Bronco Achilles Heel - Hardtop build quality

[BroncoBenster]

New to this Forum. I was excited to get my Bronco (definitely worth the wait), but my main concern (i.e. build/design/QC inline with sticker price) with getting a hard-top bronco reared its ugly head. I looked the vehicle over thoroughly when I took ownership. Happened to catch bird eye view of my Bronco and saw the discolored roof panel. Under closer inspection, also identified the infamous scaling.........

I held out and bought a 2022 model to try and avoid the roof problems. I thought Ford committed to replacement/fix and this would not impact 2022 build year, but I was mistaken. To Ford's credit, they quickly responded to my message post yesterday on this forum and opened a case number. For anyone having similar issues, I had to go through dealer's collision center to file a claim. I will post on how things progress. Curious if anyone else had a similar experience.

Sponsored

 

[Dude1967]

Watching...

 

[Beach_Bum]

You're not wrong. But you have expectations that aren't in line with the sticker price (picture shows a Sasquatch Moar Door Badlands with minimum High package). You are making the correlation that the top should match the sticker price. But the top's quality matches the Base sticker price. Ford doesn't make a top with higher quality based on what trim you order.

The quality is still unacceptable. Last year, (I won't tag/call out the poster) a member was posting/boasting with a picture of their FE and 392 side-by-side. Yet, their MIC top on their FE looked like a checkerboard of mismatch panels. Personally, I wouldn't have posted a photo of that hot mess as it was an embarrassment.

Ideally, the quality should reflect the top trim and lower trims benefit from the improved quality. But Ford has done the opposite by offering the same Base quality throughout. The FE and WT has the same cheap interior plastics as the Base does and by extension the same cheap MIC top that is offered on the Base.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

If I had an OEM hardtop with discoloration and the snakeskin, I would see if Ford would settle with paying for the top to get painted.

Chances are any replacement panels they give you will have similar issues. At least painting covers all that up and might even protect it from delamination

 

[Newbie]

nice first post.........

 

[BossMann]

I'd think that snakeskinning could be structural failure, or lead to it

 

[Tricky Dick]

If I had an OEM hardtop with discoloration and the snakeskin, I would see if Ford would settle with paying for the top to get painted.

Chances are any replacement panels they give you will have similar issues. At least painting covers all that up and might even protect it from delamination

Some of them are cracking and it looks like that snakeskin wants to, so I'd want something stronger than paint. I have a feeling there will be a lot of bedlinered hard tops a few years from now.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

Some of them are cracking and it looks like that snakeskin wants to, so I'd want something stronger than paint. I have a feeling there will be a lot of bedlinered hard tops a few years from now.

Yeah if there’s signs of cracking then all bets are off

 

[TopRecon]

If I had an OEM hardtop with discoloration and the snakeskin, I would see if Ford would settle with paying for the top to get painted.

Chances are any replacement panels they give you will have similar issues. At least painting covers all that up and might even protect it from delamination

Yeah, I'm always trying to figure out how common structural issues are versus just cosmetic. I'm planning on getting the top wrapped right off the bat so discoloration is pretty much a non-issue for me.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

If I had an OEM hardtop with discoloration and the snakeskin, I would see if Ford would settle with paying for the top to get painted.

Chances are any replacement panels they give you will have similar issues. At least painting covers all that up and might even protect it from delamination

Painting won't fix it or hide it. It will make it all the same color.

 

[cyberfalco]

I haven't looked closely at mine for this reason .

 

[ChrisB351]

To Ford's credit, they quickly responded to my message post yesterday on this forum.

Thats a bot that replies then when you message them you get some ding dong working in a cubicle in who knows where that doesnt know shit about fuck.

 

[BroncoBenster]

I hear all of you, and agree. I did just notice some very "micro" cracks in same panel, but I have read on other threads that after market paint job is labor intensive, hard to protect and can easily chip on contact edges unless protectant film is applied.

 

[Coldsmoke]

New to this Forum. I was excited to get my Bronco , but my main concern (i.e. quality inline with sticker price) with getting a bronco reared its ugly head. I looked the vehicle over thoroughly when I took ownership. Happened to catch bird eye view of my Bronco and saw the discolored roof panel. Under closer inspection, also identified the infamous scaling.........

I held out and bought a 2022 model to try and avoid the roof problems. I thought Ford committed to replacement/fix and this would not impact 2022 build year. I was mistaken. To Ford's credit, they quickly responded to my message post yesterday on this forum. For anyone having similar issues, I had to go through dealer's collision center to file a claim. For anyone who is interested or has a similar issue, I will post on how things progress. Curious if anyone else had a similar experience.

Although my Badlands doesn't have the same hardtop issue as yours, I completely agree that the hardtop is its achilles heel.
My hardtop suffers from wind noise which I have tried to solve with all the tips and tricks listed in other forums on this site. And for the neigh sayers who are about to explode saying the Bronco is a purpose built vehicle.......yeah, got that. Understood, and I have owned multiple jeeps before with both hard top and soft top. I do not have unreasonable expectations.

My solution to the hardtop is simple.... I am giving up on Ford's inferior top and am ordering an aftermarket, single piece hard top. The fact of the matter is that when I want to remove the top, it ALL comes off, so why do I need these stupid panels that just cause air leaks.
This is what I am going to go with: https://www.advfiberglass.com/products/2021-2023-ford-bronco-hardtop?variant=39545751306342

 

[TCC]

Has anyone noticed any quality improvements with the ‘23 MIC tops? I have a WT with MIC on order going on a year now but if its the same garbage, I’m fine if it slips to ‘24 or ‘25 till they start shipping the mod tops (assuming they will be better). I’ll stick with my OBX soft top saggy windows and all, another quality/design issue but that’s for another thread.

Sponsored