Warning: Extended Warranty didn't cover MIC Top crack damage

[Desert_6G]

I will have to agree with Ford on this. There is no way to prove this wasn't human error. It was an obvious case of over torquing. There is no way to prove you torqued these to spec. How do you even know the proper torque for these? It's not really a common spec that everyone knowns.

Sponsored

 

[mpeugeot]

Sounds like you purchased a “Powertrain” warranty.

With most extended warranties there are different levels of coverage. The people selling them don’t always tell you this because they are trying to sell you something often at a price point that fits your monthly payment budget. Some of them don’t care what the policy does or doesn’t cover down the road.

Ford offers:

• Powertrain care
• Base care
• Extra care
• Premium care

Premium care is the most comprehensive and the way to go although there are still a few exclusions.

& despite what finance people will tell you,THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “Bumper to Bumper” extended warranty.

also, your warranty does not include a rental at time of drop off UNLESS you add the 1st day rental option. Even with this option the rental coverage is pending a verifiable, diagnosable and coverable repair in order to cover the rental. Everyone thinks, “I have a warranty, so I get a rental.” Which is incorrect. Your comprehensive 3yr/36k new car warranty doesn’t even promise you a rental.

By the way, you did not come across in your original post as having an ‘entitled attitude.’ However, you actually purchased a vehicle with a warranty as well as the ESP so yes, you are entitled to what those protections may provide. It’s not like you are a college graduate expecting debt forgiveness and an automatic six figure salary job.

Yes, thank you for pointing that out. I apologize if I came off entitled, honestly, I would have been shocked and surprised if Ford had done anything (even if I was under 36k miles when I arrived at the dealership).

Here is another example of how entitled I am, when I purchased the Rough Country Hidden Winch Mount, the website indicated that it was compatible with my vehicle (a 2.7 Bronco). Unfortunately, Rough Country had only designed and fitted to a 2.3 Bronco and assumed that it would fit the 2.7.

Well, being the entitled person that I am, I didn't demand a refund, I didn't return it, but I did let people know that it would not work without additional work. I just finished all the necessary modifications to finally install the winch today.

I don't go looking for handouts, freebies, or special treatment. Sure, sometimes I will ask if something is covered under warranty or insurance, but usually I just suck it up and move on. So please, forgive me if I came across poorly or entitled, that's really not who I am. Hell, I didn't even bother to apply for loan forgiveness from my college debts (even though I am sure that my job qualified me for loan forgiveness after 120 payments).

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[mpeugeot]

I will have to agree with Ford on this. There is no way to prove this wasn't human error. It was an obvious case of over torquing. There is no way to prove you torqued these to spec. How do you even know the proper torque for these? It's not really a common spec that everyone knowns.

How is it an obvious case of overtorquing versus a material flaw?

How do I know the Torque Specs? Duh, I look them up. BTW, they are in the owners manual on page 347.

That's from memory BTW.

GTFO.

 

[GoTigersGoBronco]

I read through the entire ESP contract before buying (one of the benefits of buying online). I would generally suggest you read every detail and understand it. It is the job of the selling dealer to explain any terms or answer any questions.

 

[ChrisB351]

I forgot to ask, do you work here?



Sure sounds like you might.

Yes as a matter of fact I used to be in management and had a part in putting together this crew. That fine young man was one of my best employees and had potential to go so far. I hate that he left us for that silly tv show but some people just dont get it.

 

[OldStyleBronco]

Under full disclosure I didn't read the entire thread.... Skipped about 10 pages.... But, warranty or not, does it not look like this top wasn't designed to hold up or last? The cheapness of parts seems like a pattern...I long for the days when "quality is job 1" meant something.... Like when you really couldn't over-torque a bolt on your top to cause a little flimsy plastic piece to crack.... Ford : "Sorry, not our problem" ... Henry has to be turning over in his grave...

 

[trickewon]

This is some serious B.S. I have a extended warranty on the my Bronco (150k miles). Last month, I pulled up my hardtop to put in additional weather stripping (rather than complaining about the hideous top in the first place - just shy of 36k miles) and the damn top ended up cracking severely.

(this happened before re-installing the MIC top, but all fasteners were torqued to manufacturers speciation with a torque wrench).

Ya, apparently, that's not even likely to be accepted under the warranty anyway. It was never dropped, never off the Bronco, and only moved a few inches back to add additional weather stripping.

So, knowing that they might refuse to warranty it for being dropped, I still brought it in to the dealer. The dealer, while polite, courteous, and friendly looked to see if it was even a covered item under ESP. It isn't!

F'ing unreal, I have not even had my Bronco 1 year yet, and they are telling me that "trim pieces" are not covered after 36k miles AND that my Ford extended warranty doesn't cover it either.

So, for anyone thinking that Ford will stand behind this obviously defective top unless forced at gun point, they won't.

I hope my motor shells out at 149,975 miles. I want to see Ford eat a bag of sausages.

Also, my Sync 4 system still isn't updating, but they "might" be able to get me in for service in late November. You can get military mental health appointments faster than that. WTF @Ford Motor Company.

Sure am happy I got an extended warranty plan... The basic warranty didn't even last a year (for a non-moving part clearly not affected by mileage) and the extended warranty is apparently useless with regards to the MIC top. It's not a trim piece, it's a major exterior body panel (and clearly defective).

Thats fxxk up makes u want to go buy a jeep

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

I only waded through about 1/2 of the 12 pages. But do the alignment pins protrude out from the Bottom of the hard top??? I haven't removed my top so I don't know, but if that's the case that is dumb... The cracking failure mode of those pins flexing that area if you set the top on them should come up in an FMEA or FTA.

