From Road and Track today. Poor Bronco owners have gone through a lot.
PRECALL?????
Ford Bronco owners are being asked to bring their trucks to the dealer yet again, this time for a problem related to the truck’s front driveshaft boot. This "Customer Satisfaction Program," as Ford calls it, will impact every Bronco model that was built between September 23, 2020 and September 17, 2021, regardless of the SUVs powertrain configuration.
The news comes by way of Bronco6G user BaseSquach, who published an image of the CSP letter to the popular forum. According to the document, Broncos built within the aforementioned timeframe may experience cracking on their front driveshaft boots as a result of the materials used in their construction. These cracks can allow water or other material to reach the CV jo--t, ultimately wearing the component prematurely. This can result in a noisy or vibration-laden driving experience.
Bronco owners have been posting videos to the Bronco6G forum for some time highlighting a squealing noise coming from the front end. The noise reportedly occurs after some driving has taken place, and is most notable under 30 mph. If you’ve experienced something like that during your Bronco ownership, note that this faulty boot could very well be the culprit.
The letter from the automaker states that this issue will be fixed at your local Ford dealership free of charge, so long as you have the issue addressed before October 13, 2023. There are no mileage restrictions on the bulletin, and the coverage will transfer to a new owner if you happen to sell before having the job completed. Ford says that the fix itself will only take around an hour, but that owners should prepare to have their vehicles out of commission for longer than that as a result of service center scheduling. When scheduling this service, the automaker says owners should state that the call is related to CSP 22B27, and have their VIN handy for the service technicians.
Unlike a recall, a CSP filing from Ford signifies an upgrade to a specific component or the extension of an existing parts warranty. A CSP notice does not officially highlight the presence of a safety defect like a traditional recall.
This isn’t the first time Ford has reached out to owners of one of its icons for driveshaft issues. Back in December 2021, the Blue Oval recalled more than 185,000 F-150 trucks from the 2021 and 2022 model years after it was discovered that underbody insulators were making contact with and damaging driveshafts. An additional 85,000 F-150s were then recalled in August of this year for the same issue. Ford hasn’t specified exactly how many Broncos are impacted at this time.
Ford did not respond to Road & Track's request for comment on this story.