Freep: Delay due to Bronco removable top supplier issue

[drive21bronco]

I like the gray top..

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[TNcoupe]

You say that until mandatory 12hrs and 7 days a week with masks on in the middle of summer

Sacrifices are made to make a product and a crapload of money. Been wearing masks inside a nuclear plant in TN since March. 12hr shifts 4 on 1 off for awhile. They can do it if they like getting paid.

 

[Carolina Jim]

does anyone know the $$$ cost for the Triple Warranty on Bronco Tops?

 

[chtucker]

Hopefully Ford had some performance guarantees written into the contract of the vendor(s) supplying the tops. We're ten months into COVID - and a lot longer in the Bronco's development cycle- so one would think the suppliers should've been able to plan better for this.

Generally speaking contract have outs for "acts of god"

 

[gofastguy]

I'm sure I can't be the only 2 door buyer who doesn't even want a hard top...

 

[Broncolli]

In another message they mentioned delays and delivery in mid/late June - is that still accurate?

 

[bloominguez]

Hopefully Ford had some performance guarantees written into the contract of the vendor(s) supplying the tops. We're ten months into COVID - and a lot longer in the Bronco's development cycle- so one would think the suppliers should've been able to plan better for this.

This is a shortsighted reaction. Sure, they should have. But they didn't. What's your next best alternative?

Let's play this out a little bit. Let's say there are performance guarantees, and they haven't been met. Let's say Ford enforces those terms, whatever they are. What next? Vendor goes bankrupt (easily possible with the size disparity between the parties)? Vendor pays the penalties and terminates the relationship with Ford?

Now what? Ford still needs tops for the Bronco, that hasn't changed. Where are you going to get them? At some point you need to dance with the one that brung ya (as the old saying goes). Enforcing performance guarantees won't get you tops any faster, and may make things much worse in the short term. Yes, there will be consequences. Perhaps Ford looks for other suppliers in the future.

I don't know the details here, but the relationship between a large company and a small supplier is much more of a partnership than people realize, Ford (any large company) has to manage supplier relationships very carefully. Sometimes Ford pushes suppliers out of their comfort zone to get what they want, because the alternative is worse (perhaps just for monetary reasons), so it's not clear whose fault the delays are. Ford doesn't succeed unless its suppliers succeed, so Ford supports them (I don't have any current knowledge, but years ago Ford had a group literally named "Supplier Technical Assistance").


Bottom line, I agree with "Rick":

From a global manufacturing standpoint, and that the Bronco has been in development for 3+ years, a change of 3 months is inconsequential.

 

[Norsman]

I'm sure I can't be the only 2 door buyer who doesn't even want a hard top...

I tried searching the forum yesterday regarding this and It was insane... sending me all sorts of tangents. I thought I saw in one of the Q&As that soft tops on 2 doors will be in 2022 or was it never?? lol

 

[tallboy33]

just send me the bronco as is and send me the top later.

Create a new Trim level called Bare Bones and ship it without Wheels, Tires, Interior, Top and whatever else. I'll take it from there.

 

[Pancho Kornwallace]

Is there no way for Ford to get HTs produced through a different company? With all those people out of work, I would think there'd be a way to make the tops here in the US. I mean if Tesla can building a space rocket!!!!

Have you seen how delayed Teslas are?
Weird how the 8 weeks of delay for a Ford vehicle due to COVID is the "end of times"... but Telsa delaying by years and sometimes never getting vehicles to market that they hyped up (their "affordable" base model Y, for example), is no big deal.

 

[Russ1Bronco]

..They can ship my 2 dr base with no top...it;s parked in the garage most of the time anyway...I'm only in this game for 2021...if not delivered by then..I'm done...

 

[Hoofnmouth]

Create a new Trim level called Bare Bones and ship it without Wheels, Tires, Interior, Top and whatever else. I'll take it from there.

the take and bake bronco

 

[Pancho Kornwallace]

Apparnetly the reason for the delay is the color of MIC pellets the chinese top manufacturer produced. Ford order 5M pounds of gray pellets for gray MIC tops. They were delivered 5M pounds of black pellets for black MIC tops....so Ford had them return all of that because they did not want to make black MIC tops.

Tragically ironic, as I would have taken pink with purple polka dots as my MIC hard top color.

 

[vrtical]

Nooo way. I am shocked I tell you. Shocked.

Who needs a top anyways when you have the MGV seats and rubberized drain floors? ?

What about when it’s cold outside? Wear a jacket. Be an Eskimo.

you get the MID package..... heated seats

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