- Joined
- May 27, 2021
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 37
- Location
- Anaheim, ca
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 bronco wildtrak
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey All,
In short; Cold call dealers! You just might get lucky like I did, and find a canceled order you can get ASAP.
The details;
I just picked up my 2021 Badlands Sasquatch, MIC top, high package, tow package bronco, and thought I would share the allocation and ordering process, in hopes that anyone here who is struggling with the wait can benefit from it.
As we all know, the ordering and waiting process since July 2020 has been quite a pain. This waiting experience really tested my patience, not only because I am a lifelong auto enthusiast, but because the Bronco is everything I've wanted in a car since my teens. (I've always wanted a "wrangler-esque" SUV, but without the Jeep badge because I don't want oil stains on my driveway).
So, when the Bronco was announced last July, I was immediately sold. However, I waited 5 days to make sure I wanted to sell my Chevy Colorado ZR2 and hop into a new Bronco. Little did I know, the 5 day wait I took to make an informed decision may have been a critical mistake. Once 5 days passed and I was still raving about the Bronco, I placed a reservation with my local dealer here in Southern California for a 4 door WildTrak.
After waiting a few months, the build & price tool finally went live (and I thought that wait sucked..). It was at this point where I chose the leather interior, tow package, and lux package for my 4 door WildTrak. Over the next few months, I reached out to my salesman at the dealer to change my order countless times. I eventually changed to a 4 door Badlands, 2.7, MGV, lux package, sasquatch, MIC top with the tow package in Cactus Gray.
Thinking the Bronco would likely arrive in the next few months, I sold my 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 for $8,000 more than it was worth on Kelley Blue Book. This thing was fully loaded, but spent almost a month every year at the dealer with unfixable transmission issues, cracking paint, squeaky suspension, etc. It was a total lemon and I decided to take advantage of rising used car prices while it was hot. (They still are, surprisingly), and while I was working from home because of COVID.
A couple months go by, and at this point, news was breaking almost daily here on the forum of delays of all kinds. MAP was shutting down for 2 weeks.. They no longer could produce enough MIC tops, the Tow package, lux package, and pretty much every option I chose was a constraint. I was beginning to lose hope, and started to accept that it might be best for me to get into a ranger and just wait it out until Broncos had become readily available. At the end of the day, I just needed a car. Everything was opening back up, and I was expecting to go back to the office Monday through Friday. Perhaps I shouldn't have sold my ZR2 early on. But hey, I couldn't pass up selling my lemon chevy for $8,000 more than it was actually worth, lol.
So, I started browsing for Rangers, and honestly, they're nice, but they weren't what I actually wanted. I browsed for new and used cars for about 2 months, thought about picking up something cheap to trade in when the Bronco was ready, and weighed my options. My Ford salesman started to ignore my questions about production, and I felt totally in the dark. Dealers were beginning to receive mannequins, so I couldn't help but check them out locally and I was pulled back in.
Then, I had the idea of cold-calling local dealers to see if any had cancelled orders that were still going to arrive as retail units. I called about 10 dealers in CA, AZ, and NV. All I did was ask if they had any available units in production or on the way. I got the same "Let me call you back in 10 minutes" from every one, and most of them didn't call me back, or just said they could help me place a reservation. Then, one of the dealers I had reached out to called me back, and said they had one cancelled order that was scheduled to be built arrive within a month, and was available for purchase.
I asked the specs of the order. It was a 4-Door Badlands, 2.7, MGV, Sasquatch, MIC Top, Tow Package, High Package build in Cactus Gray. ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT I HAD ORDERED. I was stoked to say the least. I asked the salesman for an hour to decide, and I called a couple of friends to weigh my options and make sure I wasn't just too excited. I called the salesman back to go over more details, and pulled the trigger. When the salesman asked "So how do you plan on picking this thing up?" I responded with "I'm local here in SoCal." and he goes, "Dude, I'm in Northern Colorado" which just made me laugh. I didn't even realize I was calling that far away, but I was determined to get this thing.
I did end up paying a markup, but not significant. I had read on this forum that people were getting slapped with a $25k markup for their Day 1 reserved orders, so being realistic, I knew I would pay some sort of markup ahead of time, which as long as it wasn't outrageous, I was prepared to pay. We all know dealers can be shady, and when something is in this high of demand, if I didn't purchase it, the next guy on the phone would have. They know the real value in these things with the chip shortage, production rate, etc.
