Photo: Ford
We’ve all heard stories about shady dealers trying to make a quick buck on account of unsuspecting customers. With the Ford Bronco, most of them involve paying markups, but Manuel Flores’ story is way more bizarre.
Like most car models, Ford Bronco production was affected by supply chain issues and microchip shortages. One of the most popular models on the market, Bronco is a tough buy, with people waiting years to get delivery of the SUV. Manuel Flores reserved his Bronco in July 2020 and had to wait for almost two years before he was assigned a VIN this March. His Bronco was scheduled for production on April 25 but was later pushed back to May 9.
Things were looking up for Flores, especially as his Bronco was scheduled for delivery between June 12-18. Unfortunately, a hailstorm hit Omaha while his Bronco was in transit through the area. His long-awaited Bronco was severely damaged by hail. Flores contacted Ford, and a rep told him the damage was repairable. Still, the cost of the repairs exceeded the $1,000 limit specified in the carmaker’s warranty and policy manual. This means that the SUV cannot be sold as new and would instead be sold at an auction.
Now that’s an unfortunate event, after all the wait for the Bronco, especially as it is unclear how long Flores would have to wait. But things got even messier after Ford instructed Flores to place a new order through his dealer and to request expedited delivery. The dealer did not know how to proceed from here, awaiting guidance from Ford. At the same time, Ford instructed Manuel to contact the dealer, saying there’s nothing they can do to help.
Several weeks later, Flores was in shock as he found out that his Bronco would be repaired after all and it would be sold as new. This contradicts Ford’s policy above or at least implies that the repair cost suddenly dropped below $1,000. This would probably be a shoddy repair since replacing the hardtop would easily exceed the $1,000 limit.
Manuel Flores shared his story on the Bronco6G forum. In the latest update, he mentions that the vehicle has arrived at the dealership, although this shouldn’t have happened, per Ford policy. The Bronco had an “In-Transit Damage Acknowledgement” note inside, saying the total repair costs were $7,500. This surely exceeds the $1,000 mark, but the dealer wants to make Flores accept the Bronco as new nonetheless.
There are no new updates since July 9, other than Flores’ conclusion: “At this point, this is borderline illegal let alone unethical. It’s the principle that bothers me at this point. Still waiting....” We’ve contacted Ford and will update the story when we get their reply.
Things were looking up for Flores, especially as his Bronco was scheduled for delivery between June 12-18. Unfortunately, a hailstorm hit Omaha while his Bronco was in transit through the area. His long-awaited Bronco was severely damaged by hail. Flores contacted Ford, and a rep told him the damage was repairable. Still, the cost of the repairs exceeded the $1,000 limit specified in the carmaker’s warranty and policy manual. This means that the SUV cannot be sold as new and would instead be sold at an auction.
Now that’s an unfortunate event, after all the wait for the Bronco, especially as it is unclear how long Flores would have to wait. But things got even messier after Ford instructed Flores to place a new order through his dealer and to request expedited delivery. The dealer did not know how to proceed from here, awaiting guidance from Ford. At the same time, Ford instructed Manuel to contact the dealer, saying there’s nothing they can do to help.
Several weeks later, Flores was in shock as he found out that his Bronco would be repaired after all and it would be sold as new. This contradicts Ford’s policy above or at least implies that the repair cost suddenly dropped below $1,000. This would probably be a shoddy repair since replacing the hardtop would easily exceed the $1,000 limit.
Manuel Flores shared his story on the Bronco6G forum. In the latest update, he mentions that the vehicle has arrived at the dealership, although this shouldn’t have happened, per Ford policy. The Bronco had an “In-Transit Damage Acknowledgement” note inside, saying the total repair costs were $7,500. This surely exceeds the $1,000 mark, but the dealer wants to make Flores accept the Bronco as new nonetheless.
There are no new updates since July 9, other than Flores’ conclusion: “At this point, this is borderline illegal let alone unethical. It’s the principle that bothers me at this point. Still waiting....” We’ve contacted Ford and will update the story when we get their reply.
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