Bronco hardtops are ready, Ford reportedly tries to placate irate customers with booze
Things are getting rough in Bronco country, but that could be changing now that new hardtops are about to ship to dealers for installation.
Rolling out a new car model is hard. It's tough when that model is very different in form and function from anything else you're currently offering. It gets even worse when you add the pressure of a couple hundred thousand preorders, and then something goes wrong. That's the situation in which Ford finds itself with the new Bronco and that model's removable colored hardtop, but according to a report from the Detroit Free Press Tuesday, things could be looking up.
By that, I mean that Ford has finished testing a new batch of hardtops and will be shipping them out to Bronco owners within the week. Ford will also install the hardtops on all the models it's been hanging onto that haven't gone to their owners yet and then ship those out.
What was the deal with the original hardtops that necessitated all this panicked shuffling around and redesigning? According to earlier reports, high humidity and a lot of water caused them to change appearance, and not for the better.
The Bronco rollout has been bumpy, and people are unhappy with the process, so Ford, also according to the Detroit Free Press, has set aside a fund for customer satisfaction. This fund will offer cash and other perks to salty Bronco buyers.
Ford reportedly sent a letter to dealers outlining some ideas for helping smooth things over with customers, which included suggestions such as:
- Provide payment assistance to an interim vehicle purchase/lease
- Assist with rental car coverage
- Cover the customer's vehicle's next scheduled maintenance
- Offer a discount toward a Ford extended warranty or maintenance plan
- Buy a bottle of their favorite bourbon or spirit to thank them for their loyalty and patience
If you want to get in on the Bronco reservation fun, you'll have to wait. Ford turned off the ability to make an online reservation for the new Bronco. Ford will likely turn the spigot back on once it's ironed out production and can start producing the vehicle in larger quantities, global silicon shortage permitting.
Ford didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
