First new Ford...Probably the last Ford

[Aknobronco]

I picked up my 2dr 2024 Big Bend a couple months ago. I thought I saw enough YouTube videos and browsed the forums. I wish I would have read more of these forums in hindsight and relied far less on the YouTube excitement videos. The last ford I had was a 91 probe in high school back around 2001. Since then I have owned Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and a couple VWs. Overall they all had some minor quirks or annoyances but nothing prepared me for this Bronco. The last 3 cars I owned were brand new. A Crosstrek, GTI and Tiguan. All looked so nice from the dealership. They ran well and just about everything looked like it hadn't been touched or used yet.

This is just not the case for the bronco, but I'll start with the good.

It is very fun to drive. I even enjoy the engine noise. The steering is perfect. The design of the dash and infotainment is perfect. The overall look and design of the vehicle is fantastic. I love that it has a t-top element that is simple to take down and store. Driving without it is a dream and scratches a bit of that open air itch I've had since selling my motorcycle. The marine grade seats and their design are just right. The seat heaters too! They get to therapeutic levels of hot. And it has a built in subwoofer. Again so many things designed so well!

Another thing I knew going in was that the speakers suck. And they do. But I accepted that going in. I switched them all out with kickers and made some tweaks to the eq, etc and it's actually decent now...As long as you keep it under 40ish mph. You're basically on an airplane going over 70 noise wise.

Now for my issues with this thing.
I hate the quality and construction of just about everything.
It feels like every day I spot something that just isn't quite right to varying degrees or feels cheap. Everyone has mentioned the plastic inside that is highly prone to scratches. I knew that going in and got some custom made canvas liners for the back plastic, but what I wasn't prepared for was the following..

This is the big one and it has driven me crazy since I noticed it. The top was manufactured in a way that the drivers side sticks out further (isn't flush with the rest of the body)and on the passenger side it is flush and looks correct. It's like they do zero alignment or measurement checks to these things when they leave the factory. I've seen body gap inconsistencies all over but nothing like this. So far no cracks but it does have some of the wavy sheen look I have seen in others. Very light honeycombing pattern as well.

Then I noticed the Drivers side door doesn't close without extra force needed and it just doesn't feel quite right. There's only two doors...and this can't be done right?? The glass annoyingly vibrates when it does latch. (Passenger side operates perfectly)

Then I noticed (and might be related to the above) the hard rubber corner in the front part of of the drivers door (that also channels the glass) has already wore through the rubber weather strip on the receiving side of the door jamb exposing aluminum underneath. My guess is the mold used to make it isn't as accurate in shape as the one used on the passenger side. it has to bend in a weird fashion to close completely. I have seen at least one person post pictures of the same wear shortly after purchase.

There is obviously tons of rubber gaskets and trim in a vehicle like this. Why do they all feel like they will fall apart in a year!? I've seen many vehicles from other manufactures that the rubber weatherstripping and gaskets feel strong and durable. This just doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Back to the MIC top, im terrified to even clean it, due to people going through 2..3..4?? different replacement tops. I should be able to use detailing products built for plastic trim or sealed paint. Just tell me which it is Ford...or better yet, recommend a product!

Why is there so much surface rust on the underside of a new vehicle? I would expect this much after driving a few midwest winters but im in WA and this thing is 2 months old.

Why am I noticing bolts that look like they were installed with the wrong socket or sloppy use of the socket. The bolts that attach the spare mount are painted but look like crap due to sloppy install. I know they are hidden for the most part, but thats no excuse.

Speaking of paint, there are random little paint chips I spot all over. Mainly near edges. Some I cant even make sense of how it happened.

I also notice areas where I cant tell if a gasket is slightly out of place or not because most things all look a little off or unrefined.

Again, all of the plastic across the vehicle feels incredibly cheap and squeaks or bends with very little pressure. Numerous times im second guessing if all the clips were installed right from the factory. "why does this piece move like this, but the other side does not" is a frequent question. It's like the vehicle has a good and evil side. pretty much everything on the passenger side aligns and looks right but the driver has all sorts of issues with fit and alignment.

