A Wrangler Owner/Enthusiast/Builder honest review of the 2021 Bronco -- long.

[bajanut]

I just found this:

Sponsored

 

[aldo98229]

I’ve become a lurker on Bronco6G. It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Here is some of what was posted today:

“MY22? Seriously doubt it. The design is flawed. Rattles, leaks, and delamination issues will not suddenly be fixed just because it’s a new model year.”​

​

“All-new tooling and an altered design. It became quite clear that even when manufactured exactly to spec that the design was flawed. The timeline here is optimistic, but the right move nonetheless.”​

​

“Can someone please tell me why @ford Motor Company INSISTS on using the line "your reservation timestamp will remain with your order......"? Like who gives a shit? We've already seen that time stamps mean VERY LITTLE if nothing at all in the disaster of a launch! Stop blowing smoke up our ass, stop sending out crap (yes crap) that you think is keeping the hype going. Because it's just adding to the aggravation we already have! Man up and just give it to us straight for once!”​

​

“I listened to the conference call yesterday. Ford doesn't care much about you as a customer. The call was mostly about throwing perks and trinkets at earlier reservationists. There was a time I looked forward to the new Bronco release, but then Ford turned it onto a reservation time stamp competition.”​

​

“Thank you Ford for sucking the fun out of this launch! I’m officially done, but that doesn’t matter to you as you and your dealers with mark up my car for more money (Capitalism at it’s finest)! I understand stuff happens, but your lack of communication, lack of empathy, and overall poor handling of this launch is one of the worse blunders I’ve ever seen. So long Ford (7 cars owned, but no more). What to consider now?!? TRX, Gladiator, Cypertruck?!? Open to suggestions from the group!”​

​

“I have been following this Forum for a while and I decided to join and put in what I have seen and share my experience. I work for a Ford dealer as a Sales Manager. I personally ordered my Bronco Black Diamond package, 4 door, sas pkg, mic top, 2.7, a day before they had dealers open the orders up to customers. Mine was the first one pulled for production with a 6/8 built date. It was built on 6/16. I have had 0 updates from Ford, our Ford rep has been zero help other than confirming that mine was built (no shit, I can see that), I have talked with several people from Ford that have given me 0 updates... Nobody can even tell me the location of the vehicle. So for a lot of you complaining about your dealer not contacting you or updating you it's because they literally get no info from Ford.. You get more info from this forum then we do from Ford. Trust me. But good luck to all of you waiting, with Ford offering price protection into 2023 that is a clear sign some of you or us won't be getting one until then!”​

 

[Headbarcode]

I’ve become a lurker on Bronco6G. It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Here is some of what was posted today:

“MY22? Seriously doubt it. The design is flawed. Rattles, leaks, and delamination issues will not suddenly be fixed just because it’s a new model year.”​

​

“All-new tooling and an altered design. It became quite clear that even when manufactured exactly to spec that the design was flawed. The timeline here is optimistic, but the right move nonetheless.”​

​

“Can someone please tell me why @ford Motor Company INSISTS on using the line "your reservation timestamp will remain with your order......"? Like who gives a shit? We've already seen that time stamps mean VERY LITTLE if nothing at all in the disaster of a launch! Stop blowing smoke up our ass, stop sending out crap (yes crap) that you think is keeping the hype going. Because it's just adding to the aggravation we already have! Man up and just give it to us straight for once!”​

​

“I listened to the conference call yesterday. Ford doesn't care much about you as a customer. The call was mostly about throwing perks and trinkets at earlier reservationists. There was a time I looked forward to the new Bronco release, but then Ford turned it onto a reservation time stamp competition.”​

​

“Thank you Ford for sucking the fun out of this launch! I’m officially done, but that doesn’t matter to you as you and your dealers with mark up my car for more money (Capitalism at it’s finest)! I understand stuff happens, but your lack of communication, lack of empathy, and overall poor handling of this launch is one of the worse blunders I’ve ever seen. So long Ford (7 cars owned, but no more). What to consider now?!? TRX, Gladiator, Cypertruck?!? Open to suggestions from the group!”​

​

“I have been following this Forum for a while and I decided to join and put in what I have seen and share my experience. I work for a Ford dealer as a Sales Manager. I personally ordered my Bronco Black Diamond package, 4 door, sas pkg, mic top, 2.7, a day before they had dealers open the orders up to customers. Mine was the first one pulled for production with a 6/8 built date. It was built on 6/16. I have had 0 updates from Ford, our Ford rep has been zero help other than confirming that mine was built (no shit, I can see that), I have talked with several people from Ford that have given me 0 updates... Nobody can even tell me the location of the vehicle. So for a lot of you complaining about your dealer not contacting you or updating you it's because they literally get no info from Ford.. You get more info from this forum then we do from Ford. Trust me. But good luck to all of you waiting, with Ford offering price protection into 2023 that is a clear sign some of you or us won't be getting one until then!”​

I feel for some of those guys and gals over there. The ones that haven't been lapping up the hype and making asses of themselves over it. The rest are getting a good taste of bad karma.

