2024 Ford Bronco Body & structure Problems

My hardtop has been replaced once and the replacement is now cracking.

NHTSA ID

11774635

Incident

Oct 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. While walking around the vehicle, the contact discovered that the roof had delaminated and was cracked in several places, allowing rainwater to enter the vehicle. There was no impact to the roof to cause the cracks. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer photographed the damages to submit a claim to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 45,500.

NHTSA ID

11774373

Incident

Oct 21, 2026

Mileage

45,500 mi

I am the homeowner and the mother of the vehicle owner, [XXX]. I am submitting this statement about a fire involving her parked Ford Bronco in my garage. I was the only person home when I discovered the fire. At approximately 8:30 p.m. on XXX, I had just gotten out of my backyard pool when I heard a loud thump that seemed to come from around the garage. After entering the house, I heard another loud sound. When I opened the door between the house and garage, smoke came into the house. I called [XXX]. [XXX] texted me at 8:34 pm as she received a text notification that her tire pressure was low and asked me to check. I went outside through the front door to the driveway and opened the garage door. Black smoke came out. While speaking with [XXX], I obtained a garden hose and returned to the garage, where I saw active flames coming from the rear-left area of the Bronco. I used the hose on the visible flames. Firefighters arrived approximately five minutes later and took over. By then, I had extinguished most of the flames I could see. There were no injuries. The Bronco had last been driven on Saturday night, XXX. [XXX] flew to [XXX] on Sunday, XXX, and returned home Thursday morning, XXX No one used the Bronco during those days. It remained parked in the garage and was not running when I discovered the fire. Smoke entered the house, and there was damage affecting the garage and its electrical system. The full extent of the property damage is still being assessed. The vehicle was moved out of the garage after the fire. Mercury subsequently arranged towing to [XXX] for investigation. The investigator’s last verbal comment to us was that he thought it was the rear taillight. I understand this to be a preliminary opinion, not a final determination. As of XXX, I have not received a written investigative report and do not know what cause the investigator or insurers will ultimately report. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11772133

Incident

Oct 14, 2026

Visible cracking and stress fracture on mic hardtop panel around top/side edge.

NHTSA ID

11768677

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

I notified the dealership where I bought the vehicle of the issue when it first happened in Feb 2025. I have since notified them 3 additional times and I have called Ford Motor Company, twice. The roof leaks in heavy rain while driving and when going through a car wash. The water streams inside and runs down onto the lighted vanity mirror which is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and hits the driver in the face with water. The dealership said that they tried to reproduce the issue but couldn’t get it to leak. It’s because they aren’t using water at a high pressure and speed. I have since found that the issue is know as it is listed on the internet in multiple places.

NHTSA ID

11748814

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

My MIC roof cracked, and I only have 6700 miles on the vehicle. I am now reading that my roof could blow off.

NHTSA ID

11739222

Incident

Mar 19, 2026

The molded in color hardtops are bad on these Ford Bronco’s. I wanted to report it because mine started cracking, fading, delaminating, and leaking after the vehicle was only 3 months old. They are very defective. Ford warranty replaced mine after a full year of me going back and forth to the dealer to argue about it. It was a long process that I never expected on a brand new vehicle. I’m already starting to see the honeycomb material on my warranty replacement top. I know people who are on their 4th and 5th replacement tops. Also, the road noise is bad with these tops as well. Mine as been warranty replaced now, but it was a rough experience over all and I have zero confidence that the replacement top is of better quality. In fact, the customer service representative at Ford stated more than likely this replacement hardtop would go bad at some point just like the original. They said it was the exact same top with no improvement.

NHTSA ID

11739158

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle would unexpectedly lunge forward and hesitate, with no warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that a loud, abnormal rattling noise was coming from the soft top area of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission software needed to be reprogrammed. The dealer also stated that the soft top failure is a known issue with the vehicle. The vehicle was reprogrammed, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