I understand this isn't an Audi or Lexus, and maybe im just not used to Ford or what those owners expect quality wise, but I guess im just tired of finding these build quality easter eggs daily with my brand new vehicle. I know the argument its designed to be dirty and get scratches etc but I should be the one that makes that happen. It shouldn't be built like crap because its "going to get dirty and busted up eventually anyway".

I want to emphasize, I do in general love the vehicle from a driving and design standpoint. I dont want this to sound like I hate everything about it. I just dont understand how so many QC details are let through.

Sorry your expectations are high for Ford bronco compared with non-convertible SUVs. This is a lifestyle SUV, not meant to be nick pick here and there.There will always have gaps...

Especially now with Jim Farley in charged of Ford, the quality has been in sharper declining rate since cov19.

Perhaps bronco does not suit what you looking for... Sound like Lexus is a safer bet for you!

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[rgraphic]

Sorry your expectations are high for Ford bronco compared with non-convertible SUVs. This is a lifestyle SUV, not meant to be nick pick here and there.There will always have gaps...

Especially now with Jim Farley in charged of Ford, the quality has been in sharper declining rate since cov19.

Perhaps bronco does not suit what you looking for... Sound like Lexus is a safer bet for you!

Fair point but I do love driving it. I dont think I would have created the post if just the assembly and qc was done well enough. I can live with the plastics, road noice, cheap sound system. I didn't buy it for luxury. I think the biggest issues is seeing the trim wear away in less then two months and my top having a large gap on one side I can see daylight from inside.

 

[rgraphic]

Sorry your expectations are high for Ford bronco compared with non-convertible SUVs. This is a lifestyle SUV, not meant to be nick pick here and there.There will always have gaps...

Especially now with Jim Farley in charged of Ford, the quality has been in sharper declining rate since cov19.

Perhaps bronco does not suit what you looking for... Sound like Lexus is a safer bet for you!

I had to look up Jim Farley. Crazy its Chris Farley's cousin is running Ford. Kinda makes sense now

 

[Sgt Badlands]

I picked up my 2dr 2024 Big Bend a couple months ago. I thought I saw enough YouTube videos and browsed the forums. I wish I would have read more of these forums in hindsight and relied far less on the YouTube excitement videos. The last ford I had was a 91 probe in high school back around 2001. Since then I have owned Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and a couple VWs. Overall they all had some minor quirks or annoyances but nothing prepared me for this Bronco. The last 3 cars I owned were brand new. A Crosstrek, GTI and Tiguan. All looked so nice from the dealership. They ran well and just about everything looked like it hadn't been touched or used yet.

This is just not the case for the bronco, but I'll start with the good.

It is very fun to drive. I even enjoy the engine noise. The steering is perfect. The design of the dash and infotainment is perfect. The overall look and design of the vehicle is fantastic. I love that it has a t-top element that is simple to take down and store. Driving without it is a dream and scratches a bit of that open air itch I've had since selling my motorcycle. The marine grade seats and their design are just right. The seat heaters too! They get to therapeutic levels of hot. And it has a built in subwoofer. Again so many things designed so well!

Another thing I knew going in was that the speakers suck. And they do. But I accepted that going in. I switched them all out with kickers and made some tweaks to the eq, etc and it's actually decent now...As long as you keep it under 40ish mph. You're basically on an airplane going over 70 noise wise.

Now for my issues with this thing.
I hate the quality and construction of just about everything.
It feels like every day I spot something that just isn't quite right to varying degrees or feels cheap. Everyone has mentioned the plastic inside that is highly prone to scratches. I knew that going in and got some custom made canvas liners for the back plastic, but what I wasn't prepared for was the following..

This is the big one and it has driven me crazy since I noticed it. The top was manufactured in a way that the drivers side sticks out further (isn't flush with the rest of the body)and on the passenger side it is flush and looks correct. It's like they do zero alignment or measurement checks to these things when they leave the factory. I've seen body gap inconsistencies all over but nothing like this. So far no cracks but it does have some of the wavy sheen look I have seen in others. Very light honeycombing pattern as well.

