They should all be replaced, Ford's cost of course. I would suggest full fiberglass just like truck toppers are made or an all aluminum (which they should have done in the first place). From what I heard long ago, the test tops were all made in Webasto's Europe plant.....no issues. All these retail tops are made here. You would think it would not be that difficult to figure out what is going wrong with these. I have tagged FORD multiple times here on this issue....crickets.
Most hardtops work well, and this case seems like an outlier, and Ford already told the customer they'd back it. Im quite happy with mine.
You’re right, poly urethane foam core probably not bonding to the poly plastic.. damn you Germany! Webasto is the company that makes them
You would think after the Bronco's generations prior and all being removable hard tops and zero issues I know of that Ford engineers would have this hard top system mastered. I've owned way too many various generation Bronco's and never heard of or witnessed any issues. If it ain't broken, don't recreate the mold.
I’ve been told the resin material comes from China. A little birdy told me a US resin company is trying to get their material qualified at Webasto due to “numerous quality issues with crappy Chinese product”.
Yep. I would have noticed that from standing on the ground. I am anal and see anything that is "different".
My fear as well. I plan to keep my Bronco for decades....like many things, a month after the 36 month warranty is up and it will crack. Love my Bronco but this top, long term, has me concerned.
My point is that your dealer should be your advocate and file the warranty claim. You shouldn't have to go directly to Ford.
Just here to point out that wind chill only affects living tissue, not inanimate objects. So if the temp is -10 and the wind chill is -100, that means the skin on your nose is -100, but your MIC top is still only -10.
Was the second plant the one in China or Italy? Also, Ford owns the quality of its suppliers. I think it's a "get what you pay for" issue. Still, I would rather deal with occasional touch-ups and repairs than a $6,000+ aftermarket top. A better deal for customers would be a top redesign with better quality materials and a higher price tag. The Anderson and Advanced Fiberglass versions are so expensive because they have small production scales. The material cost differences are probably <$1000.It's too early in the morning to have to read this nonsense. Wuhan? Really?
i suspect that the refresh will do away with the MIC top and the standard HC will become the MOD top
I blew my driver's panel off the car in October 2021, becoming the inaugural member of the Bronco FRC. Mine tumbled down the highway at 50 mph. I was impressed at the strength. It is a heat fused laminate: plastic sheet, fiberglass cloth, resin, and in the thick areas, a resin-infused corrugated paper . . . Same as some aircraft construction. I repaired mine with epoxy and carbon powder for color, and its held up well. (I was a boat-building repair amateur for many years). Very strong and light construction. My opinion is that 99% of these tops work well and hold up. 1% have construction flaws that show, like the OPs rear cap. You note that the OP's other panels are fine. Below are pics of my panel before and after repair, when i forgot to latch it.
