Prospective buyer reliability concerns

[4WheelBugout]

I'm very, very close to putting a deposit down on a Bronco build, but after sifting through posts on the forum I have some reliability concerns. I wanted to check in with owners to see if some of these issues have been fixed on current models or on the newer 2025's.

I'm after a manual transmission, and I read about the "scraping" noise when cold. Is this still an issue on all manual Broncos? Or has it been fixed for newer 2024-2025 models?

I read that some people have experienced front differential leaks on nearly brand new Broncos. Is this still ongoing or less likely on newer builds?

I don't mind some roof noise since this is essentially a convertible, but have rattles improved at all over time?

I read about early transmission failures. Is this now quite rare or non-existent on newer builds?

Sorry to dig up all the dirt on this one of a kind rig, that is litterally the last of its kind to be found in manual transmission. I'd love to hear from owners regarding some of these issues, or if I have missed anything.

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[graytag]

Much of it is luck of the draw, my friend. These seem to be good vehicles and you have warranty to address the unexpected. All I can say is, there aren't many convertible 4x4's and it's 1000X better and less rattle prone that my J**ps.

 

[SuperDave150]

@4WheelBugout your subject line says reliability but then you bring up noise. This is a convertible. Convertibles have noise; of course if weight & cost are no object (Mercedes cars) then it can be mitigated but “It is what it is” regarding Wranglers & Broncos. Also this thing is shaped like a brick because style - square edges cause turbulence, turbulence causes noise. So decide right now that it won’t bother you or else buy something else.

Regarding actual reliability, yes it is good. Very good. Yes there have been some early teething & supplier issues but Ford has and will address those (as much or more than Subaru addresses oiling issues of their boxer engines.)

 

[mpeugeot]

Reliability has been very good, remember forums tend to address problems with vehicles, not rock solid reliability.

Fact is that my 2021 Bronco has been the most reliable vehicle that I have ever owned. It's not perfect in every way, but the number of complaints is lower than average based on the forum posts that I have seen.

 

[4WheelBugout]

@4WheelBugout your subject line says reliability but then you bring up noise. This is a convertible. Convertibles have noise; of course if weight & cost are no object (Mercedes cars) then it can be mitigated but “It is what it is” regarding Wranglers & Broncos. Also this thing is shaped like a brick because style - square edges cause turbulence, turbulence causes noise. So decide right now that it won’t bother you or else buy something else.

Regarding actual reliability, yes it is good. Very good. Yes there have been some early teething & supplier issues but Ford has and will address those (as much or more than Subaru addresses oiling issues of their boxer engines.)

I brought up noise in one of my five points, not to ask if there is noise, but to see if there’s been any improvements over the last 4 years. I’m well aware of what I’m buying and that this is not a hermetically sealed Mercedes. It’s also my least “concern”, I’d be more worried about the other issues I brought up. Cheers

 

[Ducati1098]

Reliability has been very good, remember forums tend to address problems with vehicles, not rock solid reliability.

Fact is that my 2021 Bronco has been the most reliable vehicle that I have ever owned. It's not perfect in every way, but the number of complaints is lower than average based on the forum posts that I have seen.

This^
If you’re looking for issues, you’ll find more on this site than anywhere else. Doesn’t mean they all suffer from the same problems. Regardless, vehicles come with a warranty for a reason.

As far as the M/T scraping noise. Ford just released a new updated transmission recently. No way to know if it still has the same problem or not yet. There’s no evidence it’s affecting reliability of the transmission either way.

 

[Dusty]

I can't comment on whether the newer ones are improved over the 2021/22's, but in my experience the earlier ones have been reliable. Mine is a 2021 with manual transmission. Mine did have, and still does have, that faint transmission noise you asked about. Other than barely noticing it once in a while, it has never been any sort of a reliability issue, and I've just passed 60K miles. Rattles in mine have gotten worse over time but I attribute that to the hard life I've put it through. I do have a leaky output seal o the front diff but it's an M210 that I've swapped in myself, after having it opened up for a gear change so I can't blame Ford for that. The stock M190 never leaked during it's 50K mile lifetime.

Yes there are some that have had issues, as is the case with any other vehicle. That is of course amplified here on this forum because this is where everyone goes to vent when they're disappointed or frustrated. Go to a Jeep or Toyota forum and you'll see a similar thing going on.

 

[TXBronco1313]

Much of it is luck of the draw, my friend. These seem to be good vehicles and you have warranty to address the unexpected. All I can say is, there aren't many convertible 4x4's and it's 1000X better and less rattle prone that my J**ps.

I don’t know about less rattle but agreed with everything else

 

[graytag]

I don’t know about less rattle but agreed with everything else

My Jeeps were rattlers. I just put in good speakers and ignored.....also works with wives and babies.

 

[kingsingh14]

I'm very, very close to putting a deposit down on a Bronco build, but after sifting through posts on the forum I have some reliability concerns. I wanted to check in with owners to see if some of these issues have been fixed on current models or on the newer 2025's.