I've poked my head in that forum a few times. Any mention of Jeep, and a thread instantly turns into a daycare facility that ran out of popsicles. If someone says they're stepping out of line for a Wrangler, they cannibalize them. But if it's for a Toyota, it's handshakes and until we meet agains. That begins to confirm a suspicion of mine, in that bronco marketing didn't have the birds eye picture of the focused and unnecessary dividing line they were creating between Wranglers and Broncos. There's plenty of that, that comes naturally between brands, without egging it on. Further proof of that can be found on this forum. Anyone who's been reading bronco related posts over the last couple years can clearly see how the light hearted curiosity and interest in something else that wasn't a softroader turned into more animosity after the rabble rousers from 6g decided to bomb in.

Am I alone in this thought?

 

[Tpom]

I feel for some of those guys and gals over there. The ones that haven't been lapping up the hype and making asses of themselves over it. The rest are getting a good taste of bad karma.

I've poked my head in that forum a few times. Any mention of Jeep, and a thread instantly turns into a daycare facility that ran out of popsicles. If someone says they're stepping out of line for a Wrangler, they cannibalize them. But if it's for a Toyota, it's handshakes and until we meet agains. That begins to confirm a suspicion of mine, in that bronco marketing didn't have the birds eye picture of the focused and unnecessary dividing line they were creating between Wranglers and Broncos. There's plenty of that, that comes naturally between brands, without egging it on. Further proof of that can be found on this forum. Anyone who's been reading bronco related posts over the last couple years can clearly see how the light hearted curiosity and interest in something else that wasn't a softroader turned into more animosity after the rabble rousers from 6g decided to bomb in.

Am I alone in this thought?

Completely agree. Sort of wish any talk about the Bronco (or any other vehicle for that matter that is not a Jeep) would be moved to the 'Other Vehicles/General Automotive' section of the lounge.

 

[ThirtyOne]

Most of y’all weren’t around, but those quotes could have been taken from this forum in 2018.

 

[aldo98229]

I don’t recall Jeep controlling social media and then dropping the ball anywhere near to the extent Ford is doing.

Yes, there were those VERY bad weld spots early on, but to its credit Jeep set out to fix things quickly. There was no boasting about meaningless “reservations,” no bragging about 70% conquests from competitors, no pretending everything was honky-dory, no blaming the supplier, no unnecessary drama, no dragging things on for months and years.

 

[ThirtyOne]

I don’t recall Jeep controlling social media and then dropping the ball anywhere near to the extent Ford is doing.

Yes, there were those VERY bad weld spots early on, but to its credit Jeep set out to fix things quickly. There was no boasting about meaningless “reservations,” no bragging about 70% conquests from competitors, no pretending everything was honky-dory, no blaming the supplier, no unnecessary drama, no dragging things on for months and years.

Well there were builds held up by the the rail management system. Builds held up because they were out of dual tops. Delays with the one touch too. There were thousands of Jeeps that sat in storage on lots all over toldedo for months while new orders got delivered. People ordered the 2.0 then waited months for them to start being built. Bad welds, bad steering, hard top cleaner nozzles that leaked, White paint that turned yellow on plastic, multiple recalls for the MT. All with little to no communication from Jeep. There was some major bitching going on around here.

 

[ReimundKrohn]

Ford sales are taking a beating this year.

Ford sales in July shrunk 31% from the same period last year. Ford sales for the first 7 months if 2021 are 1% down in a market that is up 20%.

According to Auto News, Ford sold 3,300 Broncos in July and 2,300 Bronco Sports. But that wasn't enough to make up for steep declines everywhere else.

Ford appears to have lost the ability to walk and chew at the same time.

…And yet Ford touted increased profits to their investors ending the quarter. How? By their own admission: Cost cutting and increased margins.

I was quoted 3.2% financing from Ford (Canada) in June of this year, shortly after receiving my first build date (week of June 28). Following my 5th projected build date (week of Sept 27), Ford of Canada bumped their financing rates to 4.49%, an increase of 28.7%

Ford has already proven by their shoddy roof design (and make no mistake, the design was theirs, not Webasto’s) what cost cutting measures will do to a vehicle. If Bronco buyers think the cheap plastics in the interior aren’t going to be reflective of what’s also going under the hood, well - I don’t think they understand the sheer audacity of FoMoCo.

When it comes to the Bronco, one best remember “Caveat Emptor”…. “Buyer Beware”.

 

[aldo98229]

…And yet Ford touted increased profits to their investors ending the quarter. How? By their own admission: Cost cutting and increased margins.

I was quoted 3.2% financing from Ford (Canada) in June of this year, shortly after receiving my first build date (week of June 28). Following my 5th projected build date (week of Sept 27), Ford of Canada bumped their financing rates to 4.49%, an increase of 28.7%

Ford has already proven by their shoddy roof design (and make no mistake, the design was theirs, not Webasto’s) what cost cutting measures will do to a vehicle. If Bronco buyers think the cheap plastics in the interior aren’t going to be reflective of what’s also going under the hood, well - I don’t think they understand the sheer audacity of FoMoCo.

