Hardtop cracks? Something else?

[1986Bronco]

I saw a similar post and felt bad about possibly hijacking theirs. I will delete information relevant to just mine from theirs and repost here.

I called one of my local dealers and let them know that I had hardtop cracking issues with 1,300 miles on the odometer and they said if it was just cracks that it would not be covered by warranty. I was trying to figure out how much time to afford pursuing this and immediately it was "strike one" without even showing up at the dealership.

I have never been offroad, have 1,300 miles since June of 2023, and is not a daily driver. We bought this new in June and it is interesting to see the development of these cracks with such little use. So far, it is on both sides and in a very similar place [to others].

Another member identified how difficult it is to photograph the blemishes in these hardtops and they are right. In the daylight, this is almost unnoticeable. Getting a picture proved difficult...but here we are. And the similarities [to others] are too uncanny.

If someone has a dealership in San Antonio that they they recommend, let me know. So far it is not looking good.

Some notable observations:

Never driven with the mid and front sections off. I have taken them off out of curiosity but did not drive it and the back portion has never been off.

It does not look like any of the "cracks" have broken through the surface layer.

I cannot feel the "cracks" with my fingernail but with the skin of my finger can feel a bit of an imperfection.

The bolt that holds the hardtop down is directly on the other/interior side; like almost perfectly.

I want to check the torque on the interior bolts but also do not if they are the problem and I need to leave a trail for Ford to follow.

I'm somewhat observant of my surroundings and these were defintily not obvious in June. I was aware of hardtop issues and often look mine over to see if anything has cropped up. I would say that they have appeared in the last week or so.

We are lucky to have an extra car or two and the Bronco has not seen much action yet. No rain, snow, etc. Garage is semi-climate controlled and in the dead heat of a South Texas summer does not see over 85.

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[Ksjrb03]

Don’t waste your time. The new top will just do the same thing. Wait until later in your warranty to get the replacement. The official Ford communication to dealers says these cracks are covered, but there are definitely dealers who don’t know or care.

 

[Techun]

Yeah that's awful and will be covered. Gross.

 

[AK007]

Same thing is happening to mine, started happening 4 months after delivery. Showed it to my dealer while I was in there for service. Do not use the term cracking, let them know its delaminating.

 

[AK007]

I saw a similar post and felt bad about possibly hijacking theirs. I will delete information relevant to just mine from theirs and repost here.

I called one of my local dealers and let them know that I had hardtop cracking issues with 1,300 miles on the odometer and they said if it was just cracks that it would not be covered by warranty. I was trying to figure out how much time to afford pursuing this and immediately it was "strike one" without even showing up at the dealership.

I have never been offroad, have 1,300 miles since June of 2023, and is not a daily driver. We bought this new in June and it is interesting to see the development of these cracks with such little use. So far, it is on both sides and in a very similar place [to others].

Another member identified how difficult it is to photograph the blemishes in these hardtops and they are right. In the daylight, this is almost unnoticeable. Getting a picture proved difficult...but here we are. And the similarities [to others] are too uncanny.

If someone has a dealership in San Antonio that they they recommend, let me know. So far it is not looking good.

Some notable observations:

Never driven with the mid and front sections off. I have taken them off out of curiosity but did not drive it and the back portion has never been off.

It does not look like any of the "cracks" have broken through the surface layer.

I cannot feel the "cracks" with my fingernail but with the skin of my finger can feel a bit of an imperfection.

The bolt that holds the hardtop down is directly on the other/interior side; like almost perfectly.

I want to check the torque on the interior bolts but also do not if they are the problem and I need to leave a trail for Ford to follow.

I'm somewhat observant of my surroundings and these were defintily not obvious in June. I was aware of hardtop issues and often look mine over to see if anything has cropped up. I would say that they have appeared in the last week or so.

We are lucky to have an extra car or two and the Bronco has not seen much action yet. No rain, snow, etc. Garage is semi-climate controlled and in the dead heat of a South Texas summer does not see over 85.

Same thing is happening to mine, started happening 4 months after delivery. Showed it to my dealer while I was in there for service. Do not use the term cracking, let them know its delaminating.

 

[Dadsquatch]

Bummer. I was one of the original OPs of a similar thread/post you mentioned. This is how it all starts. I would also make sure you check the top of your rear shell as well, not just the sides around the windows. Sometimes the top can actually be worse than the sides. After my 4th hard top, I'm convinced they will all crack or delaminate within a year or two.

 

[1986Bronco]

I put in an online request for warranty work with another dealer yesterday and have yet to get a callback or an email. This is not strike two, yet. Although it is disappointing after an immediate shutout from the first dealer.

 

[1986Bronco]

Had some time this morning and went to the first dealer in person. They said I needed to leave it for 2 days. I asked nicely If they could just eyeball it real quick and what their policy on a loaner was. They asked me where I bought it and recommended that I take it there.

I am at the second dealer now.

Stay tuned. I have something interesting from both dealers. Like very interesting...

