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FJ Cruiser Owner: Will Bronco be similar quality?

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I currently own a 2007 Tundra that I bought new. It's been a great truck but it's had it's issues. Biggest was for a string of about 4 years starting at around 50,000 miles it would chew though the serpentine belt every year. Dealer couldn't figure it out. Eventually the problem got to the point where a belt was only lasting 6 months or so, needless to say I wasn't happy. Finally when I was about to get rid of it, one of the techs noticed the main pulley was warped, turns out they had redesigned it for the newer model years due to early shortcoming. Toyota replaced it well after the warranty was up no charge to me. Other than that I had bearing in one of the wheels go out, but it's been a pretty solid truck. My wife had an 05 explorer that pretty much had every issue under the sun leading up to a transmission failure at 55,000 miles. Ford refused to fix most of the problems and told me at the time that there was nothing they could do. Prior to that point my wife and I had only ever bought ford vehicles, as her grandfather worked for Ford and we were fairly loyal to the brand. So what's the point of this meandering story, it's that every vehicle has issues, what's more important is how the company responds to those problems. I'm trying ford again because I love the Bronco and want to believe that they will be better about customer service and take more pride in their product. If I end up in the same situation as my 05 explorer I probably won't give them a third chance at my business.
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A1A

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I agree to disagree....

Japanese vehicles are tops in reliability...a 13 year old vehicle built in Japan will still be more reliable than a new vehicle built by any USA mfg...been that way for as long as I have been driving....I even had a 20 year old Honda I couldn't kill...it rusted to the point it wouldn't pass inspection, but ran like a champ...
 

splathead

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American car manufacturers can't old a candle to the Toyotas and Hondas of the world. Materials, fit and finish, reliability and longevity will be lacking.
 

Section8

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Unpopular opinion probably, but I think not if I am honest. People keep talking about modern manufacturing, yet modern Ford Explorers can't remotely touch the reliability of Toyotas built 30 years ago. Yes, modern manufacturing does allow more detailed and better quality control, but modern cars are also far more complicated and the two often off-set one another.

A modern car doesn't go more miles with less and cheaper repair costs than an older car, but a well built car can do just as well with more safety features and innovations than an older car, which in itself is a marvel giving the increased complexity. In other words, there aren't more cars going 300k or more miles with only routine maintenance than there were, but you get a hell of a lot more out of cars that can do so now.

The real question is where does the FJ Cruiser sit on the bar of quality and what is the likelihood of a new vehicle hitting or surpassing that bar. The FJ Cruiser is a very high mark and there's far more cars, modern or not, beneath that quality bar than at or above it. Since the Bronco is a bit of an unknown, its more likely to end up lower.
 

t3n2and4

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I think that if your expectations from the FJ are about how reliable it was and not about what you did with it youā€™ll be happier with a 4Runner. The 4R and the FJ are as close mechanically as is possible and it will be done in the same ā€˜styleā€™ and with the same values as the FJ.

If you liked the FJ because it reminded you of an old 4x4 like an FJ40, Defender, or Gen 1 Bronco... then youā€™ll be happier with the Bronco because itā€™s closest to that mission and values compared to a 4Runner.

In my case, I had a 1993 Explorer I adored - but it leaked into the carpet in the back (recall tailgate, dadā€™s shadetree welder friend fubared it) so I replaced it with the most SportTrac I could afford in 2000 (01 MY). I adored that truck and did all kinds of things with it - and wished I had the extra 2400 for 4x4 when I got it. It was a total loss in 2006. What Iā€™m hoping for is the transformer aspects of my SportTrac with a decent highway ride and less chuckwagon feel than I had in the first gen Wrangler Unlimited 4dr. My expectations are pretty lined up - Iā€™ll likely be pleased unless itā€™s just awful to drive somehow. Think on your expectations to figure out what to do.
 

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PartyMarty

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I currently have a 09' Volkswagen Rabbit (my wife has the 2016 4 door wrangler), but I have 228k and counting on my vw. If a VW economy car can get comfortably over 200k, I'd assume this Bronco can easily beat that with good maintenance. VW's are apparently notorious for reliability issues. I use this car for work trips and store 500-700 lbs of work equipment in the back (pelican cases and cylinders mostly), and it takes a beating.

