UGH! MIC Top cracking

[Ape Factory]

Ford has had four years to fix this. They have no intention of fixing it. They're simply waiting for warranties to run out as it's likely cheaper to replace them than to re-engineer a new top.

It's probably time owners start contacting their attorneys general and the state's consumer protection division if there is one. It's not going to be a NHTSA issue until a safety issue can be demonstrated as a result of the cracks/delamination etc...if there's a coordinated effort, and we can get the state AG's to talk, that'll put a lot more leverage on Ford than complaints on this forum.

Start by googling "your state here AND attorney general" to start. On their page, they will likely have a consumer protection division listed.

I'm in Texas so here's our consumer protection division's site: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection

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[Eliminator]

'24 Bronco here. Purchase in March. Checked my top yesterday 12/03/2024 and confirmed that there are visible waves on the removable panels and a crack at the panel just under the side rear glass. I also posted on the other new thread. I have 18k miles on my truck amd will more than likely wait it out another 10k miles or so before bringing it in. Seems a replacement will not solve the issue. My question is, how bad will it get? Will it eventually completely delaminate and fail? @Ford what's up??

Mine is cracking in the same area. Noticed it a couple of weeks ago. It’s a ‘24 BD 2 door. Took delivery in January. 11,000 miles.

 

[Sojourner]

Dealership just called. Ford approved replacement of MIC top (yes, under warranty). But there is a several month backlog/backorder!

I guess we'll see....

 

[Dude1967]

2 Broncos, 1 Outer Banks, I ordered the way I wanted it. Problems with the top 5 times and left front axle 3 times. Ok should be a learning curve. 2 years later a 24 Badlands. Same problems under 1K miles. Out of $$$$ for a product that should be good and somewhat recall free of defects! Waiting for Ford to chime in....

 

[Dude1967]

I did, Ford bought mine back. Bought a 24 and traded. Will not buy until they resolve if ever.. Jeeps have tops that do not crack. Gen5 have tops that are still great. Almost ready to pull the trigger on a 94. Should have kept my 91 Eddie....

 

[Sgt Badlands]

Wow! When is Ford going to address these issues? It has not hit the snowball effect yet trust me.......

Where have you guys been the past few years? Apparently you just started researching the bronco. Well known problem since day one. Ford has done nothing to fix it. You will get the top replaced with a new one and the next one will do the same thing.

 

[Nc211]

When is the class-action lawsuit going to happen? That's about the only way this gets resolved correctly by Ford. You don't "ask" as an individual to a company like Ford. You demand as a collective group when there is enough evidence to make it an absolute no-brainer for any judge or jury to confirm. I'm thinking we have that evidence now, so when does the class-action begin? Sign me up too for defects.. 6 months old.

Give another example: you buy a new construction home, it has defects, they tell you they'll get it at the 12 month inspection, and then will deny it. Reason for the 12 month? The county requires performance bonds to be posted to the county for situations where the county is forced to make the repair on behalf of the builder at the time the county issues the building permit to start construction. You tell the builder once of the defect, give them a reasonable amount of time to fix it correctly. Then you stop communicating with the builder and go for the bond. Get the county, press them. Next thing you know, the builder will be at your house to fix it quickly. If there are no complaints to the county in that 12 month period, the builder gets their posted bond returned to them. Meaning no cost lost to the builder. I did exactly this in my last house against DR Horton over defects in the yard and neighborhood playground. Chased them around for 6 months, then called county and make them aware, thereby calling into question their own process of issuing the certificate of occupancy. Not only did I get a new yard and neighborhood playground, all of my neighbors got a new yard too.... No deed goes unpunished though - I became president of the HOA (didn't want it, just wanted my yard fixed) and heard about all of the complaints! Had to move to get some peace!

 

[Sojourner]

Well, the several month backlog turned out not to be true. The dealership called and said the replacement MIC top is in and ready to be installed.

Now the kicker....

Did y'all know the replacement comes with NO windows? Dealership wants me to leave the Bronco with them for three days so the windows can be removed from the old top and installed into the new top. The window installer says the windows have to be taken out of the old top while the top is still on and then installed in the new top after the new top is put back on. Of course, they have to swap the back flip-up window, as well.

So here I thought it was going to be a simple "lift off, put on" (to riff off of The Karate Kid). But no. Told them it would be at least a week or two before I could bring the Bronco in. Might just wait till Spring....

