Ford informed dealers of some key changes for prospective Bronco owners, including a two-week order pause.
To say the road has been rocky (and not in the fun, off-roading way) for the Ford Bronco is an understatement. The ongoing semiconductor shortage has put a serious damper on the automaker’s efforts to get eagerly awaiting customers their SUVs, and a recent dealer communication via Bronco6G forums reveals its intent to stop taking in new retail orders after 3PM EST on Tuesday, March 8.
The documents shown in the post show Ford will send out communications to three separate groups of customers today, February 23. Those include unscheduled order holders who opted for paint protection film (Group 1), those order holders without the paint protection film (Group 2) and reservation holders who have not yet converted to an order (Group 3). To be clear, the document does not say Ford is pausing the Bronco production line — rather it will stop taking new orders for the Bronco for a temporary period after March 8 to provide a buffer for the Michigan Assembly Plant to catch up to what the company has long called “unprecedented demand”.
Per information provided on the new Wildtrak HOSS 3.0 package (more on that below), Ford projects it will open the order bank to unscheduled order holders this summer. It will not immediately be available for reservations that have not been converted, or orders that have actually been scheduled for production.
How Ford’s handling the three groups
For all three groups, Ford put out the following messaging in the dealer communication:
“Due to continued strong retail demand for Bronco and the desire to prioritize current order holders, we are making the decision to pause new retail orders of the 2022 model year Bronco — excluding Bronco Raptor — after March 7, 2022″
Ford dealer communication, February 22, 2022 (emphasis added)
Customers who have not yet converted their order, in Group 3, have until 3PM EST on March 8 to do so through their dealer. Per a call to action, “Customers need to convert their reservation to an order if they are interested in a chance to receive a 2022 Model Year Bronco. There’s no guarantee that will happen, the automaker states. Depending on how long the Blue Oval ultimately pauses retail orders, this may be reservation holders’ last shot to get in the queue for this model year, with the next opportunity coming with the 2023 Ford Bronco models. Ford’s document notes in a FAQ section, “…our plan is to kick off ordering for the 2023 model year Bronco starting later this year”.
Dealers will have until 3PM EST on March 8 to input new retail orders, and must complete the order verification process by 10PM EST a week later, on March 15, for those orders to be considered for Model Year 2022 scheduling. Again, the Bronco Raptor is an exception to the scheduling cutoff, but other Bronco models will no longer be available to order after March 8, while new retail orders are paused.
Want paint protection film? You’re (mostly) out of luck — at least from the factory
In light of recent production delays, Ford is emphasizing efforts to maximize production for this model year. One sacrifice the automaker will evidently make, as it happens, is paint protection for these 2022 Ford Bronco SUVs. Except for the Wildtrak, Ford will remove paint protection film from all orders to expedite production for those who had the option selected (in Group 1). The document published to Bronco6G forums notes it will be available as a dealer accessory, and pricing will be adjusted down by $295 to reflect the update (installation will still be an added cost).
For order holders without paint protection, the automaker should send out a communication laying out the current situation. For current order holders, Ford asks that customers and dealers lock in their order preferences by the March 8 order cutoff for the 2022 model year.
Mid-year 2022 Bronco changes worth considering
So, why would you want to get in on the 2022 ordering schedule? Ford added a few more changes that are now live on their Build & Price site, for what is now the “2022.5” mid-year Bronco update. With that shift, the automaker raised pricing, with the base 2-door model now coming in at $32,245 (including $1,495 destination). You can also configure seven additional trims, including the new Everglades and, of course, the Raptor.
Another change specifically targets the 2022.5 Bronco Raptor Wildtrak: the HOSS 3.0 Package shown above. That setup more or less adds Raptor-esque upgrades to the 2.7-liter-equipped model, including the Raptor’s heavy-duty steering rack, upgraded tie rod ends, a powder-coated steel bumper, front steel bash plates and 2.5-inch Fox internal bypass shocks. That package for the mid-year 2022 model is available for an extra $2,515.
Again, we’ll have to wait and see how long the order pause actually lasts. If you’re still sitting on the fence, though, you may want to pull the trigger as soon as possible on an order — or be prepared for a longer wait.
