What I hate about my Bronco, you? (edit) Or maybe I should have called it "What would you want if you were designing it"

[ThunderFlash]

which side fuel door.

Little tip, on most cars, the little gas pump icon next to the fuel gage will have an arrow indicating which side the filler door is on. Handy to know if you rent cars a lot.

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[Marc L]

Little tip, on most cars, the little gas pump icon next to the fuel gage will have an arrow indicating which side the filler door is on. Handy to know if you rent cars a lot.

Obviously I know the arrow, but having to look each time is annoying. With reverse as soon as my hand touches the stick based on feel I almost never have to look down.
Door unlocking is also a difference between the vehicles. How many clicks gets all doors open? I know that can be programmed, but another thing I have to think about or listen for.

 

[Valhalla]

Obviously I know the arrow, but having to look each time is annoying. With reverse as soon as my hand touches the stick based on feel I almost never have to look down.
Door unlocking is also a difference between the vehicles. How many clicks gets all doors open? I know that can be programmed, but another thing I have to think about or listen for.

Do some setup, I have mine where both unlock when I open the driver door.

 

[ThunderFlash]

arrow, but having to look each time is annoying

LOL, having to look down at the gage is some level of hassle? Visually searching for the fuel door in mirrors from the driver's seat, I could understand. That search could be really frustrating when the filler was sometimes under the center mounted rear license plate, like my '81 Electra. But with that, it didn't matter what side the pumps were on.
With the high mounted pump hoses, I can easily fuel the Bronco from either side with the hose resting on the spare. Very handy in line selection at Costco. Maybe you can take that annoyance out of your life and focus on more important things like Netflix cancelling engaging shows after a season or two?

 

[FerkinBlonco]

I’m personally not a fan of the frameless windows in my 2 door. They do add to the look and, I suppose, if I had any intentions of removing my doors, no frames might add to convenience. I’m pretty happy with the rest of my base/2dr/7mt after 3 years of ownership.

Some of the drawbacks I’ve had with my windows could be solved with adjustments… also not something I’ve ever had to deal with on ‘frame’ windows.

-Mine will drop out if cal randomly and I have to go through the procedure.
-sometimes they sound like they want to dismantle themselves when opening the door and there is icing around the bottom window edge.
-I worry that service life of the window motors will be less than other cars due to window action due to door opening and closing.
-passengers who aren’t familiar with the window action during opening and closing seem to be thrown off
-They rattle like crazy if cracked/not fully down and I’m on rough road.
-If driving in crazy headwinds (this is rare, they were probably like 40mi/h on a 70mi/h highway) the windows will pop outwards / unseat themselves from their upper rubber seals (suspect this is air pressure building at climate control inlet and then into cabin)

 

[tourproto]

The parking brake is the thing I dislike the most (I really don’t “hate” anything about it other than Ford NOT calling the 4-door something like the Bronco Max, the 2-dr should be The Bronco). I don’t like the location of the parking brake switch nor that it’s electric. It should be next to the shifter. It appears that Ford prioritized the cupholders over the parking brake.

The other thing I would have done differently is that I would put the wiper switch on a lever on the right side of the steering column, I’m not a fan of the twisty/push-button on the turn-signal column thing.

You nailed two of my biggest gripes, the lack of a manual parking brake and the "one size fits all" left control stalk that does too many things. There absolutely should have been a right control stalk for the wipers, but I am sure the bean counters at Ford nixed a 2nd control stalk.

As for the e-brake, I still reach for a handbrake half the time since I still drive my 2004 BMW 330i. But I get that certain "niceties" in the 7sp depend on the e-brake, like the hill assist with the manual. I don't need it as I have driven manuals my entire life, but for some folks, it probably makes getting started on the hills of Seattle or San Francisco much more manageable.

 

[Marc L]

I get that certain "niceties" in the 7sp depend on the e-brake, like the hill assist with the manual.

I'm not sure what assist the Bronco provides exactly, but my 201X VW Jetta/Golf both had rollback protection where it would apply the brake on hills automatically to prevent rollback. These had conventional handbrakes as far as I could tell. None of my other manuals prior provided that.
I dislike the ebrake less now that I know it releases automatically so I only have to apply it when parking and not release it.

 

[DALOLA]

6 days in, my gripes are small, but significant, and could have been SO easily avoided.....come on Ford....

In order of significance... (2024 model)

#1: Select-Shift logic in D-mode. Seriously? Who the F is so stupid to think this was a good idea, over, say, what you already had programmed in the F-series, that works fantastic.

#2: Stupid meter design/arrangement. The info is good, but the design of it looks like something a 6 year old would draw.

#3: Lack of interior storage. I see so many places where a bin/slot/pouch could have been implemented.

