Ford has finally started producing the 2021 Ford Bronco for retail customers at the Ford Michigan Assembly plant, a bit of good news for people who have been waiting for the all-new off-road oriented SUV for some time now. However, Ford Authority recently learned about some extremely bad news from sources familiar with the ongoing Bronco launch: that production of the hardtops will largely be pushed back beyond the 2021 model year because of ongoing issues with the supplier contracted to provided them. To make matters worse, certain hardtops are being pushed back to the 2023 model year. This unfortunate event follows the temporary communications blackout the company recently enacted as it tries to iron out its production scheduling issues for the SUV.
The latest news affects pretty much anyone who ordered a 2021 Ford Bronco with a hardtop. For starters, models slated to receive the molded-in-color (MIC) hardtops are being pushed back to an unspecified date because of a lack of the part in question, but also due to the increased production of soft top models, which Ford blamed on increased demand spurred in part by the lack of available hardtops.
To make matters worse, hardtop customers who pushed back their orders to the 2022 model year will also see significant delays. Ford pushed back production of every modular hardtop variant to the 2023 model year. That includes black-painted hardtops, contrasting white hardtops, and dual top hardtops.
However, Ford will mitigate these delays by offering one hardtop variant: the Carbonized Gray MIC, which will remain the only hardtop option for two-door and four-door models until further notice. Apparently, the Carbonized Gray-painted option will be available for the 2021 Ford Bronco, but that may not be the case. As always, this latest development is also subject to change too.
While this latest development is hardly encouraging, there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud of information. As Ford Authority previously reported, those who are content with pushing their 2021 Ford Bronco orders to the 2022 model year will be able to outfit their future off-road vehicles with new roof options, exterior paint colors, vehicle options, and quite possibly some new special editions, like the Ford Bronco Raptor.
In any event, we’ll be following this news extremely closely, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Bronco news and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
You missed the most important announcement. Ford in the email announced that they’ve decided to screw over reservation holders and build inventory units for their dealers instead of fulfilling their promise to build customer orders before dealer inventory. It’s shameful and they’re going to lose a lot of customers because of it.
Instead of a communications blackout, we received an email yesterday essentially placing every dual top order on a blacklist.
First the bad news, only the MIC in gray will be available until MY 2023, and no option to get both a hard and soft top until, well,, pick a year any year at least 2 in the future,, and the build your own on the website now reflects this as there are only top choices for either a MIC hardtop OR a soft top.
They also indicated that they cannot in any fashion build enough soft tops for every vehicle they can build, and I always thought the soft top was standard and included no matter what. Silly me.
Now for the less bad news. Apparently when MY 2023 commences painted steel roofs will be available in matching body colors or contrasting white as well as the carbonized gray which was the only choice when our 2021 orders were placed (and pushed back to 2022)
To compensate, we get rewards points equal to $1000 to spend on things like roof accessories that we might not be able to have installed for 2 years (if a hard top is required). And with September production all soft tops will have the necessary kits installed to eventually be compatible with a hard top.
We have until July 16th to modify our orders. Not sure if that means our pushed back to 2022 order might make it into 2021. I suppose it depends on when their MY rollover happens. Will September production signal the beginning of MY 2022? Or will it be an April mid year launch?
Right now, since I am in need of a vehicle, do I opt for soft top only (even though they indicate they cannot supply enough of those) or a hard top that was not in my choice list, or do I find accounts year lease on something else as it appears if I wait for exactly what I ordered it just might be built 2 years from now.
Lee Iacocca (father of the Mustang) would never have let this happen.
Get a jeep
No roofs will be steel. The painted roofs will also be composite like the Molded-in Colour ones, just smooth and painted.
I think it is absolutely absurd and sad that Henry built 1 million “Model As” in the first 6 months of the 1928 year, but these clowns can’t manage to get out 125 thousand Broncos . I have waited for two damn years and have been a fool “poster boy” of advertisement only to be laughed at to the point that friends now make fun of me and ask me, “Hey, Bob , where is your Bronco?” Sad! All flash and blam on Youtube, but no substance. It is just flat out wrong. I waited, went to the dealer, did the ordering thing, waited some more, gotta a few crappy emails that say nothing and promise complete horses#4%t excuses month after month!
Tired and angry!
