Unscheduled Orders Q&A with Bronco Brand Manager

By Laura Zielinski

Last night, Bronco Nation sat down with Bronco Brand Manager Matt Winter. Recent news has left order holders with some uncertainty and plenty of frustration, and Ford wanted to help answer the community’s questions directly.

0:00 – We had a long list of questions to cover, so after RMD Garage’s Ralph Holguin helped show off new Bronco fender badging, we got right into it with Matt. Below, you’ll find the questions we asked, paired with a short paraphrase of his answers. Head to the timestamp to hear facts and reasoning directly from him.

19:40 – According to Ford FAQs, “select customers” received the $2,500 incentive offer. Who was in this group? The incentive is being offered to anyone who has constrained items on their order that they can change: Wildtrak, MIC hard top, Lux package, and Sasquatch package.

20:35 – If you’ve ordered any trim besides Wildtrak and have the MIC top, Lux, or Sasquatch on your order, can you move to a new trim, remove the constraints, and be eligible for the $2,500? No.

21:49 – Does the $2,500 incentive apply to Heritage, Heritage Limited, Everglades, or Bronco Raptor? No.

22:34 – Can you switch from a 4-door model to a 2-door model to keep the hard top but be eligible for the credit? No.

24:49 – Does my dealer need to complete the COVP process on my order? Yes. It allows Ford to load your certificate.

26:12– I’m having trouble getting my private offer from my dealer. How can they find it? Have your dealer contact the Bronco brand team. They can generate the certificate in approximately 72 hours.

27:26 – How is the private offer/change incentive applied to my purchase? We will follow up on this (people are reporting dealers handling it in various ways). The private offer and change incentive will be coming from different areas of Ford but will both be applied to your statement.

29:03 – If I choose to leave my order as is and do not make the recommended changes by March 7, will my order be cancelled immediately? No. Ford will be starting over for 24MY, but even with constrained items on your order, you have a chance to be scheduled during the rest of ’23 production.

31:18 – If I make the recommended changes, is it a guarantee my order will be scheduled? No. Unfortunately, there’s still a chance it will not be picked up for production as a 23MY. Your dealer knows where you are in line with them and can help you make this decision.  

35:15 – If I choose to leave my order as is and don't get scheduled, will I receive my $100 deposit back? Yes.

35:59 – How long do I have to use my incentive on an in-stock ’22-23 vehicle or ordered ’23 vehicle? The incentive will be available through the 23MY.

37:15 – Can I use the $2,500 offer on a used 2022/2023MY vehicle that is Ford Blue/Gold Certified? No. It must be on a new vehicle.

38:23 – If I choose to cancel my order, how soon do I receive the $2,500 certificate to use on another vehicle? It is not immediate, but Ford says they will be working through the process as fast as possible.

39:21 – If I choose to cancel my order with one dealer and want to use the incentive at a new dealer, which dealer will work with me on my certificate? The new dealer will be able to look up your incentive.

39:57– I currently have a Base/Big Bend/Black Diamond/Badlands on order with at least one of the constrained items. Can I switch trims and still receive the $2,500 offer? No.

42:35 – I have a Wildtrak that I’m willing to change out of, but Black Diamond is not listed as an eligible trim for me to move into for the $2,500. What is the constraint? Based on the numbers, Ford is holding this one back to avoid unintended consequences with constraints.

43:21– If I choose to switch from Wildtrak to another trim and I was eligible for a private offer before, then will I still be eligible? Yes.

46:17– For someone with two orders for the household, does that mean it's possible to cancel one order and use the $2,500 on the other 23MY order? We ordered a Badlands and Wildtrak. My Badlands is built and pending shipping. I was planning to cancel the Wildtrak to use the $2,500 for and off-the-lot purchase, but I’m now wondering if that $2,500 order cancellation cert can be used with my existing model year transition private offer on the Badlands. You can use the credit on any in-stock 22-23MY vehicle or place an order for a 23MY vehicle.

48:29 – Can Ford tell us how many Bronco orders are outstanding? Matt says Ford is working hard to lower the number of outstanding orders, which is one reason for this incentive –– to see what orders can be built and provided to waiting customers.

49:19 – Do dealers have information on constraints versus capacity? Dealers get information on commodities they’ll receive, but not total Ford numbers. It is enough to help customers. 

50:44 – Will Ford keep the dealers apprised of the progress in customers taking the deal to remove constraints to give everyone a better understanding of the situation leading up to March 7? Ford won’t be sharing that level of information, but they will be tracking it closely to help customers make informed decisions.

52:35 – Are there constraints on tow package and keyless entry? Ford has capacity on these now.

53:43 – Can Ford share information on what is happening for dealers who have hundreds of orders left over and not enough allocation in 2023 to cover them? Ford is providing dealers Broncos for their customers who have been waiting. Ford will be working to get them enough Broncos in, but due to constraints, dealers will not be able to get all the Broncos and all the constraints. Ford can build enough Broncos, but they do not have enough of the commodities.

