristwatch.
15. Faulty latches Or Switches
If you are experiencing beeping whilst driving your Ford Bronco this may be caused by a faulty door switch or latch, if you have a ‘door ajar’ light on the dashboard then this is almost certainly the case.
Faulty latches are quite common – you may need to have it replaced although you should first try giving all latches a good clean and spraying with something like WD-40.
Similarly door switches can fail over time – they report the open/closed status of the door and might be sending false readings to the cars computer.
“Are your interior lights staying on as well? Bad door-jamb switch will cause beeping and the dome-lights to stay on.” – BroncoZone.com
16. Damaged Wires
A damaged electrical wire can cause a number of issues and may be the source of the beeping. You can attempt a visual inspection although the best thing to do is have an auto electrician run some scans on your vehicle.
“Used to only hear this if either the lights were left on, or the key was in the ignition when you opened the door. Sounds like a lead is either open or you’re getting a short-to-ground somewhere. Hard to tell to be honest” – Reddit.com/r/FordBronco
“Thanks for the reply. It’s an old truck so I figure it’s probably some wiring.” – Reddit.com/r/FordBronco
17. Vehicle Requires Software Update
Some mysterious beeps might be rectified by simply updating the software on your Bronco.
To ensure your vehicle is always up to date ensure automatic updates are enabled and you are running the latest software.
- Press Settings on the touchscreen.
- Press Software Update.
- Switch Automatic Updates ON.
18. Blind Spot Monitoring
The audible alerts you are hearing could simply be linked to the blind spot monitoring.
This beep should occur (when enabled) if there is a vehicle in your blindspot and you are attempting to change lanes.
19. Aftermarket Alarm
Aftermarket alarms can be a source of beeps. If you are not mechanically inclined have an auto electrician take a look for you to see if you have one fitted and whether or not it can or should be removed.
“Previous owner lost the remote to the cheap aftermarket alarm system and just clipped a couple of wires here and there to “disconnect it”. The system was basically on alert mode til I figured out where the beeping was all about and took out all the junk…” – FullSizeBronco.com
Alternative Suggestions
Check for Recalls or TSBs
By entering your car’s VIN number on Ford’s recall page or the NTHSA’s Safety Issues & Recalls page you can determine whether or not there is a TSB or recall for your vehicle and if there is you’ll want to get it addressed.
A recall is issued by a vehicle manufacturer for issues that are safety-related, while a TSB covers components that may be malfunctioning but don’t compromise the safety of the vehicle.
Disconnect the Battery
Sometimes mysterious beeping problems can disappear with a simple reboot, there are no guarantees here but it’s worth a try.
Disconnect the battery for 20 seconds and this resets many of the electronics in the vehicle.
Check For Warning Messages
When the beeping occurs can you see any lights or warning messages on the instrument panel?
This can give a clue as to what’s causing the beeps e.g. ‘Door Ajar’.
Take it to a Ford Dealership
If needed, take your Ford to the dealership.
Tell them you are NOT paying for a check on what the problem might be.
Ask them if they will check it for free.
Most dealerships and other places do quick/initial diagnosis for no money as they plan to make money for the repair of your vehicle.
If your unit is still under warranty then they should fix and resolve the issue for free.
Diagnose With a Scanner
Another option that can help you get to the bottom of your beeping issue is to use an OBD2 diagnostic scanner tool.
These are fairly easy to use and you simply plug them into your car’s OBD port under the steering wheel.
There are also OBD apps available so you can connect your car straight to your smartphone (either with a cable or Bluetooth) without even needing a scanner.
Most professional mechanics will also have access to FORScan, which is the software that Ford dealerships use to communicate with the car.
Once you have the codes, you can narrow down the source of the problem by researching online. You can also sign up to different Internet forums dedicated specifically for your vehicle and post your symptoms and issues.
Resources
7 Most Common Ford Bronco Problems (Explained)
8 Ford Bronco Locking Problems (Solved & Explained)
Ford Bronco Alarm Going Off? (14 Common Causes)
https://www.ford.com/support/owner-manuals/
https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/
