Motor Trend says Bronco has "poor build quality". Fact or Bias?

[Hossfire]

it’s good but the Bronco could of been built better . Toyota won’t have this problem when the new 4Runner drop

Too bad Toyota canned the FJ Cruiser. An FJ with a modular hard top would be sweet!

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[Hossfire]

I believe the difference between your 20 years old Accurate and the Ford Bronco is just the easy-real-time access to internet.

You just weren't able to access to a Accura forum 20 years ago to see how others customer has problems that you never experienced.

My folks owned several Acuras. Two were excellent vehicles. One had transmission issues that never ended. Every make has some issues.

 

[Hossfire]

10 days of having mine and just hit 1,200 miles (road trip for work account for 950 of those - all highway). Things so far:
Coolant Hose - was touching the idler pulley on arrival - tied back
Top rattle - one of the latches isn't as tight as the other.
Passenger side Seat rattle - seems the cables under the seat were not strapped down and they would tap on something on bumpy roads. Had to add a few zip ties.
Window rattle - not sure why Ford couldn't get this right. My Mustang also has frameless windows and does not rattle at all and Windows feel solidly mounted and guided, but the Bronco windows have some slop in them by comparison, so its either all the way up or down, or rattle.
Hood level - was not leveled on arrival. Had to adjust the hood stops.
Side Decal bubbles - yeah, I caught the passenger side deal with bubbles under it.


None of these are really major issues. All of these could be quickly addressed with a little focus on QA/PDI to check them out. I don't consider those bad build quality given the stuff I've seen on other vehicles. However, I find it interesting the hood not being aligned right, the seat thing, and the decal issue all being on the right side of the vehicle, it makes me wonder.... The right side is going to get another shakedown when the rain clears.

Lots of QC issues. Sounds like the recent Ranger and Explorer Launches.

 

[Ride Em Bronco]

Too bad Toyota canned the FJ Cruiser. An FJ with a modular hard top would be sweet!

And with a manual tranny even sweeter!

 

[amexboi]

Mine was shipped last week. YAY! I now have second thoughts after seeing all the problems. I need to make up my mind fast.

I had my Outer Banks 4dr - Luxe Package/MIC for about a month now and am really happy with it. I'm not as critical as a lot of people. The technology interface is way ahead of my Benz. My wife loves driving it. If I have any criticism, it would be the lack of memory for the seats and no rain sensor. However, I suppose there was not enough space for a memory component since it couldn't go on the door. Not sure why there is no rain sensor.
FYI, the dealer charged exactly the agreed price from about a year ago. I paid cash and the biggest issue was their insistence that I sign a document agreeing not to sell for 6 months. Not sure how enforceable that is if it ever became an issue.
I think it's a blast and everyone wants to look at it and sit in it. Can't say that about my Benz.

 

[NickPerry]

I haven't received mine, but I'm concerned about the build quality. MIC issues, top leaks, hoses contacting pulleys, hose clamps not tightened, paint removed due to doors/tailgate not aligned properly, etc. Quality control appears to be suspect. I hope I'm wrong for being concerned.

I was In love with the bronco. Then I sat in one.
I thought it was a pre production version, so I gave it the benifit of the doubt.
Then with my reservation taking over a year and still no schedule or actual order, I sat in a few newer built ones.. I sat in and drove nearly all trim levels (except for base)
The build quality and material quality is appalling. Really disappointed.
The material textures weren’t even always the same. The glue on the soft top was melting. All grab handles were loose (not the bolts).
I sat in a wrangler and it immediately felt like a luxury vehicle In comparison.
Really sorry to say. I was really rooting for bronco.
Maybe after the supply chain issues get sorted out.. but I wouldn’t consider one for a couple years at least. The material choices were extremely cheap. Way too many orders were cut for the price.

 

[NickPerry]

And with a manual tranny even sweeter!

2024!!!

 

[bigblueboing]

I believe the difference between your 20 years old Accurate and the Ford Bronco is just the easy-real-time access to internet.

You just weren't able to access to a Accura forum 20 years ago to see how others customer has problems that you never experienced.

Haha 20 years ago was 2001. We had access to forums and groups back, google is your friend. I remember being in an Acura subnet back on the day seeing spy shots of the integra type R. Which was totally nuts for us Honda fan boys back then.

