My Bronco MIC hardtop cracked in cold (-11 degrees)

[BlueBronco]

I texted the article to the other member that posted it, he didn’t know I already posted it. Didn't realize the expert on what qualifies as news is was online.

Fair enough. Can you clarify a couple of points in the article at it is not clear on a few details:

Was the warranty initially denied by your dealer? Not hesitantly approved, but denied?
Did your dealer reverse their decision after Ford corporate got involved?
Did you contact Ford corporate first or did they reach out to you?
Was any cracking or other defects noticed in the area of failure prior to complete failure?

Any further information you can provide will be helpful to the community on what to look for and how to proceed should they find themselves in the same predicament.

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[CN72]

Ford sure did drop the ball on these tops.
FORD must have done zero Research & Development on these tops!
They singlehandedly ruined year 1 of production (esp for 2 door orders) and even the redo's are having issues.

But... the good news is you have a Bronco

Day 910 here, and still no clue on a build date or VIN from good ole FORD.

 

[Cskyline]

I am happy that ford has taken care of this customer as they should this is an issue with production quality as others have noted but it makes me feel good knowing ford has helped even though the dealer said it was a cosmetic issue. I would find a new service department.

 

[Hossfire]

Damn. Ever had leaks in it. Almost looks like water forced it to expand or so cold it pulled apart when the skin contracted.

That's my guess. I bet there was a small crack that water got in before the freeze. If the damage was post-warranty, it could be repaired and resealed.

 

[Hossfire]

Ford sure did drop the ball on these tops.
FORD must have done zero Research & Development on these tops!
They singlehandedly ruined year 1 of production (esp for 2 door orders) and even the redo's are having issues.

But... the good news is you have a Bronco

Day 910 here, and still no clue on a build date or VIN from good ole FORD.

Ford cheaped out. Note that Ford partners with Anderson Composites for aftermarket tops that have essentially the same shape, but better construction.

Note: the Anderson version uses fiberglass in its construction and has a much nicer headliner.

2021 - 2022 Ford Bronco 4-Door Fiberglass Hardtop (Black) | Anderson Composites

 

[Ike89]

These tops are so bad...I'm betting many get replaced before warranties expire. I'm hoping by the time I need a replacement there is an aftermarket solution that doesn't cost a kidney.

Right

 

[Romeo]

Fair enough. Can you clarify a couple of points in the article at it is not clear on a few details:

Was the warranty initially denied by your dealer? Not hesitantly approved, but denied?
Did your dealer reverse their decision after Ford corporate got involved?
Did you contact Ford corporate first or did they reach out to you?
Was any cracking or other defects noticed in the area of failure prior to complete failure?

Any further information you can provide will be helpful to the community on what to look for and how to proceed should they find themselves in the same predicament.

It wasn’t denied, but it wasn’t approved either. They referred to it as a cosmetic issue, took photos, and sent it to Ford’s warranty department for approval. I separately contacted ford first after taking it to the dealer by dm’ing them here on bronco6g to try to speed up the process. No other cracking or defects noticed prior to the failure.

 

[Hossfire]

Fair enough. Can you clarify a couple of points in the article at it is not clear on a few details:

Was the warranty initially denied by your dealer? Not hesitantly approved, but denied?
Did your dealer reverse their decision after Ford corporate got involved?
Did you contact Ford corporate first or did they reach out to you?
Was any cracking or other defects noticed in the area of failure prior to complete failure?

Any further information you can provide will be helpful to the community on what to look for and how to proceed should they find themselves in the same predicament.

You would think that the dealer would advocate for you after Ford denies the warranty, not the reverse...

 

[Romeo]

You would think that the dealer would advocate for you after Ford denies the warranty, not the reverse...

Ford did not deny the warranty

 

[BlueBronco]

It wasn’t denied, but it wasn’t approved either. They referred to it as a cosmetic issue, took photos, and sent it to Ford’s warranty department for approval. I separately contacted ford first after taking it to the dealer by dm’ing them here on bronco6g to try to speed up the process. No other cracking or defects noticed prior to the failure.

All good info. Thanks. Especially the part that the Ford account here actually helped out. It is assumed by many, myself included, that they are just an intern or a bot designed to give congrats on new Broncos and sympathy but not action on bad experiences. It's good to see they are pulling their own weight around here.

 

[Grumpy]

What I find hard to understand is what made the OP go and climb his bumper to look at that very spot after the freeze to look for damage. In my opinion you can not see this damage from a standing position, too high up and not at edge of top to see from below. Did he see it from a advantage point higher like a 2nd story home window or the like. Kinda makes me think something else happened previous to overnight temps that had him climbing his bumper to see. Having an article published online is kinda extreme unless knowing something else caused it, but freezing temp exasperated the issue. Kinda forcing Ford's hand per say! Don't really care one way or the other, just sequences of events are suspicious to me.

Ford parts department told me when I went Monday to drop off my Bronco for top replacement for cracking under warranty that the tops are made and tested in Italy and Wuhan China. Then shipped to Detroit's supply warehouse. But the overall numbers of MIC tops being replaced under warranty is marginally small compared to total manufacturing and sales numbers. Their is an active TSB for the MIC, but based on the narrow margin for replacement, there is no reason for a recall.

 

[jehines3]

 

[Romeo]

What I find hard to understand is what made the OP go and climb his bumper to look at that very spot after the freeze to look for damage. In my opinion you can not see this damage from a standing position, too high up and not at edge of top to see from below. Did he see it from a advantage point higher like a 2nd story home window or the like. Kinda makes me think something else happened previous to overnight temps that had him climbing his bumper to see. Having an article published online is kinda extreme unless knowing something else caused it, but freezing temp exasperated the issue. Kinda forcing Ford's hand per say! Don't really care one way or the other, just sequences of events are suspicious to me.

Ford parts department told me when I went Monday to drop off my Bronco for top replacement for cracking under warranty that the tops are made and tested in Italy and Wuhan China. Then shipped to Detroit's supply warehouse. But the overall numbers of MIC tops being replaced under warranty is marginally small compared to total manufacturing and sales numbers. Their is an active TSB for the MIC, but based on the narrow margin for replacement, there is no reason for a recall.

My house has a neat feature called “windows.”

 

[Romeo]

Good work

Am wondering,

? the warranty was approved before or after you contacted The Drive

After, and I didn’t contact them

 

[Rick Astley]

Damn. Ever had leaks in it. Almost looks like water forced it to expand or so cold it pulled apart when the skin contracted.

That seems impossible, Ford engineered the top to be an impermeable skin coat of razor thin plastic over pressboard, what could POSSIBLY go wrong?????

FWIW, the same materials are used to make door cards for 1920's - 1960's vehicles. Which, as you probably guessed. We're notorious for sagging and failing as they were in no way waterproof or hydrophobic. You're replacing them every 5-15 years depending on how you keep your vehicle covered.

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