Ford is stopping online reservations for the Bronco — at least for now.
The Detroit Free Press reports Monday that, at least for the time being, customers will not be able to order a new Bronco through the online system. If you’re shopping Ford’s latest SUV (and are willing to wait out the company’s production backlog), you can still order your car. Instead of going to the website, though, you’ll have to place the order through your dealer.
In fact, here’s what the reservation page says if you navigate over to place an online order at the moment:
“Contact your local Ford Dealer for more details on options and timing. Due to the high number of Bronco 2 and 4-door orders, Bronco deliveries will extend through the 2022 calendar year.”
The Free Press acquired a copy of the memo, which alluded to frustrations on both the customer and dealer side over trying to fulfill existing reservations while juggling new ones. “Customers are encouraged to work directly with their dealer who can help with the ordering process,” it says, “delivery timing expectations, and build specification.”
In those cases, Ford is also moving dealers to guide customers toward stock vehicles that are already built or scheduled, rather than placing a whole new order. Once again, the Blue Oval confirms that it will have to extend deliveries on Bronco orders placed today through the 2022 model year — meaning it will be several months, at least, before brand new orders actually reach customers’ driveways.
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What about moving forward?
Ford’s move to stop online reservations is not permanent, as it says it will “communicate a plan to reopen reservations when available.” Most likely, the company will wait until the explosive demand dies down, and it can work out its current production issues before opening online reservations back up again.
The Ford Bronco reservation page saw enormous traffic when orders went live last summer. Since then, multiple issues — including problems with the “molded in color (MIC)” hardtops — have forced the automaker to try and juggle demand with its ability to produce vehicles their customers expect. As such, some who order certain options will have to wait until 2022, or possibly even 2023, to see their SUVs in the flesh.
