First new Ford...Probably the last Ford

[rgraphic]

Maybe you have bad luck with V-dubs. We have had great luck. Owned 4 and all have been fantastic. Still have 2, 1 with 110k, one with 150k.

To the OP - what surface rust are you seeing on the bottom that is an issue?

I'm not near the vehicle at the moment but in general there are spots in the black painted underbody areas. Again this is just new for me to see on a new vehicle. I know there are threads about drive shaft and axel rust. but im not really referring to that.

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[Brian_B]

Do people not do research before buying a vehicle? You can save thousands by reading.

No, you save thousands by switching to Geico.

 

[SVSSVS48]

I picked up my 2dr 2024 Big Bend a couple months ago. I thought I saw enough YouTube videos and browsed the forums. I wish I would have read more of these forums in hindsight and relied far less on the YouTube excitement videos. The last ford I had was a 91 probe in high school back around 2001. Since then I have owned Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and a couple VWs. Overall they all had some minor quirks or annoyances but nothing prepared me for this Bronco. The last 3 cars I owned were brand new. A Crosstrek, GTI and Tiguan. All looked so nice from the dealership. They ran well and just about everything looked like it hadn't been touched or used yet.

This is just not the case for the bronco, but I'll start with the good.

It is very fun to drive. I even enjoy the engine noise. The steering is perfect. The design of the dash and infotainment is perfect. The overall look and design of the vehicle is fantastic. I love that it has a t-top element that is simple to take down and store. Driving without it is a dream and scratches a bit of that open air itch I've had since selling my motorcycle. The marine grade seats and their design are just right. The seat heaters too! They get to therapeutic levels of hot. And it has a built in subwoofer. Again so many things designed so well!

Another thing I knew going in was that the speakers suck. And they do. But I accepted that going in. I switched them all out with kickers and made some tweaks to the eq, etc and it's actually decent now...As long as you keep it under 40ish mph. You're basically on an airplane going over 70 noise wise.

Now for my issues with this thing.
I hate the quality and construction of just about everything.
It feels like every day I spot something that just isn't quite right to varying degrees or feels cheap. Everyone has mentioned the plastic inside that is highly prone to scratches. I knew that going in and got some custom made canvas liners for the back plastic, but what I wasn't prepared for was the following..

This is the big one and it has driven me crazy since I noticed it. The top was manufactured in a way that the drivers side sticks out further (isn't flush with the rest of the body)and on the passenger side it is flush and looks correct. It's like they do zero alignment or measurement checks to these things when they leave the factory. I've seen body gap inconsistencies all over but nothing like this. So far no cracks but it does have some of the wavy sheen look I have seen in others. Very light honeycombing pattern as well.

Then I noticed the Drivers side door doesn't close without extra force needed and it just doesn't feel quite right. There's only two doors...and this can't be done right?? The glass annoyingly vibrates when it does latch. (Passenger side operates perfectly)

Then I noticed (and might be related to the above) the hard rubber corner in the front part of of the drivers door (that also channels the glass) has already wore through the rubber weather strip on the receiving side of the door jamb exposing aluminum underneath. My guess is the mold used to make it isn't as accurate in shape as the one used on the passenger side. it has to bend in a weird fashion to close completely. I have seen at least one person post pictures of the same wear shortly after purchase.

There is obviously tons of rubber gaskets and trim in a vehicle like this. Why do they all feel like they will fall apart in a year!? I've seen many vehicles from other manufactures that the rubber weatherstripping and gaskets feel strong and durable. This just doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Back to the MIC top, im terrified to even clean it, due to people going through 2..3..4?? different replacement tops. I should be able to use detailing products built for plastic trim or sealed paint. Just tell me which it is Ford...or better yet, recommend a product!

Why is there so much surface rust on the underside of a new vehicle? I would expect this much after driving a few midwest winters but im in WA and this thing is 2 months old.

Why am I noticing bolts that look like they were installed with the wrong socket or sloppy use of the socket. The bolts that attach the spare mount are painted but look like crap due to sloppy install. I know they are hidden for the most part, but thats no excuse.

Speaking of paint, there are random little paint chips I spot all over. Mainly near edges. Some I cant even make sense of how it happened.

I also notice areas where I cant tell if a gasket is slightly out of place or not because most things all look a little off or unrefined.

