Thank God Ford bit off more than they could chew

[Nickp]

Man, I hate to have to make this thread. I 100% get the frustration and disappointment, it’s upsetting to not know when we are getting our rides. But I think that stepping back for a little bit of perspective on this whole thing can help people soothe their minds a little bit. Why are we so upset? It’s because Ford did such a damn good job with designing this rig. They could’ve EASILY taken the Bronco name, thrown it on the Sport, and said “Hey we did better than Chevy with the Blazer didn’t we?” They could’ve done a rebadged Ford Everest too. They could’ve done kind of a mix of an Everest and the Bronco that we got that would be more like a 4Runner.

But they didn’t. They went balls to the wall, and gave us the Bronco that probably 95% of us that are still here wanted. They one upped Jeep, made the roof easier to remove and lighter, and added the middle roof panel. They added Sasquatch on all trims. V6 on all trims. They could’ve done a standard launch over reservations, where dealerships would’ve had literal fistfights over Broncos as soon as they arrived. And right now, Ford is literally paying the price for being a bit too innovative with providing the vehicle we didn’t know we wanted. They have dumped BILLIONS of dollars into Bronco, and so far their return has been a few million dollars in reservations. If there was a way for them to snap their fingers and get everyone their Bronco tomorrow they would do it. But with covid and the absolutely disastrous implications on global supply chains that it’s had, the fact that Broncos are still scheduled to start being built in just over a month shows that they are giving it their all. I’m not sure what people expected Ford to say with their statement today, I think any of us who spend enough time here knew that a lot of things are up in the air right now. Ford has definitely been overly optimistic in their statements previously, and I think they’ve had to come to terms that they just need to be truthful in that they really don’t know when a lot of these Broncos will be built. That’s exactly what today’s statement is, and I can assure you it comes from the heart. Remember that the people at Ford who got this Bronco made are all Bronco enthusiasts themselves, they want their orders too and they’re going to be wheeling right alongside us down the road. So let’s give them a little consideration and understanding for how monumental of a challenge this must be for them.

And I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to repeat it here. How damn lucky are we to even have the opportunity to buy a Bronco? To be born in the best (Or 2nd and 3rd best for our friends North and South of the border ) damn country in the world. To have the means to afford a vehicle like this, to have friends and family members that put up with our constant conversations about a vehicle that only exists in our minds. And of course I’m personally thankful for all of you guys to help kill time while working from home and making this 5 year wait breeze by. Bronco wouldn’t exist without this community, and I want to see a community built on having a damn good time, not this reaction. Feel free to roast me or do whatever but I just had to rant a little bit lol.

(Edit after the fact, felt bad that I said all this about our great nation without mentioning our upcoming holiday)

Also, to cap this off everyone have a great Memorial Day weekend! I know we’ve got a ton of vets on here, and Bronco wouldn’t be possible without our military that even makes the United States possible. Many have given their lives as well to make sure we live the amazing modern life we have as well, bottoms up to those selfless men and women and our current/former service members.

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[Bronc-Itus]

 

[KyTruckPlant]

@Nickp well stated sir!

 

[Crimpcap]

Man, I hate to have to make this thread. I 100% get the frustration and disappointment, it’s upsetting to not know when we are getting our rides. But I think that stepping back for a little bit of perspective on this whole thing can help people soothe their minds a little bit. Why are we so upset? It’s because Ford did such a damn good job with designing this rig. They could’ve EASILY taken the Bronco name, thrown it on the Sport, and said “Hey we did better than Chevy with the Blazer didn’t we?” They could’ve done a rebadged Ford Everest too. They could’ve done kind of a mix of an Everest and the Bronco that we got that would be more like a 4Runner.

But they didn’t. They went balls to the wall, and gave us the Bronco that probably 95% of us that are still here wanted. They one upped Jeep, made the roof easier to remove and lighter, and added the middle roof panel. They added Sasquatch on all trims. V6 on all trims. They could’ve done a standard launch over reservations, where dealerships would’ve had literal fistfights over Broncos as soon as they arrived. And right now, Ford is literally paying the price for being a bit too innovative with providing the vehicle we didn’t know we wanted. They have dumped BILLIONS of dollars into Bronco, and so far their return has been a few million dollars in reservations. If there was a way for them to snap their fingers and get everyone their Bronco tomorrow they would do it. But with covid and the absolutely disastrous implications on global supply chains that it’s had, the fact that Broncos are still scheduled to start being built in just over a month shows that they are giving it their all. I’m not sure what people expected Ford to say with their statement today, I think any of us who spend enough time here knew that a lot of things are up in the air right now. Ford has definitely been overly optimistic in their statements previously, and I think they’ve had to come to terms that they just need to be truthful in that they really don’t know when a lot of these Broncos will be built. That’s exactly what today’s statement is, and I can assure you it comes from the heart. Remember that the people at Ford who got this Bronco made are all Bronco enthusiasts themselves, they want their orders too and they’re going to be wheeling right alongside us down the road. So let’s give them a little consideration and understanding for how monumental of a challenge this must be for them.

