Manual transmission will “hopefully” be back for model year 2024 Bronco says Mike Levine

[Tunagates]

Amidst the saga of my dealer selling my custom ordered 2 door / Badlands / 7MT / High Package out from under me, I got this fun little tidbit in a very unhelpful Twitter conversation with everyone’s favorite Ford rep.

Since Ford isn’t doing anything for me, I figured I’d throw some gasoline on the rumor mill / frustration fire.

Enjoy!

your “custom” order?? You ordered a fking badlands dude - relax. Go find one for sale.

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[Tunagates]

Amidst the saga of my dealer selling my custom ordered 2 door / Badlands / 7MT / High Package out from under me, I got this fun little tidbit in a very unhelpful Twitter conversation with everyone’s favorite Ford rep.

Since Ford isn’t doing anything for me, I figured I’d throw some gasoline on the rumor mill / frustration fire.

Enjoy!

I love my 2 door basemansquatch. I wasn’t planning for it to come so quickly (I also have a day 1, 4 door FE order that was filled in July 2021) but I’m so so so happy I didn’t pass up on it. The most fun car I have ever driven.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I too got on this wagon train for a manual steed and I got my manual on 2/17 and I'm close to 1k on the odo and it's been smooth as silk and so fun to drive, I absolutely love it! I've been driving it for break in so not too much hard driving and only now that I'm close to the break in oil change, I have let my Bronco run a little harder and it's got plenty enough power for me.

And I haven't really gotten into it yet, next week after that break in oil change I will stretch her legs and let that pony run!

I spent 15 years in an 02 V6 manual Tacoma not much there when it came to power but was still fun to drive. And 2 years in a Mazda 3 auto and you had to ring it's neck to get the power to come on after 2,800 rpms or so and then nice acceleration... for a little 155hp car.

And while the V-6 is bigger and more powerful I'm not one bit disappointed the twin turbo four with the manual.

From what I read and heard, I don't think the manual is discontinued, there are just no new orders being taken, but the current orders are still being produced, with the exception for a length of time when Ford ramps up the new Range production. I think Ford isn't discontinuing it as some much "hoping" they finish all current orders that they can and will "hopefully" bring it back with the problem(s) solved.

 

[Dontc4re]

From The Atlantic;The driver “becomes one” with the machine, as we say. In his 2020 book, Why We Drive, Crawford argues that a device becomes a prosthetic. The rider fuses with the horse. To move the tool is to move the self.

 

[ex_nyer]

Amidst the saga of my dealer selling my custom ordered 2 door / Badlands / 7MT / High Package out from under me, I got this fun little tidbit in a very unhelpful Twitter conversation with everyone’s favorite Ford rep.

Since Ford isn’t doing anything for me, I figured I’d throw some gasoline on the rumor mill / frustration fire.

Enjoy!

I'm curious why the manual is out of now? Has there been issues with it or is it a lack of interest in it?

 

[amazingjason]

My build week progression: 3/20->3/27->4/3->3/28->4/17->4/24->4/26

Though I'm not sure if its the 7MT or the mod top causing mine to get pushed, because a lot of other HE's have been pushed too.

Maybe it’s the pinstripe.
Jason

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

Well, let's hope that Ford can grease those that do.

 

[Jayhawker]

I'm curious why the manual is out of now? Has there been issues with it or is it a lack of interest in it?

New body style for Ranger. Bronco and Ranger share the 10R transmission. There is a launch curve where Ford tries to simplify the build and make sure quality is high with a new launch. Ford pulled ahead the manual transmission orders. This was a planned blackout period. There were lots of manuals pulled in January and February - I’m not sure why everyone has forgotten so quickly.
Keeping the manual actually helps the rest of the Ford lineup as there are supplier capacity constraints with the 10R transmission. Levine likely used “hopefully” as a CYA and it has led to pages of pearl clutching.

 

[EveryDayBronco]

Trust me, I feel your pain. I waited 23 months for mine which was irritating as it is. Now I’m on my 2nd transmission that sounds like it’s dragging a tin can down the street. I hope they can figure it out soon and keep cranking the manuals out.

The manual option is the only reason I have a Bronco.

Did I read that correctly, you already swapped the transmission twice?

 

[EVH1994]

Did I read that correctly, you already swapped the transmission twice?

I’ve only swapped it once so far. It’s going to need to be either repaired or swapped again, but I’m waiting until a fix is released that works.

 

[tourproto]

Hard to know if you got lucky or not. Original orders showed a 15% take rate from forum members. If that held through the entire population, there are something north of 15,000 7MTs out in the wild. Forums like this only get the comments from the ones with problems. I would love to see some actual statistics from Ford on warrantee/service claims for the 7MT.

I live in Oregon and we have had some cold days this year (20-30* range) and I have been in MT for a week with -7*. No grinding noises with my 7MT (so far, knock on wood).

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Did I read that correctly, you already swapped the transmission twice?

Plenty of folks are on their third 7MT at this point, some have had their transmissions opened multiple times for TSB work.

 

[DrewBronc21]

Plenty of folks are on their third 7MT at this point, some have had their transmissions opened multiple times for TSB work.

but almost all of them are just for a noisy transmission and not any actual mechanical failure. I have the noise as well and while it’s annoying, I’m waiting it out to see if there’s an actual fix or if this leads to any actual mechanical failure. I have almost 12k miles on my 21 7mt.

 

[Heath Aggen]

Manual transmissions are not supposed to make noise, weird. Anyway. My MT Big Bend 2 door is scheduled to be built next week and I can't wait. Its for my son and I am proud to say that a 16 year old can drive a "standard" as we called them forever. We drove our 82 CJ this weekend with its original t176 4 speed, yea, it sounds like a dump truck and for each gear the shifter goes to another zip code, but it still works and is awesome to drive a wheel.

Also, there was a 2 door black diamond at our local Honda dealer in Tyler Texas. 1600 miles, nicely packaged in iconic silver. Has been on their lot for 80 days, why, not price because it was right at what a new one would cost, manual transmission. If I didn't already have a build date it would be in my driveway.

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