Again, all of the plastic across the vehicle feels incredibly cheap and squeaks or bends with very little pressure. Numerous times im second guessing if all the clips were installed right from the factory. "why does this piece move like this, but the other side does not" is a frequent question. It's like the vehicle has a good and evil side. pretty much everything on the passenger side aligns and looks right but the driver has all sorts of issues with fit and alignment.

I understand this isn't an Audi or Lexus, and maybe im just not used to Ford or what those owners expect quality wise, but I guess im just tired of finding these build quality easter eggs daily with my brand new vehicle. I know the argument its designed to be dirty and get scratches etc but I should be the one that makes that happen. It shouldn't be built like crap because its "going to get dirty and busted up eventually anyway".

I want to emphasize, I do in general love the vehicle from a driving and design standpoint. I dont want this to sound like I hate everything about it. I just dont understand how so many QC details are let through.

I picked up my 2dr 2024 Big Bend a couple months ago. I thought I saw enough YouTube videos and browsed the forums. I wish I would have read more of these forums in hindsight and relied far less on the YouTube excitement videos. The last ford I had was a 91 probe in high school back around 2001. Since then I have owned Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and a couple VWs. Overall they all had some minor quirks or annoyances but nothing prepared me for this Bronco. The last 3 cars I owned were brand new. A Crosstrek, GTI and Tiguan. All looked so nice from the dealership. They ran well and just about everything looked like it hadn't been touched or used yet.

This is just not the case for the bronco, but I'll start with the good.

It is very fun to drive. I even enjoy the engine noise. The steering is perfect. The design of the dash and infotainment is perfect. The overall look and design of the vehicle is fantastic. I love that it has a t-top element that is simple to take down and store. Driving without it is a dream and scratches a bit of that open air itch I've had since selling my motorcycle. The marine grade seats and their design are just right. The seat heaters too! They get to therapeutic levels of hot. And it has a built in subwoofer. Again so many things designed so well!

Another thing I knew going in was that the speakers suck. And they do. But I accepted that going in. I switched them all out with kickers and made some tweaks to the eq, etc and it's actually decent now...As long as you keep it under 40ish mph. You're basically on an airplane going over 70 noise wise.

Now for my issues with this thing.
I hate the quality and construction of just about everything.
It feels like every day I spot something that just isn't quite right to varying degrees or feels cheap. Everyone has mentioned the plastic inside that is highly prone to scratches. I knew that going in and got some custom made canvas liners for the back plastic, but what I wasn't prepared for was the following..

This is the big one and it has driven me crazy since I noticed it. The top was manufactured in a way that the drivers side sticks out further (isn't flush with the rest of the body)and on the passenger side it is flush and looks correct. It's like they do zero alignment or measurement checks to these things when they leave the factory. I've seen body gap inconsistencies all over but nothing like this. So far no cracks but it does have some of the wavy sheen look I have seen in others. Very light honeycombing pattern as well.

Then I noticed the Drivers side door doesn't close without extra force needed and it just doesn't feel quite right. There's only two doors...and this can't be done right?? The glass annoyingly vibrates when it does latch. (Passenger side operates perfectly)

Then I noticed (and might be related to the above) the hard rubber corner in the front part of of the drivers door (that also channels the glass) has already wore through the rubber weather strip on the receiving side of the door jamb exposing aluminum underneath. My guess is the mold used to make it isn't as accurate in shape as the one used on the passenger side. it has to bend in a weird fashion to close completely. I have seen at least one person post pictures of the same wear shortly after purchase.

There is obviously tons of rubber gaskets and trim in a vehicle like this. Why do they all feel like they will fall apart in a year!? I've seen many vehicles from other manufactures that the rubber weatherstripping and gaskets feel strong and durable. This just doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Back to the MIC top, im terrified to even clean it, due to people going through 2..3..4?? different replacement tops. I should be able to use detailing products built for plastic trim or sealed paint. Just tell me which it is Ford...or better yet, recommend a product!

Why is there so much surface rust on the underside of a new vehicle? I would expect this much after driving a few midwest winters but im in WA and this thing is 2 months old.

Why am I noticing bolts that look like they were installed with the wrong socket or sloppy use of the socket. The bolts that attach the spare mount are painted but look like crap due to sloppy install. I know they are hidden for the most part, but thats no excuse.

Speaking of paint, there are random little paint chips I spot all over. Mainly near edges. Some I cant even make sense of how it happened.

I also notice areas where I cant tell if a gasket is slightly out of place or not because most things all look a little off or unrefined.