Then I think I'll have the new top Line-X'd (as it seems folks here on the forum have had good luck with that protecting from cracks and bubbling). Because I don't want to be going through this SwapEx every time (as I expect a new unsealed/protected MIC top will fail. Again).

 

[BigBlue7]

Well, the several month backlog turned out not to be true. The dealership called and said the replacement MIC top is in and ready to be installed.

Now the kicker....

Did y'all know the replacement comes with NO windows? Dealership wants me to leave the Bronco with them for three days so the windows can be removed from the old top and installed into the new top. The window installer says the windows have to be taken out of the old top while the top is still on and then installed in the new top after the new top is put back on. Of course, they have to swap the back flip-up window, as well.

So here I thought it was going to be a simple "lift off, put on" (to riff off of The Karate Kid). But no. Told them it would be at least a week or two before I could bring the Bronco in. Might just wait till Spring....

Then I think I'll have the new top Line-X'd (as it seems folks here on the forum have had good luck with that protecting from cracks and bubbling). Because I don't want to be going through this SwapEx every time (as I expect a new unsealed/protected MIC top will fail. Again).

Yup - my dealer was confused when then received my MIC top without windows. I had to literally explain to my Ford dealer that they had to swap all of the glass from my old top to the new top.

 

[Timo]

Yup - my dealer was confused when then received my MIC top without windows. I had to literally explain to my Ford dealer that they had to swap all of the glass from my old top to the new top.

I have a question. Can you request the body color top if your mica top gets replaced?

 

[Ducati1098]

I have a question. Can you request the body color top if your mica top gets replaced?

Sure. You’d have to pay for it though. Ford isn’t going to.

 

[BleednBlue]

Well damn. Put me on the list. No pics yet. Notice cracking, damn near flaking on passenger side behind window. Are folks waiting close to warranty expiration before addressing with dealer? I have MY23 with 16k on the clock. Thinking about bringing it to the dealer tomorrow.

 

[Ape Factory]

Well damn. Put me on the list. No pics yet. Notice cracking, damn near flaking on passenger side behind window. Are folks waiting close to warranty expiration before addressing with dealer? I have MY23 with 16k on the clock. Thinking about bringing it to the dealer tomorrow.

I think that's the major dilemma; fix now while you still have full coverage as you'll need to replace it again since they're all prone to cracking OR wait and see if Ford pushes for an actual solution so the tops produced later aren't inherently problematic.

I personally think it'll take a class action lawsuit down the road or intervention by NHTSA once water starts leaking into the vehicle.

I purchased a CPO car and discovered a small crack. Also discovered they hadn't done the rear window glass recall on my car either. Good times.

 

[Sojourner]

I think that's the major dilemma; fix now while you still have full coverage as you'll need to replace it again since they're all prone to cracking OR wait and see if Ford pushes for an actual solution so the tops produced later aren't inherently problematic.

If the Line-X option doesn't come in at a reasonable price (hopefully, it does in order to offer a "permanent" fix), I'm gonna take it to the dealership every time a crack appears and make Ford pony up a new top as often as it takes during my initial 3/36. B/c I want to help build a case, re: this MIC top debacle.

 

[Rydfree]

Well, the several month backlog turned out not to be true. The dealership called and said the replacement MIC top is in and ready to be installed.

Now the kicker....

Did y'all know the replacement comes with NO windows? Dealership wants me to leave the Bronco with them for three days so the windows can be removed from the old top and installed into the new top. The window installer says the windows have to be taken out of the old top while the top is still on and then installed in the new top after the new top is put back on. Of course, they have to swap the back flip-up window, as well.

So here I thought it was going to be a simple "lift off, put on" (to riff off of The Karate Kid). But no. Told them it would be at least a week or two before I could bring the Bronco in. Might just wait till Spring....

Then I think I'll have the new top Line-X'd (as it seems folks here on the forum have had good luck with that protecting from cracks and bubbling). Because I don't want to be going through this SwapEx every time (as I expect a new unsealed/protected MIC top will fail. Again).

Yep, my dealer called Tuesday and said my 3rd top (2nd replacement) was in. They have a loner ready for me to drop it off Monday morning. If you have the factory sound deadening headliner make sure they ordered it also. My 1st replacement they left it off because they did not know it didn't come already installed from Ford.

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