I'm after a manual transmission, and I read about the "scraping" noise when cold. Is this still an issue on all manual Broncos? Or has it been fixed for newer 2024-2025 models?

I read that some people have experienced front differential leaks on nearly brand new Broncos. Is this still ongoing or less likely on newer builds?

I don't mind some roof noise since this is essentially a convertible, but have rattles improved at all over time?

I read about early transmission failures. Is this now quite rare or non-existent on newer builds?

Sorry to dig up all the dirt on this one of a kind rig, that is litterally the last of its kind to be found in manual transmission. I'd love to hear from owners regarding some of these issues, or if I have missed anything.

Like others have said, reliability is very luck of the draw. I have a 2023 Sasquatch Lux 4-door with a hard top. I had a stabilizer bar disconnect failure about 2 and a half years into ownership which was thankfully covered under warranty. It would have been over $3K without it!! That has been the only real mechanical failure at nearly 40k miles in just over 3 years.

While this may upset some, I do not have confidence in my Bronco's long-term reliability, nor should you. Newer trucks and SUVs simply are not designed to do that, especially Ford products. They are simply not what they used to be, and quality is not among their top priorities. I knew that going in, so I'm not upset at all.

The only other issue that I have had is the hard top. It's very well documented over the site how poorly designed it is. I had to have a replacement 1 year into ownership, as I started noticing hairline cracks near the rear window in the third section. After about 6-8 months of the replacement, I developed a nasty creak in the rear clamshell but I've gotten used to it. However, after shelling out 55K on a vehicle, it's quite embarrassing to have friends and family ride in it and hear nothing but EEE ERR EE ERRR coming from the rear clamshell. I installed the Ford performance brace kit from the Raptor to help reduce the rattles and creaks. It has definitely helped, but my plan is to wait for this top to be unusable and purchase the turn-offroad top.

I can't speak for the manual, as my Bronco is equipped with the 10-speed and the 2.7 V6, but I can say that the auto is just...ok. It is definitely better than the ancient 5-speed in my old 4runner (yes I know the new one is fixing that) but sometimes it will have a NASTY downshift. I've tried transmission relearns and had it inspected at the dealer, but I think that's just how it is. I installed the Ford Performance Procal tune, and that has helped reduce the number of funky downshifts, but it will still happen on occasion It will almost sound like it is going to grenade itself, but we've made it so far. So, I'm crossing my fingers. One thing is for sure, an 8-speed ZF transmission would have likely been better, but I'm happy with what I've got.

One thing to note is that the base bronco was around 30K when it first came out. my 55K vehicle was nearly double that, so you're not exactly starting at the most expensive platform. That's why I feel at least a little bit better about some of its shortcomings...but maybe that's just me coping.

So at the end of the day, would I do it again for my next vehicle? No. I have definitely enjoyed my Bronco a TON and I am SO glad I got one. It looks great, is surprisingly fun to drive on a back road, and the open top in the summer is unbeatable. It definitely has some pros to it, but if I really wanted a Manual open-top experience, I'd get a Boxster, Miata, C7 or something sporty that I can enjoy the sound of the engine with, and then get something like a 5th-gen 4runner to wheel with. That is just my personal opinion. The Bronco is a great SUV, and definitely the best among the Defender/Wrangler, and I recommend anyone at least give it a try if you have the means.

 

[arwhite]

MY24 Big Bend 2.3L MT early August '24 build date. 3 months and 3K miles and nary an issue.

 

[ChrisB351]

took delivery Aug 5th 2022 currently have 37,800ish miles. No issues whatsoever.

 

[Hemisfear]

If you ask for advice, be prepared to receive a plethora of answers from a plethora of individuals who think they are experts, but are not, be very selective and do your due diligence, the answers are out there.

 

[Poppavein]

No one wants to say how reliable their Bronco is because they don’t want to jinx it.

 

[mpeugeot]

So at the end of the day, would I do it again for my next vehicle? No. I have definitely enjoyed my Bronco a TON and I am SO glad I got one. It looks great, is surprisingly fun to drive on a back road, and the open top in the summer is unbeatable. It definitely has some pros to it, but if I really wanted a Manual open-top experience, I'd get a Boxster, Miata, C7 or something sporty that I can enjoy the sound of the engine with, and then get something like a 5th-gen 4runner to wheel with. That is just my personal opinion. The Bronco is a great SUV, and definitely the best among the Defender/Wrangler, and I recommend anyone at least give it a try if you have the means.

Funny thing is that my 99 10th Anniversary Miata ($30k in 1999, $57k inflation adjusted) came with a bad engine... Didn't even last 5k miles (as did many with a bad thrust bearing clearances).

Despite that, I would still characterize the Miata as a very reliable car generally. Still, at least Mazda knew how to build a removable hardtop.

But the damn thing didn't handle very well inverted.

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