Again, all of the plastic across the vehicle feels incredibly cheap and squeaks or bends with very little pressure. Numerous times im second guessing if all the clips were installed right from the factory. "why does this piece move like this, but the other side does not" is a frequent question. It's like the vehicle has a good and evil side. pretty much everything on the passenger side aligns and looks right but the driver has all sorts of issues with fit and alignment.

I understand this isn't an Audi or Lexus, and maybe im just not used to Ford or what those owners expect quality wise, but I guess im just tired of finding these build quality easter eggs daily with my brand new vehicle. I know the argument its designed to be dirty and get scratches etc but I should be the one that makes that happen. It shouldn't be built like crap because its "going to get dirty and busted up eventually anyway".

I want to emphasize, I do in general love the vehicle from a driving and design standpoint. I dont want this to sound like I hate everything about it. I just dont understand how so many QC details are let through.

Sorry to hear you do not care for quite a few things on the Bronco. We purchased a 2022 Big Bend and my wife loved it. As time went on though the Big Bend is second from the bottom on the tier levels. Last year we traded for another 2022 Bronco, but this time a Wildtrak. To say an earth shattering difference is an understatement. I drive a 24 Ranger Raptor, and truly I love the Wildtrak just about as much as the Raptor. My advise is pay the price for a Wildtrak and you'll be a much happier guy.

 

[mpeugeot]

Do people not do research before buying a vehicle? You can save thousands by reading.

Now hold up there, buddy! I think that you are setting the bar way too high!

 

[rgraphic]

At the end of the day it is the most fun I've had driving a vehicle. I think what I find annoying about the bronco is how close to perfect it is.

Sorry to hear you do not care for quite a few things on the Bronco. We purchased a 2022 Big Bend and my wife loved it. As time went on though the Big Bend is second from the bottom on the tier levels. Last year we traded for another 2022 Bronco, but this time a Wildtrak. To say an earth shattering difference is an understatement. I drive a 24 Ranger Raptor, and truly I love the Wildtrak just about as much as the Raptor. My advise is pay the price for a Wildtrak and you'll be a much happier guy.

At the end of the day it's the QC issues that bug me. Not really the materials or options given. I was kinda wondering if they save the better tops, spend more time on alignment of panels etc with the higher trims but there was someone recently that posted lots of problems right the delivery of his Rapor. Even a big paint run down the door.

 

[arwhite]

I guess I've just learned over the years not to let stuff bother me. I can honestly say there is nothing on my Bronco that annoys me enough to complain about it. But I haven't really had any issues with it either. I'm sure quite a few on this forum would find plenty of problems with it though.

 

[rgraphic]

I guess I've just learned over the years not to let stuff bother me. I can honestly say there is nothing on my Bronco that annoys me enough to complain about it. But I haven't really had any issues with it either. I'm sure quite a few on this forum would find plenty of problems with it though.

I'm working on that. I have a road trip coming up. Maybe after some rocks fly at it and I get some good time with the full top off, I'll find some peace with it.

 

[Audiomate]

I picked up my 2dr 2024 Big Bend a couple months ago. I thought I saw enough YouTube videos and browsed the forums. I wish I would have read more of these forums in hindsight and relied far less on the YouTube excitement videos. The last ford I had was a 91 probe in high school back around 2001. Since then I have owned Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and a couple VWs. Overall they all had some minor quirks or annoyances but nothing prepared me for this Bronco. The last 3 cars I owned were brand new. A Crosstrek, GTI and Tiguan. All looked so nice from the dealership. They ran well and just about everything looked like it hadn't been touched or used yet.

This is just not the case for the bronco, but I'll start with the good.

It is very fun to drive. I even enjoy the engine noise. The steering is perfect. The design of the dash and infotainment is perfect. The overall look and design of the vehicle is fantastic. I love that it has a t-top element that is simple to take down and store. Driving without it is a dream and scratches a bit of that open air itch I've had since selling my motorcycle. The marine grade seats and their design are just right. The seat heaters too! They get to therapeutic levels of hot. And it has a built in subwoofer. Again so many things designed so well!

Another thing I knew going in was that the speakers suck. And they do. But I accepted that going in. I switched them all out with kickers and made some tweaks to the eq, etc and it's actually decent now...As long as you keep it under 40ish mph. You're basically on an airplane going over 70 noise wise.

Now for my issues with this thing.
I hate the quality and construction of just about everything.
It feels like every day I spot something that just isn't quite right to varying degrees or feels cheap. Everyone has mentioned the plastic inside that is highly prone to scratches. I knew that going in and got some custom made canvas liners for the back plastic, but what I wasn't prepared for was the following..

