Cancellations are making headlines ...

[wavydave]

The article is a little bit absurd....based on

Yeah, the WSJ would have actually done some research, or not printed that garbage. Two anecdotal stories out of 190,000+ reservations do not make a story or a headline.

Hey look, we all qualify for hack writer jobs at FA's website... $80k for every one of us...

We are currently looking for experienced automotive journalists and editors to join our team. Make $60k-$80k per year doing what you love. We are also looking for an experienced forum moderator to join our team.

Sponsored

 

[Megawatt]

....As long as it took me to make the decision on the trim, the color, and accessory packages I ain't about to quit now. Damnit, I didn't put myself through all of that to give up now.

You made a final decision on color, trim an accessories? I’m on build # 1233, I figure there is no hurry.

 

[Broncoak]

In 1996 I got a 1984 straight six Bronco that had been owned by DNR and was tan inside and out. It was my first car. Did I want tan? no. Did it suck? Yes. Did I love it? It made a life-long fan out of me.

I sold it for a 1998 Wrangler off the showroom floor. I hated that wrangler. It was new, it was convertible. I didn't like it. I sold it with 7k miles on it for a used Monte Carlo.

In 2000 I bought a 1979 Bronco. it was blue on the outside and blue on the inside. Would I have ordered it like that? Maybe, maybe not. Did I love it? With all my heart. When i wasn't driving it I would hug it, and my greatest regret is selling it.

I guess maybe because I owned a blue on blue 1979 makes me more acceptable of the Navy Pier interior and Antimatter Blue exterior. Maybe I like the MIC top on the AMB because my 79 had been painted, by the previous owner, in the same color scheme.

Maybe I understand that COVID is a real problem and has caused delays, that Ford had planned to launch this fall and had that plan thwarted by a pandemic.

Maybe I know that the Bronco is going to hold value like the FJ Cruiser and the Jeep Wrangler. that I will have no problem trading up for a 2023 or 2024 Warthog if I so choose.

As January 15 approaches, my enthusiasm only grows.

So true. I drive my '96 to work and still get comments - "nice Bronco! What year?" It's got one of the cheapest, bluest interiors I've ever seen, but I could still sell it for $10K. I seriously doubt most will pay attention to the interior once they've been driving awhile.

Admittedly, I've complained many times about the color choices for the new Bronco, but once I'm in one, I'll be happy with it.

 

[RedDawg]

Since I was tagged, I figured I'd add my 2 cents.

Cancellations are inevitable. If I have a potential customer that commits to purchasing a car and doesn't take delivery within a few days of the agreement. We definitely start to see a higher rate of someone backing out of a deal.

It is not surprising by any means that there will be a high "cancellation rate" when you're making a commitment to something that at a minimum is 12 months out, but for many may be 18 to 24 months out.

My opinion is that Ford's total reservation count adding new reservations and subtracting cancellations peaked in Late August or September (I have no date to back that up, just a guess). Then it is slowly tapering down now with less total reservations now than from that time frame. I by no means, think it is falling off a cliff or a mass cancellation by a lot of reservation holders. I'm sure one could argue that a large portion of these reservation holders in all likelihood would have cancelled regardless of there being additional delays o rnot.

I'm not sure our reservation count is typical of other dealers but we've seen approximately 5-6% of our total reservation count cancel monthly in the month of October, November, and December. We have received transfers and new reservations in that time. So our net count is within 2-3% of our highest total reservation number.

Where the rubber meets the road is the end of March once all orders have been placed, deposits have been taken, and a real commitment has been made. My guess from the start has been that total orders that end up being delivered to customers will be 40%. So if a dealer has 100 reservations their total sold units from those customers will be 40.

If any of you have the answer to what exactly that number ends up being, I am sure we have a job for you!

Wow! You think the cancellation rate could be a high as 60%?
There’s hope for a Sept delivery for me!!! ?

 

[PSUTE]

People's circumstances change over the course of a year. Others reserved just to reserve the new and shiny object. Not going to see that many as a percentage from posters up in here, because if we weren't excited about it, we wouldn't be here.

 

[Joker352]

People cancelling reservations? To me that just suggests that there may be fewer people in line in front of me. People are far too impatient these days. I say let the wishy washy folks run away and let those of us that are committed enjoy it when it ships! As for me, I look at any extra bit of waiting as extra time to save for a hefty down payment!

 

[Orf]

I think the article was right regarding cancellations rising, but they missed the real reason why. If the last 10 months taught us anything, it taught us there is currently a "new normal" with respect to product availability. That can be understood and accepted by most with a little bit of common sense.

This is where I think Ford is losing people. It comes down to bait and switch.

Initially, the reservation model was supposed to put the customer in the driver's seat, so to speak, and not the dealerships. The word from Ford started as "All reservations will be built before any dealer stock". That was the bait. Now, reservations will be filled based on, among other things, dealer allotment, and canceled FE reservations will now be handed out to the high volume dealers in different regions. That's the switch. Anyone who want to drop $75K or $80K on a canceled FE will have one long before 99% of reservation holders.

Initially, Ford said X Plan would be available. That's the bait. Some people like X Plan, not so much for the price break, which is minimal, but for the reason that a dealership can't fudge the numbers on delivery day. Ford took that away from the customer. That's the switch.

Finally, Ford puts out a B&P in October and tells reservation holders to build their Bronco, print out the details, and save them for when the order banks open. That's the bait. In December, after people had 6+ weeks of knowing exactly what their Bronco *should* cost, Ford adds $2000 to $4000 to the same builds in an "update" to B&P. That's the switch.