NHTSA ID

11735534

Incident

May 4, 2026

Mileage

13,000 mi

Vehicle: 2024 Ford Bronco Outer Banks Mileage: Approx. 15,000 The molded-in-color (MIC) composite hardtop panels have developed significant cracking across all four removable roof sections. Cracks are present on the driver-side front, mid, rear, and passenger-side panels. The cracking appears to originate within the composite material and has progressively worsened over time. The vehicle and affected panels are available for inspection upon request. The hardtop is part of a rollover-rated vehicle and contributes to structural integrity and occupant protection. Progressive cracking raises concern about reduced structural performance in a rollover. Additional risks include continued material degradation, potential panel instability at highway speeds, and water intrusion affecting electrical components. The condition has been visually inspected and confirmed by our Ford dealership, which verified cracking on all four panels. The vehicle has not been involved in any accident and has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. The cracking was not caused by impact, misuse, improper storage, or improper removal. The hardtop has only been removed approximately five times since purchase, with all panels removed together only once, and removal was performed carefully according to manufacturer guidance. The hardtop is currently being replaced under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. However, replacement does not address the underlying concern if the material or manufacturing process is defective. Numerous other Ford Bronco owners have reported similar cracking, including multiple replacements. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the cracking. The issue was first noticed at approximately 13,000 miles and has continued to progress. Given the low mileage, limited removal, dealership confirmation, and widespread similar reports, this appears to be a potential systemic material defect that warrants further investigation and a permanent corrective act.

NHTSA ID

11721646

Incident

Jan 3, 2026

Vehicle sustained significant front-end impact in a collision, but none of the airbags deployed. Front bumper, hood, and frame sustained visible damage. Concern that sensors or airbag system failed to activate during qualifying crash.

NHTSA ID

11698284

Incident

Oct 30, 2025

Removable top cracks and allows moister into effected panels fostering an environment for possible black mold growth.

NHTSA ID

11671358

Incident

Jun 18, 2025

Removable top cracks allowing moisture to get into effected panels fostering an environment for black mold growth.

NHTSA ID

11671355

Incident

Jul 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear trim cover did not sit flush with the soft top roof installed, making the roof unsecure. The manufacturer and local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was made aware of the NHTSA ID Number: 11001584 (Structure) and related the failure to the NHTSA ID number. The failure mileage was 10.

NHTSA ID

11662108

Incident

May 20, 2025

Mileage

10 mi

Side pillar is blocking view to see if a car is coming, side mirrors do not help. In order to accurately see, you have to completely turn your head to see if you can get over taking your eyes off of the road. This could result in a crash.

NHTSA ID

11654326

Incident

Apr 13, 2025

There are multiple spots on a 2024 4-door Outer Banks Bronco (purchased in 03/2024) that are melted. Most of the plastic components of the exterior body of the Bronco are bubbled, warped, or the paint is peeling away from the plastic. See affected areas listed below (see also photos attached). Areas Affected: -entire rear side of hard top, including 3rd brake light mount -passenger front mirror -driver's side rear wheel well -top of hard top -passenger's side rear door handle This seemingly occurred over a short period of time (1-2 weeks). This vehicle was taken to three different Ford dealership; the third kept the car for evaluation and inspection for over a week and wrote up an estimate for $14k in replacement parts and $2k for labor. They are unwilling to perform replacements/repairs under warranty as they report this is a problem caused by environmental/external factors and is not a defect of the multiple parts that have melted. This has begun to compromise the integrity of the body of the vehicle, and there would be serious concern for the safety of the vehicle operator as well as others on the road if the deterioration continues to progress.

NHTSA ID

11631980

Incident

Dec 1, 2024

The left front driveshaft is a problem. Had a 2022 Ford Bronco and Ford did a RAV Lemon law. Bought a 2024 and now the same problem is happening again. Same issues and 800 miles on a new Bronco. Also on m 2022 had the hard top replaced 5 times and the axle 2 times. And the top now shows cracks with 800 miles as well. Thought Ford would figure it out. Bronco is a great vehicle, just horrible parts. The main thing is the driveshaft I feel be a HUGE safety ISSUE!!! I hope Ford corporate looks here and gets feedback. By the way, happens after 20 or so minutes of driving, gets warm and it sounds like birds chirping and squeaking.

NHTSA ID

11623302

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated while pulling out of the driveway two days after purchasing the vehicle, the contact noticed water leaking on the rear seats through the driver’s and the passenger’s side of the roof. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the water was leaking through the front seals of the roof while the vehicle was parked on an incline with the front of the vehicle facing up. The dealer informed the contact that it was a common failure, and that the vehicle needed to be parked in a different direction to prevent the failure from recurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 35.

NHTSA ID

11578277

Incident

Feb 2, 2024

Mileage

35 mi