Update 9/8/21: Finally, there’s some good news on the Bronco production front. The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Ford has completed testing on the Bronco replacement hardtops. Deliveries will begin “within one week.” Ford will be shipping tops to dealers to replace them on current vehicles and completing the backlog of new Broncos waiting for them. However, many reservation holders may need to hang in there for a bit in their limited edition Bronco hammocks.
Ford absolutely nailed it with the new Bronco. We finally drove the finished product in June and it — dare we say it — may be better than the Jeep Wrangler, particularly in on-road driving. The impressive rollout garnered Ford more than 125,000 pre-orders and earned the Bronco a place on our 50 most influential cars list.
Alas, getting the Bronco into production has been another matter for Ford entirely. And obtaining one — whether you’ve had a longstanding order or are considering jumping in for the 2022 model year when Ford begins taking orders in September — may take quite a while.
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The Bronco6G forum’s Mike Webb captured video of what may be thousands of undelivered Broncos sitting on the lot at Ford’s Michigan Assembly plant. Ford told Motor1 that those vehicles were waiting for quality checks before heading out to dealers. And those quality issues may cause further significant delays for folks wanting a hardtop.
Ford delayed production from “Spring 2021” initially due to COVID-19-related production issues at its hardtop supplier Webasto. Now, Ford is having quality control issues with those tops. Ford told Car and Driver that every hardtop Bronco currently built will need a replacement top due to cosmetic issues when exposed to water and humidity. Order holders who don’t yet have a confirmed build date will get the option to switch to a soft top or have their order pushed back to 2022.
What if you reserved an exclusive First Edition Bronco only available in year one? It may still be on track as or right now. Ford PR’s Mike Levine tweeted that the company’s goal is to get all First Edition trim Broncos built in 2021.