Over the next month, the salesman and I were in regular contact, keeping me up to date with production, mailing me paperwork and the purchase agreement, and completing the purchase sight unseen. (I'm not going to lie, it was a little nerve-racking, but in the end it made me feel even more relieved that this all worked out.)
There was an additional 1-week delay on the dealer receiving my Bronco from their local rail yard with the MIC-top recall news. This wasn't a big deal, they kept me in the loop and sent me photos when it arrived. The pizza-tracker was giving me error messages at this point, so I couldn't see where it was at until they finally texted me photos of it being unloaded from the truck, which arrived as a surprise to them.
So, I scheduled a flight out to Colorado last Thursday, picked the Bronco up Friday morning and drove 15 hours home to Southern California, stopping to see Red Rocks Ampitheater, Vail and of course Vegas. The drive was amazing, and the Bronco handled it without a single issue. I am more than happy with this thing. My expectations were really high, and this thing blew them out of the water. It also made me realize that some of the complaints on the forum are people just being extremely nit-picky and wanting to tear the Bronco apart. The MIC top (which will be replaced eventually) is surprisingly high in quality and silent over bumps without any wind noise or physical wear or tear. The High package sound system works great, and the 2.7 is more than enough power.
By writing this, I hope those of you who have not received the "In Production" email do not lose hope. But, cold-calling dealers does work. My experience is proof. Don't settle for a Jeep or something else if you are set on the Bronco. It's worth the wait. It just takes some work and getting creative if you are determined to get a 2021 model. (I do realize I am very lucky to have this work out, and that it isn't always that simple.)
Also, I would like to thank everyone on this forum, especially @PREMiERdrum for sharing insider information as it has unfolded over the last year. The community here is awesome, and I have you guys to thank for me being informed enough to answer the "So when's your Bronco coming?" question from my friends and co workers, and for me being able to get my hands on a 2021 model. I can't wait to see more of these on the road, so I'm not the only guy getting dirty looks from salty Jeep owners where I live.
*I'll upload some high-res photos when I have some time to take them!*
In short; Cold call dealers! You just might get lucky like I did, and find a canceled order you can get ASAP.
The details;
I just picked up my 2021 Badlands Sasquatch, MIC top, high package, tow package bronco, and thought I would share the allocation and ordering process, in hopes that anyone here who is struggling with the wait can benefit from it.
As we all know, the ordering and waiting process since July 2020 has been quite a pain. This waiting experience really tested my patience, not only because I am a lifelong auto enthusiast, but because the Bronco is everything I've wanted in a car since my teens. (I've always wanted a "wrangler-esque" SUV, but without the Jeep badge because I don't want oil stains on my driveway).
So, when the Bronco was announced last July, I was immediately sold. However, I waited 5 days to make sure I wanted to sell my Chevy Colorado ZR2 and hop into a new Bronco. Little did I know, the 5 day wait I took to make an informed decision may have been a critical mistake. Once 5 days passed and I was still raving about the Bronco, I placed a reservation with my local dealer here in Southern California for a 4 door WildTrak.
After waiting a few months, the build & price tool finally went live (and I thought that wait sucked..). It was at this point where I chose the leather interior, tow package, and lux package for my 4 door WildTrak. Over the next few months, I reached out to my salesman at the dealer to change my order countless times. I eventually changed to a 4 door Badlands, 2.7, MGV, lux package, sasquatch, MIC top with the tow package in Cactus Gray.
Thinking the Bronco would likely arrive in the next few months, I sold my 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 for $8,000 more than it was worth on Kelley Blue Book. This thing was fully loaded, but spent almost a month every year at the dealer with unfixable transmission issues, cracking paint, squeaky suspension, etc. It was a total lemon and I decided to take advantage of rising used car prices while it was hot. (They still are, surprisingly), and while I was working from home because of COVID.
