Recently, Ford has shown a willingness to cut new vehicle production for certain models to match slowing demand, as we’ve seen with the Ford F-150 Lightning on more than one occasion over the past year or so. The sixth-generation Ford Bronco also got off to a red-hot start when it debuted for the 2021 model year, to the point where it took years for the automaker to finally build enough SUVs to meet demand. However, demand for the Ford Bronco has waned a bit as of late, which has also prompted The Blue Oval to dial back production of the rugged off-road-focused model, too.
According to Automotive News, FoMoCo recently sent a memo to workers at the Michigan Assembly plant, where the Ford Bronco is built, informing them that it plans to “reduce our line rate to better serve customer demand for Bronco.” MAP will be idle for two weeks in January to prepare for the 2025 model year changeover, while 400 workers will be relocated to either the Dearborn Engine plant or Monroe Parts Depot, though the automaker will retain three shifts, regardless. These moves will be made in Q1 2025, and no workers will be laid off as a result.
As Ford Authority reported last month, slowing Ford Bronco sales and rising inventory hasn’t caused any concern among Blue Oval dealers, at least, who instead see this dip in sales as a normalizing in terms of supply and demand after many customers waited years to take delivery of their new SUV when it launched in 2021. In September, Ford Bronco sales decreased 19.84 percent to 7,762 units versus 9,683 in September 2023, and are also down 15.87 percent year-to-date at 76,948 sales versus 91,468 through the first nine months of 2023.
This lull in demand is also likely a driving force behind Ford’s decision not to raise Bronco prices for the 2025 model year, which is a rarity in today’s automotive world, where we’ve seen most models get more expensive with each passing year – and in some cases, even receive multiple price increases throughout a single model year, too.
Comment
The fact that a study just found it to be one of the most dangerous cars on the road certainly isn’t going to help sales either.