If you were thinking about signing up for the Ford Bronco waiting list, then you’ll have to wait. Online reservations for 2021 Ford Bronco models are currently paused due to growing production challenges. But what problems does the Bronco face? 

2021 Ford Bronco Reservations are on hold 

If you thought that it was finally time to pull the trigger on a 2021 Ford Bronco, then you may have waited too long. Online reservations have been paused. Ford has stopped taking reservations after receiving over 190,000 orders. 

The Detriot Free Press obtained an email recently sent to dealerships explaining why this decision was made. “Based on Dealer Council Feedback, effective Monday, August 23rd, Ford has paused the creation of new reservations for Bronco vehicles. 

This decision to place reservations on hold is due to the high number of two and four-door Bronco model orders and current commodity constraints. Customers are encouraged to work directly with their dealer to assist with the ordering process, delivering timing expectations, and build specifications. 

For example, dealerships can guide customers with the possibility of acquiring a stock vehicle that’s already built or scheduled. Due to the high amount of orders, deliveries of Bronco orders placed today will extend through the 2022 calendar year.”

When can you order a Bronco? 

Ford noted that it would communicate a plan to reopen reservations when available. So, it may be challenging to get a 2021 Ford Bronco model at this point. However, you might get lucky and find one at a dealership. 

The 2022 Ford Bronco order banks are scheduled to open sometime between October and December. This is, of course, if the Bronco models aren’t impacted by delays caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, supply shortages, and quality issues. 

Customers can place an order for a Ford Bronco if they do not have a reservation. You need to work directly with your dealer. If a customer already has a Bronco reservation, it can be converted to an order with customer consent. 

Bronco orders will be built based on the customer reservation time stamp. As the system runs out of buildable orders because of commodity challenges, it will move down the list until it finds a buildable order. 

What are these commodities? 

The 2021 Ford Bronco is facing issues with its hardtop supplier. Webasto, the Bronco hardtop supplier, has struggled to produce the number of tops that Ford needs to fulfill customer orders, even though millions have been invested in solving the issue. 

To make matters worse, the existing hardtops face quality issues. Each hardtop will have to be replaced. This is only one of their recent expensive problems. Ford is also dealing with a recall for faulty seatbelts installed in 2021 Ford F-150 models. 

Ford needs to buckle down on quality control as time runs out for building 2021 vehicles. Automakers tend to switch to the new model year in the summer. However, the 2021 Ford Bronco build has been extended and could be produced into December to fill the massive backlog of orders. 

This launch has been one of the most important launches for Ford in decades. But due to the popularity of the Bronco, people are willing to wait for it and pay extra. The messy launch doesn’t seem to be deterring people yet.