Body Problems of Ford Bronco - part 2

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.