And I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to repeat it here. How damn lucky are we to even have the opportunity to buy a Bronco? To be born in the best (Or 2nd and 3rd best for our friends North and South of the border ) damn country in the world. To have the means to afford a vehicle like this, to have friends and family members that put up with our constant conversations about a vehicle that only exists in our minds. And of course I’m personally thankful for all of you guys to help kill time while working from home and making this 5 year wait breeze by. Bronco wouldn’t exist without this community, and I want to see a community built on having a damn good time, not this reaction. Feel free to roast me or do whatever but I just had to rant a little bit lol.

Ford has not produced a damned Bronco. They have only sold an idea of what is possible and have delivered nothing but excuses.

 

[Headsong]

So good that they're pulling Toyota owners over. That's something.

 

[Scabieathrax]

I think people keep forgetting Covid ACTUALLY HAPPENED and has effected the supply chain pretty hard. Could things have been done a bit smoother? Sure. I think people need to step back, chill out and get a reality check.

 

[LHD]

Just think what the shortage of unique builds and consequent ADM, no 2 drs, no manual Squatch, etc…would be if these had no reservation system in place and we had to wait for them to show on dealer lots.

 

[Rick Astley]

While I agree with your points, I do want to ask why we need to thank God?

Is he behind Levine's Tinder Twitter account or something?

 

[Rick Astley]

I think people keep forgetting Covid ACTUALLY HAPPENED and has effected the supply chain pretty hard. Could things have been done a bit smoother? Sure. I think people need to step back, chill out and get a reality check.

I trust nothing a follower of Nurgle says... Especially when they try to act innocent when plague just happens to pop up!

 

[Nickp]

Ford has not produced a damned Bronco. They have only sold an idea of what is possible and have delivered nothing but excuses.

You say this like Ford doesn’t even want to build the Bronco, or it’s from a lack of trying. I made an analogy in another thread, you can’t have contingency plans for everything. What happens when you’re in the middle of Death Valley and you grenade your transmission? Are you going to just have a spare transmission in your trunk?

Sometimes waiting for the tow truck is the only option.

 

[okbob]

I can take the good with the bad as long as there's good communication....bad communication is not a favorite of mine.

 

[timhood]

The only thing I'm bummed about is not having information to make an informed adjustment. For example, I have a two-door (hardtop), so who really knows when I'll be scheduled. I also have a tow package. I'd happily give up the tow package if that meant the difference between getting it in August vs. say December. But there's really no way to know now. I was hoping the May estimated build date would tell me if, with the tow hitch, my build date was going to be later than I liked. I would then have the option to remove the tow hitch for an earlier build. And I think what Ford is saying that the next communication to me will be when I get my VIN, at which point, it would be too late to change anything.

It's not the end of the world. Probably what it means is that If I don't hear anything by a certain date, I will 99 to '22.

 

[Rick Astley]

Ford has not produced a damned Bronco. They have only sold an idea of what is possible and have delivered nothing but excuses.

Agree 100%.

Ford has only invested about $3 Billion dollars into Bronco development, they wanted it to fail from the start but needed a reason to burn the cash.

Same team, fam!

Snark aside, look into how much it costs to develop a new chassis, then full vehicle testing. Ford is currently looking around nervously with their pants around their ankles while trying to do jumping jacks in a prison weight room. They don't want to be in this situation any more than you wanted to visualize what you just visualized

 

[lobbs611]

Ford has not produced a damned Bronco. They have only sold an idea of what is possible and have delivered nothing but excuses.

Sure looks like they've produced hundreds of them so far. Not nearly as many as they ultimately could and will but they have made some.

It's easy to be angry and not take a step back to realize the challenges in the world of manufacturing right now. Hell, even in a normal new vehicle launch there are issues. Always have been. Always will be. The condition of the supply chain during and post-COVID has taken all those normal issues and pumped them up by orders of magnitude. I think that for a lot of people this is their first exposure to what it takes to bring a product to market. Pre-internet we'd have none or at most very little of the insight into what has been going on. Maybe a blip in a car mag or a newspaper to let the world know it's been pushed back a few weeks or months. But we'd also have a lot less input into the final product as fanatics chomping at the bit to own one someday.

So, take a deep breath and let the stress go. Or don't and cancel so I can move up a notch.

 

[Imissmy1996bronco]

While I am very excited for the Bronco, the communication has been absolute trash, and the constant rule changes are aggravating to say the least.

Adding dealer allocation as a metric determining when you get your order after the Initial implication that time stamp would be a bigger driver seems like a dirty underhanded bait and switch.

Asking people to order while even an estimated delivery date was still several months out was already a hard ask. Now Ford has re-negged on even giving a rough estimate. I didn’t expect much, but even if they’d said “this may change due to commodities, but current projection gives a build estimate of Q3 2021” I would be happy.

Instead we are told that we won’t get any further updates until a vin is assigned, and that all of the options that make the Bronco so awesome are likely to delay your delivery. Hard tops being constrained is especially difficult for those who ordered 2 door like myself, because there is no alternative (besides switching to a 4 door, spending more money, and not even getting what you wanted).

Still, my biggest gripe is that I placed an order for a 2021 Bronco, and I have no idea if I will get it, or if I will get a 2022 at the end of next year. I would understand a non-binding estimate, things happen, and I can understand delays, but right now Ford is asking everyone who placed an order to sit and hang on and maybe get the Bronco they ordered sometime within 2 years of ordering.

I'm still holding my order, but for the first time I am beginning to think that I need to pick a date, after which if I have not received even a rough estimate of delivery, I will have to walk.

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