This week, the Bronco Team presented the community with the opportunity to ask questions through the @FordBronco Instagram account. The team took some time to gather the 6th Gen community’s questions, then delivered answers in the stories for the next two days. For those of you that don’t have Instagram, Bronco Nation took notes on what was said.
Kelsey Gerken, Bronco Consumer Strategy Manager, lead the first set of Q&As. Kelsey thanked customers for their patience and enthusiasm as they wait for their order. She knows the launch has been frustrating. Production issues have come from both within and outside the company’s control – COVID, chip shortage, and the hard top issues. With those in mind, she reiterated that Ford wants to get you in your Bronco, so you can go out on adventures.
1. When will I get my Bronco? Kelsey said it’s the No.1 question received. With every order different, there are many factors going into when yours is scheduled – including reservation timestamp, parts availability, and dealer allocation.
Last week, Bronco Nation covered parts availability when we shared the recent dealer communication on commodity constraints last week. If you want to better your chances of being scheduled in February, you may want to talk to your dealer about removing the paint protection film, hard top, and trailer tow.
If you want to check on statuses while you wait for delivery, you might find some of these tracking links that BN member [USER=17682]@Cornwelltoolman[/USER] put together as helpful –– order status, window sticker, delivery status, and more.
2. Does my order date impact when production will start on my Bronco? Many of you acted on reserving a Bronco within the first 48 hours, and even though you may not have your Bronco yet, Ford is still placing weight on your timestamp. Kelsey said it’s just not the only factor that plays into scheduling, though with all else equal, it is the top factor in getting scheduled. Priority has been placed on the first in line, and she shared this insight: “Of hard top roof orders for 21MY, 86% went to reservation holders within the first 48 hours.”
3. Where can I see a Bronco IRL (in real life)? Dealerships are receiving dealer demo units, and more will be added. Contact yours to see when you can take one for a drive.
4. Still waiting for my build date :( What’s going on? Kelsey explained the process: “Each week has a certain amount of production slots in which orders can be scheduled. Scheduling happens 45-60 days in advance of the build date.” Same as for the first question, reservation timestamp, parts availability, and dealer allocation play into the scheduling of your order. “If your specific unit meets the criteria to get scheduled, you will receive an automated communication from Ford that lets you know your actual build week as well as your VIN. If you aren’t selected for that week, your order remains in the queue for the next week.”
Bronco Brand Manager Esteban Plaza-Jennings took over next with these questions.
5. Is there anything that will hold up my Bronco order from getting to me sooner? “The timing of receiving your order will depend –– timestamp, how many vehicles your dealer is being allocated, and the options on your order,” Esteban said. He explained that the most constrained options are trailer tow, the hard top, and the paint protection film. Lesser constraints include Wildtrak, Badlands, 2-door models, 2.7L EcoBoost engines, Lux package, Sasquatch package, and the modular front bumper.
When the last constraint news broke in the forums, Bronco Nation’s takeaway was to weigh what you really want against how fast you want to receive your Bronco. “Generally speaking, the lower number of constraints you have, the higher your change of getting a build date,” said BN member @RagnarKon. BN member [USER=21263]@BroncOitis[/USER] followed up: “How will you feel if you start removing everything? Will it be the vehicle you wanted, or will it be the vehicle you settled for? I know I'm not changing a thing so I can get what I want and enjoy it.”
Switching to a soft top saved some community members waiting time: They received a build date within weeks. It’s a tough choice, so if you’re having trouble deciding, head to the forums to get additional insight and opinions.
6. How can I go to Bronco Off-Roadeo? If you aren’t yet aware of what Bronco Off-Roadeo is, Esteban explained it to those watching: “Bronco Off-Roadeo is an off-road, outdoor experience where you can learn to drive your Bronco on a bunch of trails. We’ve created four Off-Roadeos across the United States: Las Vegas, Nevada; Moab, Utah; one in Austin, Texas; and one in New Hampshire. Attendance to Off-Roadeo is included for free if you’ve purchased a 2- or 4-door Bronco or a Bronco Sport Badlands or First Edition. The great thing about Off-Roadeo is you can attend even if you haven’t taken delivery of your Bronco unit.” Ford says they’ve added additional dates this winter since days were filling up so fast, so check the calendar and sign up!
7. Really wanted the dual top. What do I do now? Ford says they removed the dual top option due to the hard top roof supply issue. “We felt it was important to focus on fulfilling Bronco orders vs. fulfilling dual top orders on Bronco,” Esteban said. “The good news? If you still want a dual top option for your 2- or 4-door Bronco, there is a way for you to get it. Order your Bronco with the MIC hard top, and then add on one of the soft top roofs offered through the Ford accessory catalog. You can add the accessory a couple of different ways. If you’re reordering a 22MY Bronco, you can add it as a Dealer Installed Option when you place your order. Alternatively, if you already have possession of your Bronco, you can go to your dealership and have them order you a soft top.”
Michigan Assembly Plant Manager Erik finished the first day’s last set of community questions by covering Bronco production.