Bob Pierson, Upstate , NY
2nd day order holder
Get a jeep bob
Bob, you could count the number of parts in a Model A and would not be 1/100 of the number of parts in a Bronco. No airbags, seat belts, sealed beams, 5 mph bumpers, no choice of tops
John, yeah, you are correct… many more parts in a Bronco… 200,000 minus, 1 million is 800 thousand in 6 months time. That’s alotta parts! Stop making excuses. They should make their own parts and be honest with their customers, simple and true. They are ruining their customer confidence,their name and reputation. Simply foolish business practices. Why do you think thr stock has fallen so hard in the past month? Plus the recalls, recalls, recalls, not to mention the fact they have openly admitted to giving Broncos to dealers first instead of line waiting ticket holders like myself. Sure defend them, dude! A lot of parts, air bags and the like, sure! That sounds good!
Sad
Hey Bob,
Don’t feel bad I changed my order to a Bronco Sport Badlands in February and still have no idea where it is in the process. The last email said it was in production. In the mean time I’m seeing Bronco Sports everywhere but my driveway.
Why not buy a Bronco Sport in the color you like off the lot the biggest choice is which engine option fit your needs
Plenty of First Edition Bronco Sports on the lots as well. I know of a Rapid Red F.E. not far from me.
I can’t believe after all these delays Ford hasn’t reached out to other American companies to help fill the void. Sort of like how the government contracts out their supply chain to fulfill its needs in time of war.
Several American manufacturers supply aftermarket parts, so why haven’t they offered up a solution? If Wabasco cannot deliver blacklist them. I’m sure another company will step up. It’s the American way.
Henry Ford would have built a brand new factory just to produce his own hardtop. When Woodies were the fashion he bought forests and established his own sawmills. Contract planted soybeans for plastic parts, also.
Myself, as deep as Ford’s pockets or borrowing capacity might be since they never took any of the 2008-2009 bailout money, if I were in charge….I would BUY the top manufacturer, FIRE all its management bring in the modern equivalent of the Whiz Kids and every Bronco they could produce would have its hardtop of choice…and on time
I find it astounding that Ford didn’t have contingencies built into their plan for hard tops. It seems somebody didn’t do their diligence. There are no silver linings in this story at this point in time. I don’t want to hear about how great Bronco Raptors and other future variants will be until after Ford delivers on existing orders.
I was among the first to place an order and one of the things I liked about the new Bronco was that you could custom build one pretty much exactly how you wanted it. Then after several delay notices they say if you give up some of the options you want such as the V6 and trailer towing package to name a few you will have a quicker delivery. Problem is I want those options so I have no choice but to wait or cancel. Disappointed and leaning towards canceling. In the meantime the competition is not asleep at the switch so there may be some interesting alternatives available very soon.
Ken Powell
Which competition, Ken?
Kia, Hyundai? Not the same.
Rivian? Yes the RS1 4 door 7 passenger deliveries coming in January but starting price is $75,000.
Land Rover Defender would be an alternative IF you could buy one without the “mandatory” $30,000 upgrades the dealers order.
Bollinger electric,, starts at $120,00 how they are still expecting to sell these I don’t know..
Ineos Grenadier , now there is a true descrndent of an ORV.
Meanwhile I do not see anything new close to the Bronco or even the Wrangler, for that matter from GM or Toyota, VW, or even Jeep’s parent in a Dodge or Peugeot
Another major screw up. Over a year ago one industry analyst predicted that Ford
would not survive until the end of this decade. Considering that two of the Ford
family members in top management positions have announced that they are leaving,
that prediction might be spot on.
I think this bronco needs to be wider and longer ,and taller its likable but,put the v-8 with a 5 speed manual, 1st being a granny low gear and should give people to buy a plain one no computer, more old school dash ,with custom rims and tires ,needs to be affordable for everyone, with built in winch and skid plates ,and why is it taking so long to hit the market?
What a crock, I was on the phone for over an hour and a half waiting to speak to someone that could give me a better answer. I ordered the Bronco on the first day it was available and in March put in the order to the factory. Since I did order the carbonized gray molded in color hardtop they are not sure if it will be a 2022 or 2023 production. But they will make other Broncos to sell at the dealership and keep up from getting it sooner rather than later. Not a good look Ford, I expected you to stand behind your name instead of standing behind your bank accounts. My mistake.