Ford says Bronco stealing sales from Jeep

How many customers were buying Mustangs when there was no Camaro or Challenger? As Valiant stated above, there is a certain percentage of Wrangler owners who bought because it was pretty much the only game in town. The sales numbers may equalize now that there is competition.

Re “Let's see how Jeep responds”, I should have elaborated when making that statement. I meant that we’ll have to see what Jeep comes up with in response to Bronco gaining on them in sales, and if it may inspire them to more effectively address things like the steering issues. Yes, they added the 392 and the extreme recon, and 4xe as well, however Bronco is still gaining. Perhaps focusing a bit more on retaining customers would be helpful, instead of driving them to the competition.

There is no telling what Bronco’s sales numbers will be over time, or if Ford will remain committed to Bronco over time as Jeep has with Wrangler. Part of the reason why Wrangler has stayed alive over the years is because of the off-road community and the massive support from the aftermarket community for endless modifications and customization. If there is a similar level of support for Bronco, over time (to keep it from getting the axe during leaner years), then it may have real staying power. We shall see.


No one can claim one is better than the other, because that is very much dependent upon personal preferences and is use-specific as well. For now, it’s nice to have a healthy competition, and hopefully they make each other better.

It may also be worth noting that Ford had large stockpiles of Broncos sitting in lots waiting for parts. As those parts became available, it most likely led to surges in sales as those Broncos were delivered to customers. I think Dave had said that would happen in a previous thread.

Zagnut27 said:

How many customers were buying Mustangs when there was no Camaro or Challenger? As Valiant stated above, there is a certain percentage of Wrangler owners who bought because it was pretty much the only game in town. The sales numbers may equalize now that there is competition.

Re “Let's see how Jeep responds”, I should have elaborated when making that statement. I meant that we’ll have to see what Jeep comes up with in response to Bronco gaining on them in sales, and if it may inspire them to more effectively address things like the steering issues. Yes, they added the 392 and the extreme recon, and 4xe as well, however Bronco is still gaining. Perhaps focusing a bit more on retaining customers would be helpful, instead of driving them to the competition.

There is no telling what Bronco’s sales numbers will be over time, or if Ford will remain committed to Bronco over time as Jeep has with Wrangler. Part of the reason why Wrangler has stayed alive over the years is because of the off-road community and the massive support from the aftermarket community for endless modifications and customization. If there is a similar level of support for Bronco, over time (to keep it from getting the axe during leaner years), then it may have real staying power. We shall see.


No one can claim one is better than the other, because that is very much dependent upon personal preferences and is use-specific as well. For now, it’s nice to have a healthy competition, and hopefully they make each other better.

It may also be worth noting that Ford had large stockpiles of Broncos sitting in lots waiting for parts. As those parts became available, it most likely led to surges in sales as those Broncos were delivered to customers. I think Dave had said that would happen in a previous thread.

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Adding the 392, at the price they asked for it, was to me just plain foolish, and egocentric. How many sales did they make with this super expensive option? Not many I think I've seen 3 of them. What they should have done as soon as the JL & Gladiator came out was make the 5.7 an option, to make the JL & Gladiator above and beyond other mid sized trucks with low maintenance V-8 power (compared to turbo engines that we KNOW are expensive to maintain when they get old, just read about some of the things that go wrong with the Ecoboost when it ages).
Then, they really need to do something about the freedom top. Yes it's fun but after a while they all start to leak. How about a simple steel top, all one piece, and a pop up sunroof!
Lastly I don't know if any of you have ever worked on one of these IFS front suspensions, but compared to the simple solid axle on the Wrangler & Gladiator, they are just horrible to work on. As bad as McPherson struts which I hate with a passion. And I don't care what anyone says, the front CV axles with rubber boots are a weak spot that can easily leave you stranded if you are actually using these off road. Yes the solid axle has drawbacks especially for people who don't maintain their vehicles or add poorly thought out suspension lifts. But for simplicity of repair and durability, the solid axle is tough to beat.