Hardtop Latch Comes Loose

[Wathoff24]

Did you ever find a solution to this? I’m having the same issue

I found that when putting the center top back on and latching the big latch on the drivers side first, it seems to align better. I have had less issue with the passenger side slide latch undoing itself. Or maybe it’s just the cooler outside temps.

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[mpd3244]

My 24 Everglades does the exact same thing. Right rear latch. I finally ended up zip tying it shut.

 

[sabasigh]

I was getting horrible "Styrofoam squeaking" in the back over bumps and found the latch on the driver's side rear panel was in the open position. Could've been me when i worked on my rear speaker pods. Anyway closed it and squeaking went away...for a day. Checked the latches and they were all closed. Redid them and squeaking went away...for a day.
Now i took business cards and folded them over and put in each latch. Hoping i can get it to stay quiet.

 

[BroncoBeehive]

Same happens to me. I have to relatch them every hundred miles or so and if I’m off road, it can be 10 minutes and they are loose again. Prior to this had horrible whistling noises as well over 65 mph on the floating windows and took the car to the dealer 4 times before they were able to fix it somewhat. Never have I ever I had to deal with such an annoying relationship between a car manufacturer and their dealers.

 

[johnabsher]

Has anybody had any luck wit a fix for this? We are having the same issue with our ‘23 Heritage, rear latch behind the passenger seat.

 

[TechEscort]

I’m having the same issue with mine. 2022 wildtrak. It’s the passenger middle panel. It’s annoying as ever. Ford fix this for us please.

 

[rad_rob]

Im so glad I thought I was going crazy, I am having the exact same problem. I was going to take it to my dealer, but it seems like nobody has a real "solution" for this, other than some home brew remedies. Good thing I have a drawer full of business cards so it sounds like that's the only recommended solution in this thread that seems to actually work. haha

 

[OC Limited]

I have this same issue on my 2023 Heritage Limited. But I can't DM the Ford Motor Company account.

The dealer replaced the latches once already and the problem was not resolved. When I brought the vehicle back in, they told me Ford requested that I remove my bimini top that sits under the hardtop and retest. I don't think this is the cause of the issue because the bimini doesn't even touch anything and the problem is exactly as described by others in this thread, only comes loose on the rear of the middle panel and the passenger side is noticeably worse. It latches tight but comes open after about 5 minutes of driving.

Good afternoon, Shawn. Could you privately message us with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer so I can look into this hardtop latch concern for you? Thank you!

 

[ChristyP]

I’m having the same problem with my 2023 Bronco Wildtrak hardtop roof. The right, rear passenger side, (right above the passenger door) keeps unlatching while driving. I took it to my bronco dealer and all they did was replace the latch. It didn’t fix the issue and it’s still unlatching this day. We’re taking my bronco off-roading in the fall and I would hate to lose my hardtop or have to keep stopping to check it. Attached screenshot of what it looks like after arriving at my destination, it’s already unlatched. If there’s a solution for this, please let me know.

thank you!

UPDATE: I took my bronco to a different Ford dealer on February 27th and the service technician was able to identify the problem with the roof latch constantly unlatching. He replaced the retaining bracket and I haven’t had the problem since.

 

[Fabster]

Wild to see so many have the same thing happening. I have a 2024 Black Diamond. Same location right rear passenger mid panel latch keeps coming undone. Has anyone found a solution or should I take my vehicle in?

 

[smoothshifter73]

Mine is the left rear mid panel latch. 2024 with 5k miles. I have taken mine to 2 different Ford dealers and they have not even attempted to resolve the issue. First dealer took a picture and said they would send it to Ford’s engineers as they “haven’t seen” this issue before. 2 months have passed and nothing - the rep I was working with has seemingly ghosted me. The other dealer said that they couldn’t replicate the issue and left it at that. At the end of the day it’s not that big of a deal and I’ll just zip tie it, but my ‘08 Jeep JK never had this issue with the hardtop.

 

[bajam]

I'm experiencing the same issue with my hardtop Bronco. I have a recording showing the problem while driving: https://youtu.be/5Ne_BYJfcts

I first noticed this last year and took it to the dealership. After several visits, they replaced the latch, but the problem persists. The recording was made after the latch replacement.

I've opened a case with Ford Canada and will visit the dealership in a couple of weeks. I was able to record the issue, as the dealership claimed their tests showed everything was fine, even though the latch still pops off on its own!

I'm considering contacting OMVIC or Consumer Protection Ontario if the issue isn't resolved this time.

 

[RJ in Texas]

My 2024 Outer Banks Four Door has the same problem. The latch above the rear passenger seat "vibrates" open over time. After reading what others have written, it seems to me that the issue likely has more to do with the way the back panel is built. The panel is likely warping. Additionally, the flat area where the latch contacts likely has a slight "bend" or "slope" which "encourages" the latch to open due to vibration of simply driving the vehicle. This should be able to be corrected with a design improvement to the back panel.

 

[MidLifeInIL]

We've been experiencing this exact same thing, with the same latch, on our '24 OBX since we purchased 6 months ago. We just got home from an 800 mile trip, and had to relatch the panel 5-6 times during the trip. One morning I found it unlatched in the driveway, after I had made sure it was latched the night before, so it doesn't appear that vibration is the sole contributor.

As another poster noted, it does seem to happen more frequently in very hot weather, which we've been experiencing here for the past week (mid to high 90's F). Perhaps an expansion & contraction issue with the mid panel?

 

[battering ram]

If ford won’t fix it then look into the magnason moss warranty act

I sued gm for a transfer case issue on
My Chevy avalanche and got $15,000. 12x in the shop and they couldn’t fix it. (FYI after I collected. I took it to another dealer and they fixed it first time. Was a $15 sensor they replaced)

When a car company blows you off. You can fight it easily. Save your receipts. Hire a lawyer. The $15,000 I got was after lawyer fees. Chevy paid my lawyer fees. Settled out of court like they all do

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