Spit your morning coffee out interesting.

 

[1986Bronco]

These guys want a minimum of 2 days also.

This is not the coffee spitting revelation.

That will come in a little bit.

 

[1986Bronco]

Some context.

I am not a tree-hugger, I drive a 23 Bronco, a 21 V90, a 90 Pao. My wife drives an 18 4Runner and when it came time for new tires chose the BFG ATs over Michelins. But I do hate wasting materials. We made something for a reason and we should use it for it's purpose until it cannot be used for that purpose anymore. I even purposely by the yogurt in glass jars, rinse them out, pack them in an old shipping box, and leave it out on the patio for crafters to pickup and repurpose. This is the solution to recycling...make things that can be used again.

Most of you will stop reading here.

There is definitely an issue with these hardrops. More than Ford is letting on and even worse, we the consumer are willing to admit. I am very analytical in nature and accepting that I am possibly part of a small percentage of Bronco owners with a hardtop issue. But the engineering side of me wants to know what the problem is and how to fix it.

Ford. If this is a physical apperance issue and not a structural issue...just say it is. The solution is to get some 50 mil vinyl in the right color, cut to the size of the outline of the window, and to apply it. Tell us this is the fix, give us the option to slap this on (it is a rather flat piece), and walk away. You could even take it one step further and with the right adhesive, identify how it is increasing the strucutral integrity of the outer layer.

If this is not a physical apperance issue and it is a strucutral issue...call me. I have a fix for that also that will not lead to the destruction and waste of all the hardtops that already exist.

So, the coffee spitting revelation. Let me get to a better inernet connection.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I saw a similar post and felt bad about possibly hijacking theirs. I will delete information relevant to just mine from theirs and repost here.

I called one of my local dealers and let them know that I had hardtop cracking issues with 1,300 miles on the odometer and they said if it was just cracks that it would not be covered by warranty. I was trying to figure out how much time to afford pursuing this and immediately it was "strike one" without even showing up at the dealership.

I have never been offroad, have 1,300 miles since June of 2023, and is not a daily driver. We bought this new in June and it is interesting to see the development of these cracks with such little use. So far, it is on both sides and in a very similar place [to others].

Another member identified how difficult it is to photograph the blemishes in these hardtops and they are right. In the daylight, this is almost unnoticeable. Getting a picture proved difficult...but here we are. And the similarities [to others] are too uncanny.

If someone has a dealership in San Antonio that they they recommend, let me know. So far it is not looking good.

Some notable observations:

Never driven with the mid and front sections off. I have taken them off out of curiosity but did not drive it and the back portion has never been off.

It does not look like any of the "cracks" have broken through the surface layer.

I cannot feel the "cracks" with my fingernail but with the skin of my finger can feel a bit of an imperfection.

The bolt that holds the hardtop down is directly on the other/interior side; like almost perfectly.

I want to check the torque on the interior bolts but also do not if they are the problem and I need to leave a trail for Ford to follow.

I'm somewhat observant of my surroundings and these were defintily not obvious in June. I was aware of hardtop issues and often look mine over to see if anything has cropped up. I would say that they have appeared in the last week or so.

We are lucky to have an extra car or two and the Bronco has not seen much action yet. No rain, snow, etc. Garage is semi-climate controlled and in the dead heat of a South Texas summer does not see over 85.

Hi there, I'd be happy to look into your Bronco concerns on my end. Will you send us a message with your VIN and dealership info? I can look into things on my end.

 

[1986Bronco]

Dealership #1. With nothing happening with the service department at the dealer, I headed out to go on with my day. This is an irritating issue but not one that is going to ruin me.

On the way out, I drove by a brand new Bronco. Curiosity got the best of me and I circled back. You see where this is going:

I had my Snap-On ECFDD108 in case the service personnel could not see the cracks. Luckily Dealership #1 was not even interested in looking at it at all and Dealership #2 could see it and admitted something was going on but would not confirm anything until they had it in their possession for multiple days. At 7:30 AM’ish in the morning, I set the brightness at 68% and the CT at 40 x100K.

Brand new Bronco: Cracks. Same location

On the way out I see three used Broncos, two hardtops and one softtop. Same settings. Cracks for the ones with a hardtop. Same location.

So, 100% of the Broncos on this lot, including mine, cracks in the same location. All 4-door models.

Dealership #2. Sun was coming up higher and I scanned the lot. Only one Bronco. It was new and a 2-door. Same settings. Cracks. Same location. 100% of the Broncos on this lot, including mine, cracks in the same location. One 4-door and one 2-door. To be fair, that's only 2 Broncos.

To sum it up: 5 random Broncos this morning, new, used, 4-door, 2-door...100% failure rate.

Pictures in the next post.

 

[1986Bronco]

Bronco 1. Dealership 1.

 

[1986Bronco]

Bronco 2. Dealership 1.

 

[1986Bronco]

Bronco 3. Dealership 1.

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