English for Specific Purposes (ESP) plays a crucial role in vocational education by supporting students’ professional communication skills. This study aims to identify and analyze the challenges encountered by English teachers in instructing students of the Motorcycle Business Engineering (TBSM) program at vocational high schools in Kuningan. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research utilized four data collection methods: a Likert-scale questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The data were processed through Miles, Huberman, and Saldana’s (2014) interactive model, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that teachers faced various instructional difficulties across seven ESP components: needs analysis, syllabus development, course design, material development, methodology, implementation, and evaluation. Specific challenges involved identifying students’ specific needs, aligning learning objectives with vocational contexts, creating relevant materials, and engaging students with limited English proficiency. In response, teachers adopted several adaptive strategies, such as simplifying instructional content, contextualizing learning materials, incorporating digital tools, and applying motivational approaches. This study concludes that despite the presence of systemic barriers, English teachers demonstrated proactive efforts and creativity in overcoming instructional constraints. Nevertheless, the success of ESP implementation in vocational contexts requires sustained institutional support and ongoing professional development to ensure instructional effectiveness and relevance.