Then I noticed the Drivers side door doesn't close without extra force needed and it just doesn't feel quite right. There's only two doors...and this can't be done right?? The glass annoyingly vibrates when it does latch. (Passenger side operates perfectly)

Then I noticed (and might be related to the above) the hard rubber corner in the front part of of the drivers door (that also channels the glass) has already wore through the rubber weather strip on the receiving side of the door jamb exposing aluminum underneath. My guess is the mold used to make it isn't as accurate in shape as the one used on the passenger side. it has to bend in a weird fashion to close completely. I have seen at least one person post pictures of the same wear shortly after purchase.

There is obviously tons of rubber gaskets and trim in a vehicle like this. Why do they all feel like they will fall apart in a year!? I've seen many vehicles from other manufactures that the rubber weatherstripping and gaskets feel strong and durable. This just doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Back to the MIC top, im terrified to even clean it, due to people going through 2..3..4?? different replacement tops. I should be able to use detailing products built for plastic trim or sealed paint. Just tell me which it is Ford...or better yet, recommend a product!

Why is there so much surface rust on the underside of a new vehicle? I would expect this much after driving a few midwest winters but im in WA and this thing is 2 months old.

Why am I noticing bolts that look like they were installed with the wrong socket or sloppy use of the socket. The bolts that attach the spare mount are painted but look like crap due to sloppy install. I know they are hidden for the most part, but thats no excuse.

Speaking of paint, there are random little paint chips I spot all over. Mainly near edges. Some I cant even make sense of how it happened.

I also notice areas where I cant tell if a gasket is slightly out of place or not because most things all look a little off or unrefined.

Again, all of the plastic across the vehicle feels incredibly cheap and squeaks or bends with very little pressure. Numerous times im second guessing if all the clips were installed right from the factory. "why does this piece move like this, but the other side does not" is a frequent question. It's like the vehicle has a good and evil side. pretty much everything on the passenger side aligns and looks right but the driver has all sorts of issues with fit and alignment.

I understand this isn't an Audi or Lexus, and maybe im just not used to Ford or what those owners expect quality wise, but I guess im just tired of finding these build quality easter eggs daily with my brand new vehicle. I know the argument its designed to be dirty and get scratches etc but I should be the one that makes that happen. It shouldn't be built like crap because its "going to get dirty and busted up eventually anyway".

I want to emphasize, I do in general love the vehicle from a driving and design standpoint. I dont want this to sound like I hate everything about it. I just dont understand how so many QC details are let through.

Thanks for the report Karen. You can leave now.
I love my Bronco for what it is, not what I think it should be.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Thanks for the report Karen. You can leave now.

Sgt Badlands is a hard ass drill instructor! 🫡

 

[rgraphic]

Sgt Badlands is a hard ass drill instructor! 🫡

No kidding. Love my MIC top now sir. 🫡

 

[Dan-O]

I’m still just wondering why you accepted delivery of vehicle if you’re finding all these things that you don’t like???

 

[rgraphic]

I’m still just wondering why you accepted delivery of vehicle if you’re finding all these things that you don’t like???

I thought I looked it over pretty well and there was also some expectation that there were pretty decent QC checks. Like I said, this is a first for me to notice things like this on a new vehicle. Maybe I was just lucky previously and this is actually the new normal.

 

[Sitruc_btb]

I get it. We want a new car to be pristine. My 22 has a couple imperfections, slightly misaligned trim left of the tailgate, small paint imperfection behind the spare, the mt88 cold start purr, leaking pinion seal.

All that aside, I love the Bronco, quirks and all.

FWIW, I work on a particular Japanese brand every day, and they aren't any better. Choose your junk and enjoy it!