#4: Doing away with hardwired keypad entry...a Ford staple. Beyond stupid. WTF?

These are the real head-scratchers for me, there are other small, mostly just annoying things. But overall, I love the Bronco 99.9%. It's a shame Ford stopped at .01.

 

[rmc523]

2 things I HATE:

Rain sensing wipers. They're always either too fast or too slow. They'll start out at the correct speed and then slow down causing me to adjust the switch again. Just give me the normal speed selector.

No physical "home" button for the radio interface. If I want to listen to the radio I get in my car and Android Auto immediately pops up and I have to hit the apps button, hit the Ford Sync button, hit the audio button, then hit the FM button. Not to mention the lag in between all those button presses. In my Malibu it's two button presses: The physical "home" button then the "radio" button. (If there's a quicker secret button please let me know)

I don't think they are "true" rain sensing wipers. I read something about them being a "smart wiper" that sense the load on the motor when wiping and will slow down the speed of the wipers in certain conditions. Which for me is all the time and then I can't see and have to fiddle with the switch every 60 seconds. It's at best an annoyance and at worst dangerous if you ask me.

It doesn't have rain sensing wipers. I've never had mine change speeds randomly.

The WT plastic rear bumpers are a total joke. They might meet Federal impact standards, but they are ugly and they are attached with threaded inserts into PLASTIC. I stripped 3 of the brass bumper inserts during removal because the thread locker on the bolts exceed the thread shear strength of the female threaded inserts in the plastic bumper. It would not be hard to rip that thing off on even a mild trail. There are many aftermarket fixes for that. Got the ADD Rockfighter front and rear for the 2 door, it had plastic front and rear. Thinking the ARB unit on the back of 4 door. It has the HD Modular front which seems decent and serviceable.

The interior lights are miserable on both Broncos. In the PNW, we live much of our lives in darkness. The Mabett light kit completely fixed that on both Broncos. That was the first upgrade on the 4 door.

I wish the metal rear bumper would've been a standalone option like the front modular one was. I'd have checked that box.

I agree that the interior lighting needs help. They did add some more lights on the newer models, but I don't know how much it helped.

2. No OEM or aftermarket option to mount a MagSafe charger and secure phone holder on the back side of the Aux switch box overhead. This is the obvious place for a phone as all other locations have more negatives:
-The mag charger in the console is shared with storage and inconvenient to just throw a phone there without moving everything. And when out in the boonies, the cell signal is worse down in there with all the shielding.
- The left and right flat places up on top of the dash is not a good place due to sun.
- The center threaded accessory mount, if used for a phone, blocks the view out the already small windshield. If an extension arm is used, the phone or arm will bang against the dash top and block some of the windshield view or center display view or both. And I don't really need a view of the phone screen if using CarPlay or Android Auto.
- Various vent, grab handle, and other location clips just get in the way on the cramped interior. And a wire to power the MagSafe would always be dangling.
I don't understand why it hasn't occurred to Ford to build the holder/magsafe into the center overhead area. Then I get in and throw the phone up there, out of the way, using wireless CarPlay, and all is good.

3. No glasses holder with the Aux switch option. Maybe some aftermarket company can come up with a combined holder and phone MagSafe/secure holder that mounts on the back of the Aux switch module overhead. There is also quite bit of room in that cubbyhole on each side over the doors for some small container.

I've never really seen a good wireless charging spot in any vehicle, because as you mentioned, they're usually in the one area that allows for some storage, and I leave things there, so my charger doesn't even get used, I just use a cord.

My brother got me one of these for christmas a few years ago and it works great....

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[Valhalla]

Better belly clearance out of the box. Floor drains that make the water actually want to go out of the floor drains. A fold down rear gate with internal rear window like the 78-96 had would have been cool.

 

[Sgt Badlands]

Why is all people do is complain to each other?

 

[DALOLA]

Why is all people do is complain to each other?

Well, I mean, it's kinda the topic of the thread, so.....🫤

 

[Valhalla]

Why is all people do is complain to each other?

I see it as a wish list not complaining. I did see a lot of complaints however.

 

[DALOLA]

I see it as a wish list not complaining. I did see a lot of complaints however.

Yeah, I'm guilty as charged.... But it's complaints made from the position of, it's already so good, why the @#$% did Ford screw up such a little detail???

 

[Marc L]

I see it as a wish list not complaining. I did see a lot of complaints however.

I'm a software developer. Most of the times the feedback I get from internal users is inactionable or too complex, but sometimes I can make a 5 minute fix that saves them an hour each week for the rest of the time they are in that position.
Sorting through the clutter is hard, but sometimes gems pop up. I've learned things about my Bronco that I didn't know and hopefully provided some useful nuggets to others.

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