This is the big one and it has driven me crazy since I noticed it. The top was manufactured in a way that the drivers side sticks out further (isn't flush with the rest of the body)and on the passenger side it is flush and looks correct. It's like they do zero alignment or measurement checks to these things when they leave the factory. I've seen body gap inconsistencies all over but nothing like this. So far no cracks but it does have some of the wavy sheen look I have seen in others. Very light honeycombing pattern as well.

Then I noticed the Drivers side door doesn't close without extra force needed and it just doesn't feel quite right. There's only two doors...and this can't be done right?? The glass annoyingly vibrates when it does latch. (Passenger side operates perfectly)

Then I noticed (and might be related to the above) the hard rubber corner in the front part of of the drivers door (that also channels the glass) has already wore through the rubber weather strip on the receiving side of the door jamb exposing aluminum underneath. My guess is the mold used to make it isn't as accurate in shape as the one used on the passenger side. it has to bend in a weird fashion to close completely. I have seen at least one person post pictures of the same wear shortly after purchase.

There is obviously tons of rubber gaskets and trim in a vehicle like this. Why do they all feel like they will fall apart in a year!? I've seen many vehicles from other manufactures that the rubber weatherstripping and gaskets feel strong and durable. This just doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Back to the MIC top, im terrified to even clean it, due to people going through 2..3..4?? different replacement tops. I should be able to use detailing products built for plastic trim or sealed paint. Just tell me which it is Ford...or better yet, recommend a product!

Why is there so much surface rust on the underside of a new vehicle? I would expect this much after driving a few midwest winters but im in WA and this thing is 2 months old.

Why am I noticing bolts that look like they were installed with the wrong socket or sloppy use of the socket. The bolts that attach the spare mount are painted but look like crap due to sloppy install. I know they are hidden for the most part, but thats no excuse.

Speaking of paint, there are random little paint chips I spot all over. Mainly near edges. Some I cant even make sense of how it happened.

I also notice areas where I cant tell if a gasket is slightly out of place or not because most things all look a little off or unrefined.

Again, all of the plastic across the vehicle feels incredibly cheap and squeaks or bends with very little pressure. Numerous times im second guessing if all the clips were installed right from the factory. "why does this piece move like this, but the other side does not" is a frequent question. It's like the vehicle has a good and evil side. pretty much everything on the passenger side aligns and looks right but the driver has all sorts of issues with fit and alignment.

I understand this isn't an Audi or Lexus, and maybe im just not used to Ford or what those owners expect quality wise, but I guess im just tired of finding these build quality easter eggs daily with my brand new vehicle. I know the argument its designed to be dirty and get scratches etc but I should be the one that makes that happen. It shouldn't be built like crap because its "going to get dirty and busted up eventually anyway".

I want to emphasize, I do in general love the vehicle from a driving and design standpoint. I dont want this to sound like I hate everything about it. I just dont understand how so many QC details are let through.

I have no alignment issues with my roof. Mine did not come with paint chips. No rattles from the interior, no squeaks. I work in the audio industry as an audio engineer, have trained ears (unfortunately) and csr rattles/squeaks would drive me insane.
The plastic trims are not hardened because you need them to move when you go over obstacles so they do not crack or break. Your vehicle is literally made to do jumps and go over rocks. Different proposal than of a Crosstrek or Tiguan, Audi, or any street focused vehicle. I highly recommend you test driving a Jeep Wrangler JL or JT to see its true competitor, you will notice their plastic trim is much more flexible.

I did notice that in less than a year where I removed the bumper crash bars are beginning to rust. Something I never had issues even with my Fiat Jeep JL before. But other than that mine has been solid.

Like many said, didn’t you test drive yours and checked for all these things before buying it? I’m not a Ford guy, dont have a fav brand, and I’ve owned many brands throughout the years and can tell you they all have bad apples- there is a reason US has a lemon law.
Maybe you just got lucky enough to get Johnny from QC on a hangover day?

 

[AZ_Craig]

I’ll reserve judgement until I see one in person, but from some of the videos I’ve seen, the new 4Runner uses a lot of hard plastics as well along with the new Land Cruiser. Especially the lower trim levels, and those are two vehicles I strongly considered.

