Anyone following the 2021 Ford Bronco journey will know that the series has experienced several challenges from the announcement to the rollout. The beginning was rocky because of problems with the roof, specifically the hardtop, which had significant quality issues. Thus, Ford recalled every hardtop vehicle sold in the first few months.
But from recent customer complaints, it seems like the soft-tops also have some quality defect that didn’t catch on early. Further research revealed that there had been a couple of customer complaints since the late months of 2021.
Soft Top Lets in Snow during Blizzard
The most prevalent complaint circling online car communities is that of the Canadian owner who found the inside of his Ford filled with ice and snow after he left on a trip. He states that the roof was latched in place and shared photos online to prove the thick layers of snow and frost in his interior.
The interior is so thickly covered with snow that many online users have accused him of lying about latching the roof before going on his trip because it looks like snow was dumped in. But, the user insists that it wasn’t. He states that the vehicle was still the way he had gotten it from the dealership, and he didn’t remove the soft-top.
To prove this, he filmed a video where the hood of the Bronco was open, revealing the snow-covered engine and some stuck to the side. Since it’s ridiculous for anyone to leave the hood of their car open during winter and go on a trip, there’s a big possibility that this shows a problem with the soft top.
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Soft Top Showing Early Wear and Tear Signs
Another major complaint of the Bronco soft top is premature wear and tear. A Badlands owner has claimed that the fabric roof shows signs of wear and tear on the driver’s side, and it was starting on the passenger side.
He believed that this was because the soft-top didn’t fold properly, therefore rubbing against a piece of plastic whenever it was down. He also stated that the soft-top didn’t fold the same way all the time, so there might have been a problem with the mechanism.
Complaints of Roll Bar Rubbing
There have been multiple complaints on online forums about premature wear, as mentioned previously, and roll bar rubbing. One user said that the driver side of his roof is already worn through just four weeks after purchasing it, and the canvas top is rubbing both sides of the plastic.
Another user shared that he had folded his soft top down a few times, and there were rub marks on the roll bar. He also states that the roof frame is wrong because the frame rubs when closing the top.
Some users also noticed rubbing in the roll bar when watching online reviews with demo vehicles.
Other Complaints
There have been a few other complaints about the Ford Bronco soft-top, although not as popular or common as those previously mentioned. One user stated that they lifted the rear of their vehicle and the rear window snapped.
Another user also came home after a trip to find snow inside the vehicle after the side window had been blown in. There was also a crack on the glass, but nothing hit the windshield, so he believes it to be defective.
Other users have expressed concerns about rain leaking into their car through the soft-top roof.
What Ford Is Saying
Ford has not given any proactive response to the growing list of Bronco soft-top complaints. Concerning the Canadian owner, Ford stated that they were still investigating and had not seen any case of snow entering the car except the roof was open. They further referred the customer to his dealer.
Even the owner who saw a crack on the windshield was told that they don’t do bodywork and can’t fix the windshield. Other users have used black tape or clear protective tape on the roll bar to prevent the rubbing.
But for now, we can only wait and see if more soft-top complaints will come up and whether or not Ford will figure out a way to appease its customers.
