The Ford Bronco is an iconic SUV with a substantial cult following. Understandably, when Ford announced that the Bronco is making a comeback, many people were quick to reserve a build slot.
However, as the economy was battling semiconductor shortages, inflation, supply chain issues, and Covid, the automotive industry became shrouded in uncertainty.
Those who have reserved their build slot for the 2021 Bronco later had to reorder the Bronco as a 2022 model. Why are Ford Broncos so hard to find? Well, there are many reasons why, all of which we are going to discuss in this very article. So stick around, and find out!
Why Are Ford Broncos So Hard To Find?
- Underestimated Demand
- Production Issues
- Covid
- Supply Chain Issues
Underestimated Demand
Ford knew that the new 6th-gen Ford Bronco is going to be a popular model which is partly why they decided to make it. However, little did Ford know that the demand is going to be as intense as it actually has been.
It immediately became clear that Ford has severely underestimated the demand for the new Ford Bronco which meant that Ford couldn’t keep up with incoming orders. It is rather expected for a previously popular model to be popular in its second iteration, but Ford failed to grasp the true scale of it all.
Production Issues
Whenever a company comes out with a brand-new model, it usually means that some previously unexpected issues are going to emerge. The Ford Bronco has been plagued by quality-control issues such as issues with the paint, the hardtop roof, alleged terminal engine issues, and a few others.
All of these have put significant strain on the production of the Bronco and have even prompted a dozen recalls up until now.
Covid
During the most intense periods of the covid lockdown, various companies were shutting down production facilities. Ford did the same with its entire North American production palette which also included the plant in Mexico which was intended to shift Ford Bronco Sport models.
The Ford plant in Michigan was out of order for 15 days which in itself was one of the reasons why the Bronco was delayed so much.
Even when these factories continued, they didn’t reach full production capacity for quite a while which exacerbated these issues tenfold.
Supply Chain Issues
Supply chain issues are the crown jewels of today’s global economy taking a steep downturn as these disturbances have affected literally everyone around the world. Inflatory pressures, raising wages, labor shortages, and most notably, political unrest, are the main reasons why it’s so difficult to do business internationally these days.
The semiconductor shortage has been raging for a better part of 2 and a half years now which has severely affected Ford and its ability to completely manufacture and deliver its cars to dealerships and customers. This eventually led to Ford having huge parking lots with unfinished Bronco models waiting for their chips to arrive.
How To Not Overpay For A New Ford Bronco?
All of the above lead to dealerships and private individuals selling and re-selling new and used Ford Bronco models for a price that does not make a lot of sense, especially when compared to the price they paid from the factory.
Many frustrated customers were quick to criticize dealership markups which led to some overpaying for the Bronco. Avoiding these is not easy, especially when dealerships actually do manage to sell a Bronco with a markup adjustment price. One way how you can avoid this is to get at the back of the line, put in a deposit, lock in the price, and wait for your Bronco to eventually arrive.
You can also try and negotiate your way with independent dealerships as you can never know if you are truly able to lower the price/markup or not. You can also go for less desirable models and options which is sure to push your build slot to the front as not as many people as interested in those.
A 4-door soft-top Bronco is the one with the quickest turnaround times while 2-door hardtop models do take a lot longer to make as the number of orders for these significantly exceeds the former. All of this means that the price isn’t as inflated because the timing isn’t as severe.
