Within one week, Ford Motor Co. will start shipping new hardtop roofs to dealers waiting to replace the faulty ones on 2021 Broncos already delivered, the Free Press has learned.
Also, Ford will be installing the new tops in 2021 Broncos that have been held back, then shipping those vehicles.
“Testing has been completed,” Mark Grueber, Ford Bronco marketing manager, told the Free Press on Tuesday. “We’re ramping up production of the new roof.”
Ford will contact customers when tops are ready to be installed.
Thousands of customers are waiting for the new hardtops.
Three weeks ago, Ford announced that it would replace all 2021 Bronco hardtops for customers and dealers after extreme water and humidity changed their appearance.
In addition, Ford held its massive supply of non-delivered vehicles in large lots as the manufacturing process evolved.
In early July, the Free Press first reported that the Webasto hardtop problems were disrupting production and delivery of a product that began with 125,000 orders.
Ford began shipping the hot new SUV from its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne in mid-June. The semiconductor chip shortage, COVID-19 challenges and supply chain issues combined with a manufacturing problem to create a high-profile headache.
“We’ve started the roof replacements on the hardtop. We’ll be continuing to ramp that up to replace the roofs on vehicles currently being held needing the new roof,” Grueber told the Free Press. “Shortly, we’ll be starting to send the new roofs out to dealers for those vehicles that have already been delivered. We expect to be shipping the roofs and the Broncos with the new roofs within the week.”
The only delay now, he said, is the time it takes to run all Broncos that have been sitting awhile through comprehensive inspection.
“We’ll do a water test on the new roof as well. We’ll make sure they’re ready for sale,” Grueber said. “We are working hard to get customers their Broncos as soon as possible and we thank them for their continued patience.”
(Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said customers should contact dealers to make arrangements. Ford says it will contact affected customers to make arrangements to replace hardtops.)
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-222-6512 orphoward@freepress.com.Follow her on Twitter@phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.