No, cancellations aren't due to the extra time it will take to put vehicles on the roads. They are due to how much the deal has changed from July 13 to December 28. I'm still leaning towards placing an order, but I know I could wait a couple (or 3) years and find a new one on the lot, with options that aren't available now, with incentives to make it worth the wait.

Make no mistake. It won't be long before Ford is begging people to buy a Bronco.

 

[North7]

I'm ok with this delay so far but I don't know about the next one...............and the next one.............
Who here remembers when Job #1 was Dec. 7, 2020?

Yup!

Here's a juicy update:

CY 2020

- 2021 Bronco Family-Spring 2020 unveiling

• 4 Door Bronco-Late Fall/Early Winter (possible Job 1 Dec 7)
• 2 Door Bronco-Late Fall/Early Winter (possible Job 1 Dec 7)
• Baby Bronco-Summer/Fall 2020

CY 2021

- Baby Bronco/compact Pickup-Spring/Summer 2021?

- 2022 Bronco Sport Trac/Pickup-Might be shown off during Bronco launch?

 

[Bronc-O]

I guess the 2 referenced in the article is technically "some".

I think 2 is enough to get the point across. If they interviewed 100, nobody would read that far anyway. It's the same over here when someone writes an editorial. I tend to skip over that stuff because it's usually someone venting every frustration in their life. A paragraph or 2 gets more notice.

 

[Bronco4lyfe85]

Reads headline...”some” people cancel orders, reads story about some people cancelling. “Uh huh, yep some people have cancelled, this is true!”

Bronco6G:

“OMG whatever! What a trash article, who is Ford Authority anyways? Bunch of hacks! They’re probably ran by Jeep execs to make Ford look bad. How dare they even use examples of 2 people who cancelled and put ‘some’ in the headline? Do they even know what the definition of some Is?!? This is so ridiculous and disingenuous and these people CLEARLY weren’t really interested in a Bronco if they can’t wait, they’re cry babies!! Let them go I just moved up in line!!”

Obvious paraphrase without reading 8 pages but I already know I nailed it.

 

[KingBronco]

I did cancel two reservations (one of them was first night FE reservation). I really hated the fact I was convincing myself that I liked the interior options, lack of white/colored tops and mansquatch for MY 2021, promises of the ford slide out tray, and waaaaaaaaaaay fewer than 200 accessories. I convinced myself I was ok with it and that I really loved the bronco despite all that, because I'm a huge Bronco enthusiast and love all things Bronco and Ford in general. I wanted to be the first one in my city with a Bronco, and realized that was driving my NEED to have it. I'm going to wait it out until there are options offered that I really want. Or, i'll just ride into the sunset with my 66 and 90 and let everyone else enjoy their new broncos!

 

[Vigor]

Hi there. Naturally you can get a better deal on a vehicle people are not standing in line to buy, but I think the mistake a lot of people make is concentrating only on costly top trim models. Why get Badlands or Sasquatch if you don't rock crawl? The base model is still a "real" Bronco, has removable doors & top, and despite what you hear on this site has pretty much all the common options and then some. Just today I read someone saying the base model doesn't have any creature comforts -- like what -- heated leather seats? I just rented a car with this and automatic everything I HATE IT. Have to go to a menu to change the temperature! I wish the base Bronco had less -- not more of this nonsense. Just me I know -- but seriously the base Bronco is pretty reasonable compared to most any SUV and is still pretty damn cool.

(This is not a complaint)

But, in order for me to get everything I have now in a 2011 KIA that cost me 28k back then
.. I'd have to spend 50k on a Bronco in 2021.

Again I'm not complaining, but just providing a contrast to your statement. I get that your personal needs only call for a barebones base and for that I envy you. I blame my father for making me spring for name brand things, and my high-school friends for instilling in me "go big or go home". Maybe after reincarnation, I'll live a more simple life in the mid west with a base Bronco. But for my needs in this life lol, I want my true creature comforts.

 

[Bronc-O]

No matter what happens there is always going to be whiners. This is no more than a stunt trying to kick FORD in the nuts. Bronco please I am in no matter what!!!

Most of the whiners are probably on this forum. I think it's fair to say many reservation holders not following any forums are getting anxious and are only aware of what the media prints. The media tends to make things sound worse then they are and people react. We've seen that the media tends to quote us frequently, so some of us are to blame. The drop out rate has probably grown large enough that Ford has taken notice and moving faster to correct issues.

 

[Vigor]

I did cancel two reservations (one of them was first night FE reservation). I really hated the fact I was convincing myself that I liked the interior options, lack of white/colored tops and mansquatch for MY 2021, promises of the ford slide out tray, and waaaaaaaaaaay fewer than 200 accessories. I convinced myself I was ok with it and that I really loved the bronco despite all that, because I'm a huge Bronco enthusiast and love all things Bronco and Ford in general. I wanted to be the first one in my city with a Bronco, and realized that was driving my NEED to have it. I'm going to wait it out until there are options offered that I really want. Or, i'll just ride into the sunset with my 66 and 90 and let everyone else enjoy their new broncos!

To me, this is called being rational and a huge sign of maturity. Bravo to you. I mean it really

To get the Bronco I want, I have to make concessions

• Get the obx with that sexy roast cloth interior, then I don't get automatic seats or blacked out wheels
• Get the wildtrak and I have to settle with the tan interior when I really want roast
• Get the badlands and I have to settle with a grey grill, when I prefer black accents
• Get any lower trim and I miss out on either lux package something I mentioned above

It's a real challenge but I know in the end I'll be happy because it's a new sexy bronco

 

[Bronco4]

10 to 20 percent cancellation is a head line, some is not.

Sponsored