The Bronco’s molded-in color hardtop (MIC) continues to be a problem for Ford. The company identified an issue with the roof and has decided to replace all of them, a process it expects to begin in October.

The revelation comes from a letter sent out to order holders answering some frequently asked questions about the SUV’s production issues and published on the Bronco6G forum.

Read More: Ford Bronco Owners Report Quality Issues With Hardtop Roofs

In the letter, the company lays out the problem thusly: “The issue does not impact the functionality of the roof but can cause unsatisfactory appearance when exposed to extreme water and humidity,” Ford wrote. “As a result, we’ve made the decision to replace all molded-in color hardtop roof panels on all 2-door and 4-door Bronco vehicles produced to date.”

Ford Confirms Problem And Delays

Ford spokesperson Said Deep confirmed to CarScoops that the letter was genuine and added that “customers who already have a Bronco with a hardtop can keep driving them in the wild and we’ll get them a new hardtop roof at no cost as soon as we can.”

Unfortunately, vehicles that are in transit, and those that have been built but are awaiting final quality inspection are also included, and Deep said that they will have to wait longer than customers with a Bronco. A video, also shared on the forum, shows a lot filled with thousands of Broncos parked, presumably awaiting new roofs.

What’s The Problem With The Hardtops?

As we reported in July, a number of customers with hardtops have complained that their roofs appear to be splitting at the seams, while others could see honeycomb patterns showing through the roof’s outer skin.

How Ford and its supplier plan to fix the issue isn’t clear, but Deep did explain how the company will catch up with the production hangups.

Adding A Second Facility To Boost Hardtop Production

“Our supplier Webasto will be adding a second facility to increase hardtop roof production. That will come online in the first quarter of next year,” he said. “In addition, we are looking at even more opportunities to expand hardtop roof capacity.”

The issue only affects hardtop Broncos, so customers who want theirs sooner are encouraged to change their 4-door hardtop orders into 4-door soft tops. Although they won’t lose their spot in the production lineup, it could end up costing them a little more.

In its letter to order holders, Ford wrote that “hardtop roofs are anticipated to be available in 2023 as an accessory” and that although it could not provide a price, “freight shipping costs to get the roofs to dealers will cause the cost to be higher than the factory-installed option.

Unfortunately, that option is not available to 2-door order holders at all because the soft top is not available.

So, You Ordered A Bronco, What Happens Now?

Order holders whose Bronco has been built, but hasn’t been delivered will be emailed with an estimated delivery date for their new Bronco, Deep told CarScoops. Customers whose SUV has not yet been built will also get an email with a new build date for their vehicle.

Finally, customers who do not yet have a scheduled build date will have their vehicle changed to a model year 2022 vehicle.

“This group of Bronco customers also will have the option to switch their hardtop order to a soft top and potentially receive a 21MY Bronco later this year,” said Deep. “Ford will install a free prep kit for customers who switch to a soft top roof, which would allow customers the ability to purchase and install a hardtop roof at a later date.”

Production for 22MY vehicles is expected to begin in December 2021, though the date is subject to change. The company also said in its letter to order holders that it will honor 21MY MSRP pricing for similarly equipped vehicles for all customers who had a reservation or order as of March 19, 2021.

The company has promised that all molded-in color hardtops will get sound deadening at no extra charge and it has provided up to $1,100 worth of FordPass Reward points to some customers. It also sent out an exclusive Bronco design poster to thank them for their patience.