Ford Motor Co. is delaying the launch of the highly anticipated Bronco SUV until the summer of 2021 because of coronavirus-related supplier issues, the automaker informed its dealer network Friday.
"The all new Bronco two-door and four-door customer deliveries will begin in the summer rather than the spring due to COVID-related challenges suppliers are experiencing," Ford said in a statement. "We are committed to building Broncos with the quality our customers expect."
Ford did not specify which suppliers were experiencing problems. The Bronco is being built at the automaker’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich.
Ford said order banks, which were set to open next week, will now open in mid-January for reservation holders to complete their purchase.
They have until March 19 to finalize their dealer selection, place their order and agree to a final price. That deadline was originally set for Jan. 31.
Additionally, the Sasquatch package with the manual transmission has been pushed back to the 2022 model year.
Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, previously told Automotive News he initially expects "over 75 percent" of the roughly 165,000 refundable deposits will be converted to sales, although that conversion rate is likely to fall for customers who have to wait longer for their Bronco.
Dealer allocation will depend on a retailer's market size, previous SUV sales performance, the number of converted orders tied to their store and competitive off-road registrations in their market, LaNeve said.
Ford last month began shipping the smaller Bronco Sport crossover from its plant in Mexico. It sold 22 of them in November, according to the company’s monthly sales report.