55:07 – Is there an option for people to switch dealers? Yes, but only during appointed windows for newer orders. If you are unsure if you’re in a window, ask your dealer or contact Ford Customer Support.

56:14 – Will Ford be opening retail order banks on March 27? Wait to hear the date directly from Ford. The teams there are doing a lot of calculations to make sure they can get everyone their Bronco in 2023.

57:00 – Will Wildtrak, MIC hard tops, Lux package, and Sasquatch package be available when the retail order banks open? Ford has capacity for some of these, but availability will depend on order banks.

57:47 – Are there any updates on 2023 Bronco Raptor production? Ford is working to get Raptors out the door, but it seems like they take a little longer than a standard Bronco.  

58:21 – What year does Ford plan on doing a refresh for Bronco? Ford will comment on future products when it can.

58:34 – Are there any updates on FordPass Performance? There will be updates about the app later in 2023.

59:21 – Have shipping times improved recently? They have been improving, but shipping times remain longer than average due to things outside Ford’s control.

1:00:16 – I have the dual top option. With the MIC constraint, how will this be prioritized against the MIC and soft top orders? Dual tops will be prioritized the same was as a Molded-In-Color hard top.

1:00:43– Is there any chance of HOSS 3.0 being an option for Badlands for those having to switch out of a Wildtrak? Matt says it’s an exciting idea, but he can’t talk about future products.

1:00:59 – Is Ford aware of some Broncos optioned with steel bash plates coming to the dealer with plastic bash plates? Is it being addressed? Yes. Ford understands the cause and will be getting customers the correct plate. More communication will be coming.

1:02:27 – If current orders cannot be accommodated, why open order banks? Ford can accommodate orders, but there are a lot of commodities and series of Broncos, as well as some dealers who do not have outstanding orders. Ford wants production to continue.

1:02:55 – If reservation and order holders opt to keep their order as is and cannot be scheduled, will they maintain their place in line? Ford has not finalized the plan for opening the order banks for 2024, but those not scheduled for a 23MY will start fresh. This is to provide customers with the most flexibility to switch dealers and get any potential new options.

1:04:26 – Will any outstanding Wildtrak orders be built in ’23, and how many Wildtrak orders are there? There are many, but Ford will be building as many as they can.

1:05:24 – Will you be able to order a Heritage Edition or an Everglades when the order banks open? Ford would like to see customers ordering these trims; however, they will still have Sasquatch package standard.

1:05:57 – When might customers be able to purchase a hard top from Ford? Supply continues to be an issue, and Ford is trying to take care of existing orders first.

1:06:41 – If I remain unscheduled for the third model year in a row because I’m at a dealer without a lot of allocation, how do I find a new dealer with allocation? Talk to dealers and research within the community.

1:07:17 – Can I get my private offer and my incentive offer if I make changes or buy an in-stock Bronco? You get your private offer if you take delivery of a 2023 Bronco, and you can claim the incentive if you take delivery of a 23MY Bronco. If you cancel your Bronco and purchase a new in-stock vehicle or place a new order, you can claim the change incentive, but not your model year transition offer (private offer).

1:08:04 – Will the Ford soft top ever be available for purchase separately? Ford has not had a lot of requests for this, but Matt will take it back to the team.

1:08:33 – If I didn’t receive an official private offer email from Ford, does one still apply to me? My ‘23 order was converted on time. Yes, Ford has all the orders and certificates.

1:09:25 – My dealer claims there is no “line” and scheduling is 100% random. Can you clarify how scheduling really works? It is not random and a lot of factors are taken into consideration by the scheduling team to maximize what can be produced.

1:10:47 – Will order holders that removed constraints as requested by scheduled before the retail order banks open? Removing constraints does not move up your place to be scheduled; instead, it gives you the best chance to be scheduled. Ford is working to line up as much as possible, but it does not mean you will be scheduled before order banks open.

1:11:42 – Do the constraints for the MIC hard top apply to the 2-door Broncos? Yes and no. The 4-door and 2-door tops have finite amounts, but they are slightly different. They all are coming from the same factory, however.

1:12:14 – Is tow package still a constraint? No. Ford has capacity and will be addressing a requested update for WBDO.

1:12:33 – If I have not received a private offer email from Ford, can I assume my Bronco will be scheduled this year? No. Talk to your dealer; you may have not been able to be reached or had a special situation.

1:13:21 – Is the Modular Front Bumper still a constraint? There is capacity right now, but if everyone orders it, it will become constrained.

1:14:42 – Why is Ford moving away from reservations for Bronco after 2023? Bronco as a brand is maturing, and Ford will not need that process as it moves into 2024. Ford believes with these changes, everyone has the best chance of getting their Bronco in 2023.

1:18:46 – We’re appreciative of Matt Winter answering our entire list of questions that were submitted before the show and during the livestream in the question box. We’ll see him again on a future stream, but until then stay on this one to hear more on member-exclusive merch, see community highlights of recent Bronco and Sport deliveries, and final wrap up. We are glad you joined us once again, and we hope the majority of you got clarification on FAQs and questions!