 

[bigblueboing]

I was In love with the bronco. Then I sat in one.
I thought it was a pre production version, so I gave it the benifit of the doubt.
Then with my reservation taking over a year and still no schedule or actual order, I sat in a few newer built ones.. I sat in and drove nearly all trim levels (except for base)
The build quality and material quality is appalling. Really disappointed.
The material textures weren’t even always the same. The glue on the soft top was melting. All grab handles were loose (not the bolts).
I sat in a wrangler and it immediately felt like a luxury vehicle In comparison.
Really sorry to say. I was really rooting for bronco.
Maybe after the supply chain issues get sorted out.. but I wouldn’t consider one for a couple years at least. The material choices were extremely cheap. Way too many orders were cut for the price.

I was really rooting for jeep not to put shills on a bronco forum. Guess I was wrong.

 

[paxfish]

2 weeks and 2400 miles in, I'm finding everything to be excellent. No failures.

Exceptional performance in every regard. Here it is at 12,500ft.

 

[patientB]

I was really rooting for jeep not to put shills on a bronco forum. Guess I was wrong.

The guy's forum history goes back to early 2021. You think Jeep is playing such a complicated long game?

Bronco isn't a threat to Jeep until Ford can deliver backlogged orders and improve quality.

 

[Letagoavs710]

I was really rooting for jeep not to put shills on a bronco forum. Guess I was wrong.

Lol does the truth offend you that badly?

 

[CJtoJLU]

I was In love with the bronco. Then I sat in one.
I thought it was a pre production version, so I gave it the benifit of the doubt.
Then with my reservation taking over a year and still no schedule or actual order, I sat in a few newer built ones.. I sat in and drove nearly all trim levels (except for base)
The build quality and material quality is appalling. Really disappointed.
The material textures weren’t even always the same. The glue on the soft top was melting. All grab handles were loose (not the bolts).
I sat in a wrangler and it immediately felt like a luxury vehicle In comparison.
Really sorry to say. I was really rooting for bronco.
Maybe after the supply chain issues get sorted out.. but I wouldn’t consider one for a couple years at least. The material choices were extremely cheap. Way too many orders were cut for the price.

This was me as well, I ended up buying a JL, and I’m happy with that choice. I’ve thrashed it in Moab so far, and it’s holding up exceptionally well. Interior quality isn’t even comparable. Soft top way better on JL, and bronco’s hard top isn’t even in the same galaxy as Jeep’s.

Sorry but it’s true. I had high hopes for Bronco, they just weren’t met. Maybe with a few model years worth of time to iron things out and tighten up quality control and interior feel; but the Bronco just isn’t ready for primetime at the price point Ford wants to sell it at IMO.

 

[tourproto]

My main complaints are the ergonomic issues, not quality.

Other than the 2 recalls, Ford had to reset the rear passenger window (it hung up on the MIC top frame when opening the door), and there were some scratches under the clearcoat on the tailgate.

There are also "design" issues, but I don't consider those to be quality issues. For example, my SiriusXM reception drops way too much,but that seems to be a design issue vs a "quality" issue (If some people had 100% reception all the time, and I didn't, that would be a quality issue. I feel this was a bad design to start with). And the interior materials leave much to be desired, but that was a design choice by Ford, it scratches/scuffs way too easy, but again, it isn't like some people have an interior that resists scuffing more than others.

The ergonomics are what baffle me. What vehicle with a manual transmission does not have a mechanical parking brake? The location of the headlight switch gets bonked by kneecaps far too easily. Why overload the turn signal stalk with front and rear wipers instead of having a right-side stalk for wipers? Why not have a lay-flat cargo area? This list can go on and on.

But despite all of this, I think the Bronco is a GREAT vehicle. There is a lot that Ford did right. The looks are awesome. The infotainment system is quite good. The stick shift and clutch feel great. Overall it is an excellent vehicle and I love mine. I think the build quality is very good. Not Lexus or Mercedes quality, but stiff very good quality.

Long-term quality, we will have to see. But I am hopeful...

 

[Hossfire]

We're talking about a vehicle launched in a very unusual time. Ford has a good track record of fixing issues over time. For folks lucky enough to get in on the first model year, an extended warranty may be a wise investment.

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