Body Problems of Ford Bronco

Structural crack in molded in color roof compromising the integrity of vehicle roof.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Bronco 🔎.

Chronic water leak from roofline obstructing vision and causing confusion while underway.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Bronco 🔎.

Vehicle: 2024 Ford Bronco outer banks mileage: approx. 15,000 the molded-in-color (mic) composite hardtop panels have developed significant cracking across all four removable roof sections. Cracks are present on the driver-side front, mid, rear, and passenger-side panels. The cracking appears to originate within the composite material and has progressively worsened over time. The vehicle and affected panels are available for inspection upon request. The hardtop is part of a rollover-rated vehicle and contributes to structural integrity and occupant protection. Progressive cracking raises concern about reduced structural performance in a rollover. Additional risks include continued material degradation, potential panel instability at highway speeds, and water intrusion affecting electrical components. The condition has been visually inspected and confirmed by our Ford dealership, which verified cracking on all four panels. The vehicle has not been involved in any accident and has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. The cracking was not caused by impact, misuse, improper storage, or improper removal. The hardtop has only been removed approximately five times since purchase, with all panels removed together only once, and removal was performed carefully according to manufacturer guidance. The hardtop is currently being replaced under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. However, replacement does not address the underlying concern if the material or manufacturing process is defective. Numerous other Ford Bronco owners have reported similar cracking, including multiple replacements. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the cracking. The issue was first noticed at approximately 13,000 miles and has continued to progress. Given the low mileage, limited removal, dealership confirmation, and widespread similar reports, this appears to be a potential systemic material defect that warrants further investigation and a permanent corrective act.

See all problems of the 2024 Ford Bronco 🔎.

Vehicle sustained significant front-end impact in a collision, but none of the airbags deployed. Front bumper, hood, and frame sustained visible damage. Concern that sensors or airbag system failed to activate during qualifying crash.

When closing the lift gate, the pistons did not compress and the glass shattered while still holding the lift gate. This resulted in cuts to two fingers on the left hand, ring and middle, cut across the knuckles with bleeding. Support struts are remove and are available for inspection. Not reported to dealer or police. Insurance notified, for replacement glass.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Bronco 🔎.

Removable top cracks allowing moisture to get into effected panels fostering an environment for black mold growth.

Rear tailgate on the Bronco gives off a very loud rattling noise when driving.

Removable top cracks and allows moister into effected panels fostering an environment for possible black mold growth.

Component/system involved: molded-in-color (mic) hardtop – composite roof panel what happened: the molded-in-color (mic) hardtop on my 2021 Ford Bronco (2-door) has developed multiple visible stress cracks above the passenger-side window. These are not surface scratches — they are embedded, structural fractures in the composite roof material. The cracks have formed under normal, garage-kept driving conditions at just over 10,400 miles and continue to worsen. Safety risk: I am concerned these cracks pose a potential safety risk, particularly involving water intrusion during rainfall or car washes. The affected area is directly above the front-row passenger seat and adjacent to electrical systems, including interior lighting and airbags. If water penetrates the roof structure, it could lead to mold, short circuits, degraded visibility, or electrical malfunction — especially under motion. Additionally, the structural integrity of the hardtop could be compromised in a rollover scenario. Inspection history: a Ford dealership in winchester va acknowledged this is a known issue and stated they had replaced multiple hardtops for the same defect. However, they declined to inspect my vehicle due to the warranty having recently expired. Ford motor company also reviewed the issue but denied coverage without inspecting the vehicle. Manufacturer acknowledgment: Ford delayed delivery of my Bronco by over a year due to widespread mic hardtop defects. Despite that delay, the same failure has now occurred in my vehicle, just beyond the warranty period and with low mileage. Inspection availability: the vehicle and affected hardtop are available for inspection upon request. I have detailed photographs showing the extent and location of the cracks. Symptoms and warnings: there were no warning lights or error messages prior to the appearance of the defect. The cracks appeared gradually and became visibly obvious in June 2025.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Bronco 🔎.

Side pillar is blocking view to see if a car is coming, side mirrors do not help. In order to accurately see, you have to completely turn your head to see if you can get over taking your eyes off of the road. This could result in a crash.

The d-pillar clips are flimsy and break easily resulting in a soft top back panel that is no longer water proof and could fall apart.