8. When is production of the 22 models? “We’ve already started taking orders of the 22MY Bronco,” said Erik. “They’ll be produced starting in mid to late December, and delivery will start early in the ‘22 calendar year. We’re excited; we anticipate tripling our volume of Broncos produce next year.”
For the first time, a full year of production will be able to be carried out for the 6th Generation Broncos.
9. Why is Ford building stock units before reservations? Erik said that often, these are vehicles with less-popular commodities, and I believe the community understands that the plant needs to be kept running. “As to why dealers are being given their vehicles prior to the customers getting their vehicles, it comes down to the commodities ordered. Oftentimes, we’re able to build derivatives like soft tops because we had those commodities on hand, because they’re not popular among customers. We can build those and get them to dealers quicker and stock dealers vs. the customer orders of the hard tops or specific drivetrains or colors. If you order a soft top, you’re likely to get your order sooner, but MAP is committed to getting you your order as soon as possible.”
On the second day of the Ask Me Anything answers, Kelsey again took the reins.
10. What’s going on with production? “Quality is our No.1 priority, and we invested millions to increase manufacturing capacity at MAP. We know there have been a lot of bumps along the road, especially with our hard top roof supplier, but as a thank you for your patience and sticking with us, we’re also providing several complimentary benefits and bonuses to make sure that you really feel appreciated for being a part of the Bronco journey.” She takes us through those items:
- Price protection on MSRP through 23MY for all order and reservation holders through March 19, 2021
- Up to $1,100 Ford Pass reward points, which can be used on accessories such as the fold-down table or roof rails
- Free sound deadening headliner on MIC roofs
- All eligible order and reservation holders are receiving a Bronco hammock, poster, and flag
- Hard top prep package standard with all soft tops as of September 2021 production
11. My ‘21 wasn’t scheduled, what do I do now? Talk to your dealer about updating your order.
If you have questions on what you need to do for 2022, whether you’ve ordered or have stayed as a reservation, read our 2022 Bronco –– What Do I Need to Do and What Are My Options?
12. Can I switch my ‘22 order back to a hardtop without a delay? You can change the specs of your order up until the time the vehicle is scheduled, meaning it has a VIN. “Certain changes to features will affect the timing of the scheduling and delivery,” said Kelsey. “That includes the hard top roof as well as the Sasquatch package, among other constraints and commodities.”
Erik carried the questions from there, prefacing his words with a concern for your order.
13. Can I get an ETA? “I’d like to start by saying I know a lot of people are wondering when they’ll get their Bronco, their 21MY Bronco, and we appreciate your patience. We understand your urgency, and we’re committed to working hard to get you your Bronco as soon as possible. The team has been working really hard, and we’ve been shipping hard top and soft top Broncos since June. We continue to take orders for the 22MY Bronco at your local dealer right now, and we began production of the 22MY Broncos in December. We’re working hard to get out all of the 21MY Broncos that are confirmed by the end of the year.”
14. Is it true that most orders placed for MY22 won’t be delivered until 2023? “I’d like to say we’re doing the best we can to get you your Bronco as soon as we can. We understand the excitement and urgency to get in your Bronco, and we’re working hard them to you. Given the popularity of the vehicle, we can’t commit to an exact timing, but I would challenge you to stay in touch with your dealer to firm up timing of when your Bronco will be delivered and built. And we’ll continue to work to get the 22MY Broncos to you in the calendar year 2022. Some of the vehicles will be delivered in the year 2023 unfortunately.”
Esteban rounded out the questions and answers.
15. Do I really need to update my order? The answer is yes, and the reason being is that Ford has added new content to the program, like manual Sasquatch and Eruption Green as a color. Check out the options and prices at ford.com in the Build & Price tool. There are also a bunch of new items in the accessory catalog, at your dealer and online.
16. Should I get the soft top or the hard top? “Right now, we’re constrained with the number of hard top Broncos we can produce here at MAP,” said Esteban. “What we’ve done is try to make it easier to order a soft top Bronco by standardizing the hard top prep kit on all soft top Broncos. The easiest way to get your Bronco faster, if you have a 4-door on order, is to switch from a MIC hard top to a soft top Bronco.” The prep kit contains the connections for the rear windshield wiper and the rear glass defroster.
“A lot of you are asking when will the hard top be available; how much is that hard top going to cost. We believe that we’ll be able to have the hard top on sale in the 23MY, and unfortunately I can’t give you hard pricing right now, but we know that it’s going to cost more than what the hard top is available for on build and price today.”
The video cuts off as Esteban stated why, but shipping likely plays the biggest factor in the increase.
Follow @FordBronco on Instagram for future stories, and keep an eye out for the next Discover Your Ford Livestream on Ford.com as another way to hear directly from the team. BN member @ResidualGenius said that this is a "Great Live about the Bronco; the last one was very informative!" when giving the community a heads up about yesterday's.
And if you want more rumors, teases, and facts BN has gathered from our contacts at Ford, spend some time in the forums –– Our community is good at taking news, dissecting it, and giving other members advice based off of real-life experiences with their Bronco and dealership.
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