Things like this are the reason I gave up on American car companies years ago. Their culture is toxic, they’re a product of the Harvard MBA school of management that says to cut everything to the absolute minimum acceptable quality level to save money. Never use a metal part when plastic will do, never use two screws if you can get away with one.
Ford, GM, and Chrysler all suffer from the same problem, absolute bare minimum engineering designs that don’t hold up. The public blames the workers who build them but they’re not the problem, most of the foreign badged vehicles sold in the U.S. today are built here by U.S. workers and they aren’t crap like American brands. It’s the corporate philosophy of “build it as cheaply as we can” that directs the engineers to cut as many corners as they can.
The Bronco is a good looking vehicle but it’s cheaply built garbage and I’d never buy one. It’s a shame because it could fill a niche for a lot of people if it could be relied upon. The new Toyota Land Cruiser took a lot of styling cues from the retro look of the Bronco and I’d actually trust it to take off road. I’d never take a Bronco somewhere I couldn’t get a tow truck.
“The Bronco is a good looking vehicle...”
The old Bronco had its own distinct look IMO.
The new full size version ripped off the Jeep Wrangler 6 ways from Sunday if you ask me.