The Ford Bronco, or as it should perhaps be known, the Ford Delay, has suffered yet another, well, delay. Unfortunately, issues with the vehicle’s hardtop continue to develop. Recently, the Blue Oval has said that the supplier for the Bronco’s hardtops, Webasto, has made some errors. Issues have varied widely, but the bottom line is a lot of these tops simply aren’t up to snuff, and owners have noticed. Now, Ford is going to replace them.

Despite delays, Ford is doing the right thing

The folks at Ford really have been trying their hardest to get the Ford Bronco out to consumers. Hell, they’re being bought up faster than the Blue Oval can build them. At a certain point, there just isn’t much you can do. It’s like ordering something online. You’ve paid, and now you have to wait. However, even if there isn’t much you can do, you’d still be upset at a defective product and expect Amazon to make it right.

That’s exactly the situation Ford is in now. They didn’t make the Bronco’s hardtops themselves, but as the owners of the Bronco brand, it’s on the Blue Oval to make it right. Earlier, Ford sent out a letter to Bronco owners telling them “We’ll replace your hardtop if it’s defective, and if you’ve ordered one you’ll have to wait until the tops are done properly.” Frankly, that’s about all Ford can do. However, it certainly isn’t putting a damper on any of the hype surrounding the brand’s Jeep competitor.

First-year vehicles can often have quality issues

To be honest, this isn’t an unheard-of problem in the automotive industry. There’s often issues with new vehicles during the first year or so of production, doubly so if it’s a totally new model like the Ford Bronco. For example, 6th-generation Volkswagen GTI models are notorious for timing chain failures, but only in the first few years of production. Unfortunately, the issues seen by owners are exacerbated by extreme conditions like water and intense humidity.

That’s a bit rough, as those are the very things owners expect an off-roader SUV to be able to handle with ease. Instead, it’s tarnished the ownership experience for many. So, what does that mean for new Ford Bronco production? As of right now, things are kind of “first come first serve.” The remanufactured Webasto hardtops will be going out to current owners first, and that means Ford won’t be delivering new units until the issues are solved.

How soon will you get your new Ford Bronco?

This, of course, means yet more waiting for hopeful Bronco owners, some of whom have been waiting years for their new SUV to show up in their driveway. If you need that Bronco right now, the best thing to do is to spec yours with the soft top. Who knows, maybe you can retrofit a Webasto hardtop onto your soft one later?