There have been some complaints about water leaks in the 2021 Ford Bronco by Bronco owners who cannot seem to pinpoint the cause of the problem. Different vehicle owners reported this problem to the NHTSA – according to them, water come out of the roof in their Ford Bronco after a heavy snow or rainfall. Of course, dealing with a problem like this can be quite frustrating since it entails getting water all over the seats in your Bronco.
The Ford Bronco is an impressive one which was first introduced in 1965. Ford continued the production of this vehicle for over 31 years but stopped in 1996. 26 years after the last Bronco was produced, Ford introduced the new 2021 Bronco which caught the eyes of many. Ford produced the full-size Bronco and the small SUV Sport Bronco and drivers loved the Bronco because of its rugged appearance and off-roading capabilities. The Bronco was also good for all terrains so what was there not to love?
The 2021 Ford Bronco was remodeled with new features added to it, but as mentioned above, there were different complaints from the owners about water leaks. Keep reading this article to find out all about the Ford Bronco water leaks and what you should do if you experience a similar problem.
Is There a Roof Leaking Problem in the Ford Bronco?
Yes, there is a roof leaking problem as the NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – logged a lot of consumer complaints from Bronco owners about the water leaks in their 2021 Bronco. These complaints showed that the leaks in the Bronco sometimes come from the A-pillar (driver’s side) and most times from the A-pillar (passenger’s side). After Ford recognized this issue, they issued a technical service bulletin on the 15th of November, 2021.
The bulletin stated that some of the 2021 Bronco vehicles may experience water leaks which come from the right and/or left A-pillars and/or the windshield header. So, if your 2021 Bronco experiences water leaks from any of these places, it is among the defective Broncos. Ford stated that the water leaks may be as a result of too much gaps in the body seams from the factory. Ford explained the steps to repair the water leaks in the roof for dealers so it is advisable to take your Bronco to your dealership if there are water leaks.
Ford Bronco Water Leaks Complaints to the NHTSA
As stated above, there many complaints to the NHTSA about the water leaks in the 2021 Ford Bronco and the Bronco owners who complained were facing two major problems which are water leaking from the passenger side of the roof in their Bronco and the headliners separating from the roof in their Bronco.
Detroit News stated that Ford send a letter to every Bronco owner to let them know about the problems with the roof in the four and two-door Broncos. Ford stated that they will replace the hardtop roofs on every Bronco SUV because of quality issues and the owners would not have to pay a fee for this. There were different complaints sent to the NHTSA by Bronco owners – some complained about water leaks near the steering wheel and on the stereo while others complained about water leaks close to the airbag insignia.
A 2021 Bronco owner from Florida sent a complaint to the NHTSA about water leaks in his Bronco. He said he parked his Bronco in the rain and noticed that water was leaking into the vehicle at the A-pillar (passenger’s side) close to where the air bag marking was in the car. He took the vehicle to the dealership and the cause was a damaged clip which allowed water to get into the A-pillar.
The dealer tried to fix the leak by putting additional sealant to the affected area but the Bronco owner complained that the repair was not appropriate and contacted his dealer again. His dealer then informed him that Ford had already issued a TSB for the water leak failure. The Bronco owner was waiting for an appointment because to repair the problem, parts needed to be ordered. The manufacturer was told, a case was opened and the failure mileage was approximately 600.
There was another complaint from another Bronco owner who had to deal with a large leak on the passenger side of their Bronco whenever it rained. The contact found a large puddle of water on the floor of the passenger side and water was coming into the Bronco from the top airbag compartment which was located over the passenger seat. Water was also coming in to the vehicle from down the A-pillar so the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the seal was replaced.
Of course, this did not fix the problem as the same situation occurred two weeks after – a large puddle on the floor caused by rain. This time, the dealership did a lot more than replacing the seal. They replaced the sealer, harder seal, seals, and the strip calk in the body seams. Unfortunately, the contact still dealt with the same issue two nights after it rained. This time, the leak only came from down the A-pillar but they noticed moisture at the seam of the top airbag compartment. When the contact pushed on the moisture, water came out.
Unfortunately, this Bronco owner already has two case numbers with Ford which did not lead anywhere as it was pretty much silent afterwards. They stated that their plan is to try again with their dealer for the third time and hope it works out on this try.
Conclusion
There have been a lot of complaints from different Bronco owners about water leaks in their 2021 Bronco and Ford is aware of this problem which is why they issued a technical service bulletin. If you own a 2021 Bronco, there is a high chance that you have also experienced water leaks and the best thing to do in this situation is to contact your dealership.