Toyota interiors are put together well, but the materials are indeed very mediocre. I actually looked at a TX500H (the Lexus version of the Grand Highlander HybridMax which is bulit in the same factory in Indiana I believe ) when I was last car shopping and ultimately couldn't stomach the interior quality for a vehicle with a sticker price pushing $80K.

There's a lot of questionable materials used in higher end vehicles today. Unfortunately just kind of the way it is; it's not unique to Ford (albeit, Ford is definitely a bigger offender than some).

 

[AZ_Craig]

The Mk7 GTI/R are peak VW. Mini-Porsches is what they are. Gorgeous cars, and dead reliable.

Mine is 90K miles, 7+ years old, and reliable as any Corolla ever built--and still drives like new, which means WAY better than any Corolla ever built.

Not my experience... Had a 2016 Golf-R. The whole computer module went out and had to be replaced at around 55K miles, fortunately while I was under extended warranty still. It was nearly $2K for a refurbished part sent in from Germany (and would have been way more expensive for a new one). I also had a freaking key fob that failed and had to be replaced... $300 (fortunately also under warranty).

Long story short, I ran several months before my extended warranty was up.

Powertrain was pretty robust, but electronics, ugh...

 

[B22-2023]

I thought I looked it over pretty well and there was also some expectation that there were pretty decent QC checks. Like I said, this is a first for me to notice things like this on a new vehicle. Maybe I was just lucky previously and this is actually the new normal.

If you think that about the initial QC issues, stick around on this forum for plenty more to worry about. Tie rods snapping, cracked windshields, rock throwing tires, over 250 transmission recalls, “AI” A/C, FDU seals, wacky AWD takes, can’t really rock crawl like a Jeep, shock reservoirs flying, loose fuse boxes, tach/display envy, tune stacking needed, not enough cup holders, stereo sux, didn’t buy the right amount of doors……you’ll probably end up driving your Bronco to a junkyard!

 

[GoHawks63]

Exactly... My Bronco, my GT350, and my Porsche all were in the mid 60's.
Even though they all cost about the same, the fit/finish on the Cayman far exceeds both the Bronco and the Shelby.

The thing with the higher priced Mustangs is that you are paying for the performance bits. You may be buying a $70K+ GT500, but your interior materials is pretty much the same as a $35K rental fleet special.

I have a 2016 Stage 3 Phase 2 Roush Mustang convertible. Before Roush plucked that car off the assembly line it was a regular old Premium GT convertible. IIRC, probably close to $50K MSRP, after Roush was finished with the conversion that car MSRP’d at $74K.

Very little of that went into the interior aside from some badges and an update instrument cluster.

That extra cost covered a horse power increase of almost 300hp (727 in total), suspension, fuel and em exhaust upgrades.

The interior is still not far removed from a regular Mustang GT.

Now I’m not complaining because I joke that every time I drive that car it feels like it wants to kill me if I’m not careful. That alone is worth the price.

I would imagine the same holds true for your GT500.

 

[rgraphic]

Do people not do research before buying a vehicle? You can save thousands by reading.

I thought I did, but I guess the top alignment wasn't an issue prior to the late 24 models. I was busy looking for all the other defects people were finding, like bubbles and cracks on the top.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

The thing with the higher priced Mustangs is that you are paying for the performance bits. You may be buying a $70K+ GT500, but your interior materials is pretty much the same as a $35K rental fleet special.

I have a 2016 Stage 3 Phase 2 Roush Mustang convertible. Before Roush plucked that car off the assembly line it was a regular old Premium GT convertible. IIRC, probably close to $50K MSRP, after Roush was finished with the conversion that car MSRP’d at $74K.

Very little of that went into the interior aside from some badges and an update instrument cluster.

That extra cost covered a horse power increase of almost 300hp (727 in total), suspension, fuel and em exhaust upgrades.

The interior is still not far removed from a regular Mustang GT.

Now I’m not complaining because I joke that every time I drive that car it feels like it wants to kill me if I’m not careful. That alone is worth the price.

I would imagine the same holds true for your GT500.

Same with Broncos! Everything is based on that $30k base model from '21, anything above that is just lipstick with questionable return on investment for most of us.

 

[11811]

There's a semi sticky pad of material you can see that isn't stuck up there anymore in the photo. I have since put some pressure on it to try to "re-seal" it, but it doesn't seem like it will stay long term with heat and moisture. I'm not sure if that material is on all the tops or if ford put it there because they knew about that gap. Surprisingly no water has come in yet.

You have a point there. I can't replicate with mine what you are showing.

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