A couple months go by, and at this point, news was breaking almost daily here on the forum of delays of all kinds. MAP was shutting down for 2 weeks.. They no longer could produce enough MIC tops, the Tow package, lux package, and pretty much every option I chose was a constraint. I was beginning to lose hope, and started to accept that it might be best for me to get into a ranger and just wait it out until Broncos had become readily available. At the end of the day, I just needed a car. Everything was opening back up, and I was expecting to go back to the office Monday through Friday. Perhaps I shouldn't have sold my ZR2 early on. But hey, I couldn't pass up selling my lemon chevy for $8,000 more than it was actually worth, lol.
So, I started browsing for Rangers, and honestly, they're nice, but they weren't what I actually wanted. I browsed for new and used cars for about 2 months, thought about picking up something cheap to trade in when the Bronco was ready, and weighed my options. My Ford salesman started to ignore my questions about production, and I felt totally in the dark. Dealers were beginning to receive mannequins, so I couldn't help but check them out locally and I was pulled back in.
Then, I had the idea of cold-calling local dealers to see if any had cancelled orders that were still going to arrive as retail units. I called about 10 dealers in CA, AZ, and NV. All I did was ask if they had any available units in production or on the way. I got the same "Let me call you back in 10 minutes" from every one, and most of them didn't call me back, or just said they could help me place a reservation. Then, one of the dealers I had reached out to called me back, and said they had one cancelled order that was scheduled to be built arrive within a month, and was available for purchase.
I asked the specs of the order. It was a 4-Door Badlands, 2.7, MGV, Sasquatch, MIC Top, Tow Package, High Package build in Cactus Gray. ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT I HAD ORDERED. I was stoked to say the least. I asked the salesman for an hour to decide, and I called a couple of friends to weigh my options and make sure I wasn't just too excited. I called the salesman back to go over more details, and pulled the trigger. When the salesman asked "So how do you plan on picking this thing up?" I responded with "I'm local here in SoCal." and he goes, "Dude, I'm in Northern Colorado" which just made me laugh. I didn't even realize I was calling that far away, but I was determined to get this thing.
I did end up paying a markup, but not significant. I had read on this forum that people were getting slapped with a $25k markup for their Day 1 reserved orders, so being realistic, I knew I would pay some sort of markup ahead of time, which as long as it wasn't outrageous, I was prepared to pay. We all know dealers can be shady, and when something is in this high of demand, if I didn't purchase it, the next guy on the phone would have. They know the real value in these things with the chip shortage, production rate, etc.
Over the next month, the salesman and I were in regular contact, keeping me up to date with production, mailing me paperwork and the purchase agreement, and completing the purchase sight unseen. (I'm not going to lie, it was a little nerve-racking, but in the end it made me feel even more relieved that this all worked out.)
There was an additional 1-week delay on the dealer receiving my Bronco from their local rail yard with the MIC-top recall news. This wasn't a big deal, they kept me in the loop and sent me photos when it arrived. The pizza-tracker was giving me error messages at this point, so I couldn't see where it was at until they finally texted me photos of it being unloaded from the truck, which arrived as a surprise to them.
So, I scheduled a flight out to Colorado last Thursday, picked the Bronco up Friday morning and drove 15 hours home to Southern California, stopping to see Red Rocks Ampitheater, Vail and of course Vegas. The drive was amazing, and the Bronco handled it without a single issue. I am more than happy with this thing. My expectations were really high, and this thing blew them out of the water. It also made me realize that some of the complaints on the forum are people just being extremely nit-picky and wanting to tear the Bronco apart. The MIC top (which will be replaced eventually) is surprisingly high in quality and silent over bumps without any wind noise or physical wear or tear. The High package sound system works great, and the 2.7 is more than enough power.
By writing this, I hope those of you who have not received the "In Production" email do not lose hope. But, cold-calling dealers does work. My experience is proof. Don't settle for a Jeep or something else if you are set on the Bronco. It's worth the wait. It just takes some work and getting creative if you are determined to get a 2021 model. (I do realize I am very lucky to have this work out, and that it isn't always that simple.)
Also, I would like to thank everyone on this forum, especially @PREMiERdrum for sharing insider information as it has unfolded over the last year. The community here is awesome, and I have you guys to thank for me being informed enough to answer the "So when's your Bronco coming?" question from my friends and co workers, and for me being able to get my hands on a 2021 model. I can't wait to see more of these on the road, so I'm not the only guy getting dirty looks from salty Jeep owners where I live.
*I'll upload some high-res photos when I have some time to take them!*
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