Factory hard top developing cracks around the corner of the back window on the passenger side. Vehicle is still under the 3-year / 36,000 mile factory warranty. This is the first instance that I have experience with this type of cracking on the factory hard top, and appears to be a known issue to Ford motor company since they have issued a general service bulletin (23-7004) regarding this type of issue. I am in the process of having the vehicle inspect by local Ford dealership for warranty claim. As a consumer, I do have concern about the long term durability of the hard top or any factory replacements. There are numerous examples of owners that have had multiple hard top replacements under the factory, in some cases 3-4 hard top replacements, prior to exhausting the 3 -year /36,000 mile factory warranty. These cracking issues associated with this hard top can present at different points in the part lifetime; in some cases within a few hundred miles and in others, not until the vehicle has surpassed the factory warranty. Regardless of lifespan, which does appear to be much short than a consumer would expect, the greatest concern I have as a consumer is the potential for this part to suddenly and unexpectedly fail without warning, and potential risk that could have on the vehicles' occupants or other vehicles on the roadway. The inner core of these factory hard tops are made come a cardboard composite material; Ford has stated the cracks are generally cosmetic in nature, but myself, as well as numerous other owners, have concern that with time, if moisture penetrates the hairline cracks, the cardboard may cause unexpected deteriorate enhancing risk for part failure. This gives consumer a false sense of safety and security. Ford should be finding a long term solution to this issue instead of replacing factory hard tops replacements of the same kind that also fail. It is a matter of time before injury or death occurs due to Ford's lack of a long-term solution.

Vehicles top is cracked and delaminating witch could come off in large sheets and cause harm to other vehicles and pedestrians the dealership got a rejection letter from Ford and is resubmitting the claim again I was told they had another one in not too long ago with the same issue and they warranted it I need to drive the truck and am concerned about causing harm or damage to other vehicles or drivers.

There are multiple spots on a 2024 4-door outer banks Bronco (purchased in 03/2024) that are melted. Most of the plastic components of the exterior body of the Bronco are bubbled, warped, or the paint is peeling away from the plastic. See affected areas listed below (see also photos attached). Areas affected: -entire rear side of hard top, including 3rd brake light mount -passenger front mirror -driver's side rear wheel well -top of hard top -passenger's side rear door handle this seemingly occurred over a short period of time (1-2 weeks). This vehicle was taken to three different Ford dealership; the third kept the car for evaluation and inspection for over a week and wrote up an estimate for $14k in replacement parts and $2k for labor. They are unwilling to perform replacements/repairs under warranty as they report this is a problem caused by environmental/external factors and is not a defect of the multiple parts that have melted. This has begun to compromise the integrity of the body of the vehicle, and there would be serious concern for the safety of the vehicle operator as well as others on the road if the deterioration continues to progress.

I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my 2021 Ford Bronco. While driving on the highway at approximately 55-60 mph in the early morning, I heard a loud noise and saw powder falling on me. Upon pulling over, I discovered that a large section of my hardtop had blown off. Specifically, the plastic part over the fiberglass detached. If there had been a car behind me, it would have certainly been struck by the debris. This incident poses a significant danger not only to me but to other motorists as well. Ford is aware of this issue but has refused to address it. I consider this a critical safety hazard and request that this matter be investigated promptly. I believe the manufacturer should replace the defective hardtop and take responsibility for ensuring the safety of their vehicles. Any assistance in resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

The left front driveshaft is a problem. Had a 2022 Ford Bronco and Ford did a rav lemon law. Bought a 2024 and now the same problem is happening again. Same issues and 800 miles on a new Bronco. Also on m 2022 had the hard top replaced 5 times and the axle 2 times. And the top now shows cracks with 800 miles as well. Thought Ford would figure it out. Bronco is a great vehicle, just horrible parts. The main thing is the driveshaft I feel be a huge safety issue!!! I hope Ford corporate looks here and gets feedback. By the way, happens after 20 or so minutes of driving, gets warm and it sounds like birds chirping and squeaking.

The front flares at highway speeds blow off-Ford has known about this issue and refuses to acknowledge this issue that is very well documented on the Ford Bronco raptor forums. The do not warranty these even though there is only a few thousand miles, they will not even give a reason why they deny the warranty. This is a safety issue as they are only held on with a few clips. These are oversize flares and the wind from hwy speeds causes the flimsy clips to break making the oversized tire flares to fly off.

The hardtop developed cracks early on during the life of the vehicle. It leaks water. It’s a known issue with Bronco owners with the factory hardtop. Some people have had it replaced more than 3 times due to the same thing continuing to happen.

Hard top rear section delaminating due to unfinished edges allowing moisture to enter Ford offered to cover all but $1200. 00 being the vehicle now has over 40000 miles believe it's a manufacturer defect should cover all cost.

4 door hardtop roof leaks. It is available. There is nowhere, including Ford website, to report non-safety defects.

Hard top is unlaminating around rear fixed windows at around 40000 miles Ford offered to pay a portion this is not an isolated issue.