You don't need a Toyota to easily roll over 200k. I assume anything that isn't a lemon with good maintenance and a driver that's tuned into their vehicle (listening, feeling, etc) will last a long time. The problem is most people don't properly maintain or listen to their car. (lots of short trips will also prematurely kill a car too).
 

Silver-Bolt

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One added note about my FJ. Bought it new in 2012 and paid $26k. I immediately put $5k in mods. Drove it for 5 years and sold it for $32k. I doubt the Bronco will be able to do that.
 

Gamecock

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One added note about my FJ. Bought it new in 2012 and paid $26k. I immediately put $5k in mods. Drove it for 5 years and sold it for $32k. I doubt the Bronco will be able to do that.
Bronco will only do that if they discontinue it like FJ and it has a cult following....I thought I did well on mine; had it for 5.5 years and put 95k miles on it, and sold it for 6k less than I paid. It was a sweet green Trail Teams, with 33s, BudBuilt skids, Demello bumper, lights...I think it's worth more now than when I sold it based on the prices I have seen.
 

mrxg78

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Have a 2014 FJ, love it. Handles great on and off road (except for being noisier them I would like). Never had major mechanical issues (other then the front glass from chips). Iā€™m hoping Ford is making their Broncos like they make their trucks, reliable and solid. Otherwise I might turn it in for another used FJ in a couple of years ?
 

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I consider this my shot at an "FJ" though I do have lower expectations for quality just because "Toyota=most reliable" has been engrained into my head from other people saying that. Never owned one myself.

Like someone said though, a big part of it is how Ford deals with any issues that may come up.
 

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Thed

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My best friend has an FJ Cruiser, and since I'm a mechanic, I get to work on that rusty pile of crap every time it breaks (and it's always something that rusted out).

-Ford frames will last longer than any Toyota frame. I'd bet my life on that. Seriously, they're so very bad about rusting.

-That 4.0L is damn-near a perfect engine. All my friends that have ever had one have only ever had to do spark plugs and fluid changes. That's it. Same with the Toyota transmissions. Ford absolutely will have an edge with D44 axles, but the rest of the powertrain remains to be seen. They just don't have enough time in the real world yet to have a reputation, good or bad, develop for them. The 2.3L was a nightmare at launch but has been getting somewhat better. DO NOT TUNE the little four-pot! The 2.7L is an engineering marvel but is very complex compared to a 4.0L.

-Interior quality is.... Toyota. Very dull, very cheap-looking, very strange design. But it doesn't rattle and it stays together so how much can you really complain? I expect the design and quality of materials to blow away a fifteen year-old design.

-Exterior quality I'd have to give to Ford here. Ford has some of he best paint in the business. The Japanese companies just can't come close to replicating it. The rest is kind of a wash.

-Comfort for the FJ is pretty good. Nice seats and not crappy AC. But if there's anything American cars excel at, it's comfort. I'd expect a better comfort level with the Bronco. The FJ lacks a lot of modern amenities, however.


A lot of differences can be attested to the fifteen-year gap in design and development. Most of it will be better in the Ford. The biggest toss-up will be the engines and transmissions. That 4.0L is hard to beat, and personally, I don't see the 2.3L doing it. The 2.7L might come close, but it probably won't be a legend like the 4.0L. Also, just want to give Toyota a shout-out for offering a full-time 4WD system with standard locking center and rear differentials when equipped with the 6-speed manuals. That was an enthusiast knowing enthusiasts that made that move.
 

Moparguy

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My old boss has a Matrix with half-million miles on the clock..
 

Khayze427

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I have a 2010 FJ and have loved it. Been looking for a new truck. Originally had money out for the LR Defender but after researching, was concerned about reliability and then I saw it and didn't feel rugged enough so held out for Bronco. I reserved a Badlands 4 door and will option it up as much as possible.

Here is my question if anyone has any insights... Is the Bronco a step down in quality from the Toyota FJ? I have never owned a Ford and when I compare the Bronco to the FJ, there are some good similarities but without seeing the Bronco, I'm curious once I take it for a drive will the look and feel be a step-down? I am considering taking a test drive in a Ford but not convinced driving another model will help as the Bronco is so different.

This is subjectiveness I know but any thoughts?
Try test driving a Ford 4x4 Ranger at your local Ford dealer?
 

Paul Gagnon

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In my experience I have always found Toyota quality to be pretty poor.
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