 

[Nanook]

Just wait till the 10k mile mark or your first off-road adventure. There will be so many squeaks and rattles that you’ll develop an auditory processing disorder that will allow you to not hear them and thus give you the ability to to tell everyone your Bronco doesn’t rattle or squeak at all.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving

 

[GoHawks63]

When I was considering the Bronco, I held off in order to see the Land Cruiser at the LA Auto Show. It was starting at $58K, which sounded very reasonable, as the earlier LCs were beasts and nice builds. Seeing the new one made me order the Bronco without hesitation. Interior materials felt much cheaper—in a no man’s land, trying to lux on a budget. At least the Bronc is just going for utilitarian. Sadly, vehicle QC is probably just going down across the board, even in Germany. No one’s building cars to last 20 years anymore. High quality is a bad business model I guess.

I owned a “98 Land Criiser (used) and a new ‘04 Put 169K miles on that rig and all it ever asked of me was regular maintenance.

Best vehicle I have ever owned, and I have owned many.

The day I traded it in, it drove just like the day we drove it off the lpt and everything still worked.. To this day I regret getting rid of it.

The new LC doesn’t hold a candle to it.

 

[NCLife]

My two pieces of wisdom related to owning the Bronco:
1. Take the top off and stow it (will fix your alignment issue)
2. My next piece of wisdom comes from a career spent traveling and what I learned relative to hotel rooms. "Don't look for what you don't want to see"

 

[JT58Bronc]

My 2022 has a couple of imperfections- if I look real close. But overall it's been pretty good and I love it for what it is.

As far as VW goes I got a bad one- bought a 2023 GTI Autobahn brand new- 6 speed manual. 5th gear had a notch- sometimes would not go in- drove me nuts. And such poor gas mileage. I got barely 30 MPG driving it with a light foot. If I got on it even a little bit that gas gauge would go down so fast. I had to gas it up 2X a week. I get 22 MPG in my Bronco Sas, go figure. 30 MPG for my daily to drive 80 miles a day was not going to cut it- so 6 months and out with the GTI. 3 years with the Bronco and love it. I don't daily it though- burns too much gas.

 

[LarryZiegler]

You might

I think you might be right. Even on a larger scale with just about anything being manufactured now. Im barely 40 and I'm starting to see each year the quality of everything declining rapidly. Planned obsolescence is at its peak it seems. Maybe cars will end up being on the same replacement cycle as cell phones.

You would have hated living and owning a car back in the 1970’s when a car’s life span was 100,000 miles and a new vehicle warranty was 12 mo/12,000 miles (but back then cars were so much easier to work on).
FWIW, my first car was a 4 yr old 1970 Bronco and more recently wanted another one. I ordered my 2021 OBX, the 1st day the order banks opened in mid Jan 2021 and other that not buying the SAS upgrade, it was everything else. The quality of the plastics is purely subjective IMO, as I have no issues with the material. My Bronco sat in Michigan for 3 months after mfg to replace the defective roof. The Bronco was delivered to me in mid December 2021 and has been a joy. Fit and finish are perfect, roof is perfect, no squeaks or rattles, and all the scare of ordering a vehicle that had never been made before or driven before I took delivery went out the window. My experience withe the quality and level of electronics have been equal to the Honda/Acura vehicles I have owned/still own. All the issues pointed out, I have not suffered. My experience with VW was 20 yrs ago when my wife wanted a Beetle. I found that vehicle to be very quirky quality wise, and I’ll leave it that.

 

[OBXBronco22]

I asked chat gpt to help you understand what Bronco means. Here it is.


B – Built for adventure, but with panel gaps
R – Rugged, even when the trim doesn’t line up
O – Off-road beast, on-road rattles
N – Not always perfectly assembled
C – Character comes standard (so do quirks)
O – Oh well, still looks awesome!

But seriously. Just had a 2024 f150 xlt as a loaner from ford for a week (and I own a 2013)… it was so beautiful and smooth and quiet … and I couldn’t wait to get my crazy little bronco back. It’s like that friend that gets you into trouble but you have so much more fun.

Enjoy

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