The hardtop is failing in a critical mounting point location. Stress cracks are forming on the exterior of the hardtop directly parallel to the interior mounting bolts. The vehicle has 1,500 miles. The risk of the hardtop failing to remain attached to the vehicle on the road due to structural cracks is the safety concern. For structural cracks to occur within the first 1,500 miles does not imply future safety of passengers or others on the road. The problem has been documented by a local Ford dealer that deemed this is not a warrantable condition. The cracks began to appear before the first 1,000 miles of ownership. This vehicle was purchased new and is 5 months old. There were no other symptoms prior to the failure. With how quickly the cracks appeared the concern is sudden and imminent failure while driving.

The rear hardtop panel on my 2022 Ford Bronco has developed serious cracking and surface separation after only three years of light, garage-kept use. The fiberglass is fracturing near the seams, exposing the underlying material. Water is now visibly collecting in the openings, which will lead to internal moisture intrusion, mold, and eventually corrosion of structural components underneath the hardtop mounting area. This poses a serious long-term safety concern, especially in the event of rear impacts or rollover situations. A Ford dealer inspected the issue and submitted a warranty claim, which was denied. The Ford representative acknowledged the damage but said they could not act without a recall or broader investigation. No warning lights or messages appeared; the issue is external and has progressed gradually. The damage began well before my bumper-to-bumper coverage expired, but has recently worsened. Ford’s own general service bulletin gsb 23-7174 lists rear hardtop panel cracking and edge delamination as warrantable conditions. My panel clearly fits those descriptions. Still, I was quoted nearly $10,000 for a full replacement, which is unreasonable. This is not an isolated case. Many 2021–2022 Bronco owners have posted identical problems online. Ford is clearly aware of this issue—which is why they issued that bulletin—but is denying claims unless pressured through complaints. I believe this is a materials or manufacturing defect and ask NHTSA to investigate this clear and ongoing failure.

The windshield was faulty upon delivery of our new 2 door Ford Bronco. Every time it rains, water pours inside the vehicle through the gaps in the windshield sealant. The water flows through the passenger side a-pillar, and comes out of the airbags, as well as the defrost vents, then flowing down the side of the dashboard, and landing on the front passenger floorboard. The service department had to replace the entire front passenger side a-pillar during our most recent visit. The windshield is a major structural component of a vehicle, and our dealership service department confirmed that our faulty windshield puts our safety and the safety of our passengers in danger of experiencing serious injury when the windshield sealant completely fails. We have been to the dealership twice for the water intrusion caused by the faulty windshield. The Ford service department staff said Ford has previously issued a recall for this exact issue, but the recall is not for our specific model, so the Ford service department was not able to replace our faulty windshield under warranty. The inability of the dealership to replace our faulty windshield under warranty forced us to make an insurance claim and replace the windshield on our own. Upon installing the new oem windshield, the technician pointed out to us in person where the faulty windshield issue stemmed from. It is obviously clear that Ford never tested our vehicle's windshield sealant gaps before they shipped it out for delivery. If they did not test our windshield structure, there could be many other 2023 Ford Bronco 2 door models delivered with faulty windshields. Note: we have never taken our vehicle to any kind of car wash, as the owner's manual is very clear about avoiding these. We have also never removed any of the roof panels. Process of elimination removes both of these situations as secondary causes for water intrusion.

Stitching and seals on the soft top have separated creating concern over large tear that could separate the soft top material from the frame and cause a safety issue. Brought this to the attention of the local dealer and said it would be addressed but they failed to address issue with return communication from dealer. Took to another dealer and Ford refused to repair despite it being approved previously and the stitching separating even further. The vehicle has been well maintained and not abused in any form or fashion. This is a concerning issue.

After exposure to rain, driver's side floods with water coming from a-pilliar, air bags or windshield.

My 2022 Ford Bronco 2 door hard top has wind (air leak) noise where the t-top joins the hard top. The weatherstripping does not properly seal causing wind noise, possible water intrusion (potential mold issue). This wind noise has been brought to the attention of the dealer and Ford's regional field engineer. The wind noise can cause hearing problems but not hearing emergency vehicles, and potential heating loss. The voids in the weather stripping can allow water to enter interior causing a mold issue. The factory has replaced the hard top once, but the issue still persist. This is a common problem with hard top Broncos.

Passenger and driver windows severely rattle/vibrate/shack when windows are open.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated after the vehicle was parked in the rain, he noticed on the passenger’s side a-pillar, where the air bag marking was located that water was leaking into the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the cause was discovered as a clip was damaged allowing the water to get into the a-pillar. The dealer repaired the failure by adding additional sealant to the area. The contact stated he looked at the repair and contacted the dealer stating the repair was not proper. The dealer informed the contact that a TSB was recently issued for the failure. The contact was waiting for an appointment as parts needed to be ordered to repair the failure. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 600.

I was heading to the store when my gas pedal for stuck. I pressed the brakes and held them down to no avail. I ended up crashing through someones yard and hitting their property. My Bronco finally stopped about 15 seconds later. The whole incident was about two minutes long.