When it comes to the Bronco, one best remember “Caveat Emptor”…. “Buyer Beware”.

Interesting.

Ford spent the past couple years undergoing an internal restructuring after Mark Fields f*cked everything up. Fields was fired and Jim Hackett was brought in to straighten things out before handing the reigns over to Jim Farley.

But it might now seem that Ford cut too deep in some areas, like manufacturing, and not enough in others, like marketing.

 

[Gunfighter]

The Bronco made the Jeep that much more cool. Thanks Ford

 

[qnet]

I feel for some of those guys and gals over there. The ones that haven't been lapping up the hype and making asses of themselves over it. The rest are getting a good taste of bad karma.

I've poked my head in that forum a few times. Any mention of Jeep, and a thread instantly turns into a daycare facility that ran out of popsicles. If someone says they're stepping out of line for a Wrangler, they cannibalize them. But if it's for a Toyota, it's handshakes and until we meet agains. That begins to confirm a suspicion of mine, in that bronco marketing didn't have the birds eye picture of the focused and unnecessary dividing line they were creating between Wranglers and Broncos. There's plenty of that, that comes naturally between brands, without egging it on. Further proof of that can be found on this forum. Anyone who's been reading bronco related posts over the last couple years can clearly see how the light hearted curiosity and interest in something else that wasn't a softroader turned into more animosity after the rabble rousers from 6g decided to bomb in.

Am I alone in this thought?

You're not IMO. I became a member at 6G well before I found this forum. A lot of them are cool over there, but I remember some of the Jeep hate from some. Most seem on my experience level (novice) as far as off-roading.

I've recently been back and someone made a joke, when I revealed that I bought a Jeep. I miss some familiar faces so I don't know if they bailed, or just don't post anymore.

It's easy for me, because I previously had a JK and liked the Wrangler. Based on some of the posts I think some have never owned a Wrangler, Bronco, or anything similar, and got caught up in the hype FORD started.

I still go over there, and enjoy some of the threads. I'm sort of a fence rider and am playing both sides, LOL.

 

[Headbarcode]

You're not IMO. I became a member at 6G well before I found this forum. A lot of them are cool over there, but I remember some of the Jeep hate from some. Most seem on my experience level (novice) as far as off-roading.

I've recently been back and someone made a joke, when I revealed that I bought a Jeep. I miss some familiar faces so I don't know if they bailed, or just don't post anymore.

It's easy for me, because I previously had a JK and liked the Wrangler. Based on some of the posts I think some have never owned a Wrangler, Bronco, or anything similar, and got caught up in the hype FORD started.

I still go over there, and enjoy some of the threads. I'm sort of a fence rider and am playing both sides, LOL.

You peaked my curiosity enough to go over there for a little browsing. I had to pull the eject lever at only 3 pages into a 6 page thread about a company that swapped in a sfa and 40's. Most of the comments are nothing more than negativity and pessimism.

Only 1 actual thinker chimed in with a rightful response...

"Also, love some of the responses here.

6g:. Can't wait to see all the mods people do to their Broncos! It's gonna be lit!1!1!!

Also 6g: Ugh, why would somebody do that to a Bronco, it's ugly, useless, terrible, kill it with fire, I am gonna tell you how to spend your money and mod your Bronco. Yeah, thanks but I totally hate it.

Sheesh, if the man wants to climb Mount Everest because he can, let em."

Makes me feel more fortunate to be a part of this community... even though my trampolines aren't welcomed.

 

[qnet]

I miss the trampolines

 

[OregonJeepGuy]

Come on, you’ve got to admit that the Bronco launch is the best gift that Ford could possibly have handed to Jeep. How many people in this forum alone have admitted tanking their reservation and buying Jeep instead….., as well as providing good lead time for Xtreme Recon and 392 packages. Thanks Ford!

 

[aldo98229]

The Bronco launch itself was very successful from the standpoint that it generated tons of demand. The problem is that in taking “reservations”, Ford was forming a commitment and creating an expectation that it wasn’t able to deliver.

The combination of high demand, high expectations, poor manufacturing decisions, poor communications and questionable product execution have resulted in a cluster f*ck of epic proportions. And Ford has been caught flat-footed handling the whole mess, from the manufacturing to the PR.

All the games dealers are now playing with markups, and selling reservation holders’ vehicles to the highest bidder, are only extending the pain and adding fuel to the fire.

We are seeing a huge backlash to all of this, with people getting upset, reservations being canceled, and some of it spilling over to Jeep showrooms.

But IMO Ford has not yet seen the full impact of all of this. Bronco might still turn out to be a solid product. But the disappointment, frustration, anxiety, anger and resentment Ford has generated —and dealers are still generating— are going to manifest themselves for years to come.

Sponsored