1989 Ford Bronco review from North America

The rear engine seal leaked when the truck was new, fortunately repaired under warranty.

The gas tank rusted from the outside-in from water captured between the scrape plate and the tank. I am on my third tank now. The replacement tanks cost about $600 each, OEM.

The rear window motor mechanism began to fail after about 4 years. I spent several hundred dollars to have it fixed at the dealer, but it still doesn't raise without being assisted by either jogging the direction down and up repeatedly in short bursts, or physically pushing the glass up, which is best done with a person on each side of the glass. The wiring harness that connects the rear gate to the body is subject to wear from flexing and had to be replaced after a few years. This was done by the dealer for about $200.

At about 75,000 miles, the engine began to run very poorly. The problem required the replacement of all six injectors plus the master injector at a cost of nearly $3000. I later learned that routine port cleaning (at about $150 per application) is mandatory for this injection system.

The tail gate rusted out in 2000, due to the fact that there is no adequate drain. The new gate cost $1008 just for the part. I believe the accumulation of water in the tail gate contributed to the electric window motor's poor performance.

Several components in the dash began to rattle when the truck had only 30,000 miles. The dealer did not want to address these issues.

The vinyl seat on the driver side had seam separations after only a few years of daily use, exposing the foam. There was nothing unusual regarding the seat's use, and I believe that any reasonable material and stitching would have held.

A small component failed in the steering column, preventing the ignition key from engaging, after about 100,000 miles, requiring a towing and a $600 dealer repair, mostly for the labor to disassemble the steering column.

This vehicle is a lot of fun to drive. It handles well and especially has a great turning radius. However, it has demanded an unusual amount of repairs for things that normally should not wear out. Of course it has also had a share of "expected" repairs, like a new air conditioner compressor ($2000 with labor), one water pump, two heater cores, two alternators, an overhauled transmission at about 110,000 miles.