Also good lord on that mileage in less than year. That BAH must be good

 

[Bu_mp]

This is some serious B.S. I have a extended warranty on the my Bronco (150k miles). Last month, I pulled up my hardtop to put in additional weather stripping (rather than complaining about the hideous top in the first place - just shy of 36k miles) and the damn top ended up cracking severely.

(this happened before re-installing the MIC top, but all fasteners were torqued to manufacturers speciation with a torque wrench).

Ya, apparently, that's not even likely to be accepted under the warranty anyway. It was never dropped, never off the Bronco, and only moved a few inches back to add additional weather stripping.

So, knowing that they might refuse to warranty it for being dropped, I still brought it in to the dealer. The dealer, while polite, courteous, and friendly looked to see if it was even a covered item under ESP. It isn't!

F'ing unreal, I have not even had my Bronco 1 year yet, and they are telling me that "trim pieces" are not covered after 36k miles AND that my Ford extended warranty doesn't cover it either.

So, for anyone thinking that Ford will stand behind this obviously defective top unless forced at gun point, they won't.

I hope my motor shells out at 149,975 miles. I want to see Ford eat a bag of sausages.

Also, my Sync 4 system still isn't updating, but they "might" be able to get me in for service in late November. You can get military mental health appointments faster than that. WTF @Ford Motor Company.

Sure am happy I got an extended warranty plan... The basic warranty didn't even last a year (for a non-moving part clearly not affected by mileage) and the extended warranty is apparently useless with regards to the MIC top. It's not a trim piece, it's a major exterior body panel (and clearly defective).

Thanks for the info. My extended warranty doesn’t cover the top either. I have only had my bronco for 3 weeks but have pulled the top off every weekend so far. I will be blocking it up on the ground from now on since it appears that setting down on the guide pins is probably what caused this and I’m doing the same thing, just on the ground.

 

[FDHog]

How I read this, is that you put additional weather stripping between the hardtop and the body, and then when you torqued it down, it cracked. If this is what you did, the extra weather stripping is what caused it to crack. The addition of the extra soft material, throws the torque specs out the window. You're causing the top to bow in-between the bolts. JMHO
It still sucks.

 

[mpeugeot]

How I read this, is that you put additional weather stripping between the hardtop and the body, and then when you torqued it down, it cracked. If this is what you did, the extra weather stripping is what caused it to crack. The addition of the extra soft material, throws the torque specs out the window. You're causing the top to bow in-between the bolts. JMHO
It still sucks.

I am going to assume that you are not stupid and that you just didn't read. Mind you, being lazy isn't much better, but I guess that I should give you the benefit of the doubt.

I was VERY SPECIFIC, the crack happened before I installed the weatherstripping and before I tried to put the top back in place.

Now, let's go with your narrative, and pretend that "The addition of the extra soft material, throws the torque specs out the window. You're causing the top to bow in-between the bolts."

Please show me where this material was added, how much was added, and the force required to induce the failure you described. I am willing to bet that you can't even generate the mechanical model to demonstrate this (a finite element analysis in solid works or similar software is completely acceptable). Please, show all work and math, because I would love to see this.

 

[mpeugeot]

I only waded through about 1/2 of the 12 pages. But do the alignment pins protrude out from the Bottom of the hard top??? I haven't removed my top so I don't know, but if that's the case that is dumb... The cracking failure mode of those pins flexing that area if you set the top on them should come up in an FMEA or FTA.

Also good lord on that mileage in less than year. That BAH must be good

Yes, they are attached to the hardtop and not the body. If they had done it the opposite way, it probably would have never been an issue.

 

[FDHog]

I am going to assume that you are not stupid and that you just didn't read. Mind you, being lazy isn't much better, but I guess that I should give you the benefit of the doubt.

I was VERY SPECIFIC, the crack happened before I installed the weatherstripping and before I tried to put the top back in place.

Now, let's go with your narrative, and pretend that "The addition of the extra soft material, throws the torque specs out the window. You're causing the top to bow in-between the bolts."

Please show me where this material was added, how much was added, and the force required to induce the failure you described. I am willing to bet that you can't even generate the mechanical model to demonstrate this (a finite element analysis in solid works or similar software is completely acceptable). Please, show all work and math, because I would love to see this.

Not stupid and definitely not lazy and also not a condescending blowhard. Try putting a rubber substance between a fiberglass material and a hard surface and tightening down two bolts spaced a foot apart. I missed the part about "before". Sorry
These tops aren't the best, granted, but with all the people who are removing them without incident you obviously had a mishap. Hope you can get this covered under warranty, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[hopshop]

For my, I'm thinking of bedlining the MIC just to give it some structural integrity, maybe even seal the edges so it won't spit.

Has anyone tried this?

 

[mpeugeot]

Not stupid and definitely not lazy and also not a condescending blowhard. Try putting a rubber substance between a fiberglass material and a hard surface and tightening down two bolts spaced a foot apart. I missed the part about "before". Sorry
These tops aren't the best, granted, but with all the people who are removing them without incident you obviously had a mishap. Hope you can get this covered under warranty, but I seriously doubt it.

The bottom line is that the guide pins cannot support the weight without a significant risk of cracking the top in certain situations or conditions.

If I had removed the guide pins, this wouldn't have been an issue. If most others are not having the same problem, it's one of two possible reasons.

1. The top is strong enough to support its own weight provided that the fasteners have never been over tightened enough to create a stress fracture (whether done by the factory or an individual after delivery).

2. Tops that do not have any material defects are sufficiently strong to support the weight of the top.

I suggest these two hypotheses based on the infrequent complaints on the forum; however, the recent dealer bulletin suggests that this may be more common than is appreciated.

I am not worried about getting covered under warranty at this point, but I don't want to see someone else have to experience this either.

Sponsored