Load Box Reinforcement Brackets... What the Heck, Ford Accessories?

[SparkyTWS]

I would like to start by stating that I am nothing but happy with my 2024 Ranger Lariat. That being said, every single interaction with Ford, as a company, has been a total letdown. 11 months from Order to delivery. Ok, sure. There were supply chain issues, and then there was the Union strike, and then the holidays, yada, yada, yada. I get it. I'm not an unreasonable person. I waited patiently and while I did so, I kept up on other Ranger related topics…

That’s where I found out about the “Load Box Reinforcement Brackets” aka J-brace, and that they would be required if you wanted to put anything on the load box that might weigh more than 88 pounds. (a cap/topper, racks, equipment carriers, … you know… truck stuff. (and please don’t get on me about “well, you don’t really need them unless you’re going to be doing heavy offroad w/ max payload over the bedrails. I am aware. That’s not the point of this post.)

So even before my truck arrived, I asked the dealership if they could verify if those would be installed from the factory for US models (which seemed like a no brainer). They could neither confirm nor deny. They couldn’t find any information at all on the topic. So, I asked if they could go ahead and order them for me and set me up with a service appointment to have them installed when the truck arrived. They said they couldn’t find it in their part system so they couldn’t order it.

The truck arrived (Yay! Happy day!) and, sure enough, no Load Box Reinforcement Brackets were present so I asked again if they could order them. The answer was an unequivocal “No”. It wasn’t in their system so they couldn’t order them.

Ok. So, I went on Ford Accessories, found the part, ordered the part and paid for the extra charge for installation. This was back in July (months after delivery in April and having heard nothing from the Dealership up to that point). I called my local dealership about a month after ordering from Ford Accessories to confirm that the order showed up in their system, they confirmed that it was in the system and that they would contact me when the parts arrived (it was on backorder) and that they would call me to set up a service appointment to install it when it arrived.

Time passed… more time passed… more time passed. So last week (beginning of October) I went in and checked the order status online, and it was listed as CANCELLED! Of course I immediately called the Ford Accessories Website and they casually informed me that if an order sits in a backorder status for long enough, they just routinely cancel them. ?!?!?! Apparently, it impacts their sales or service metrics? What the Actual F!@%?

Ok. it’s bull$hit, but it happened. No reason to chew the head off of a customer service rep who has no control over these sorts of things. I confirmed that the “pending charges” for the original sale was gone from my credit card and that I wasn’t charged, and I went ahead and placed my order again, and again, I selected to have the part installed by the ford dealership.

This is the part that really pisses me off. When I added the installation, the cost of that installation is almost DOUBLE what it was before.

They cancelled my order so that they could DOUBLE the amount that they are going to charge me to have it installed.

This is an item that should have been part of EVERY factory delivery. Correcting this issue **should be** a customer satisfaction initiative, performed free of charge for ever single truck impacted. At the very least, if a customer purchases the part and requests to have it installed, they should at least be prioritizing correcting the issue at Minimal cost to the customer. But to not only charge the customer for the part, and installation, but to pull the rug out from under a customer that already PAID for the part and installation, make them re-order the parts and restart the delivery timer and then charge them DOUBLE to install it (if it ever arrives)???

I’m not mad… I’m just disappointed.

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[SubaruRaptor]

I mean welcome to the club? At the end of the day it is what it is, lets not over exaggerate what is occurring here. You placed an order for something it got canceled, you got a refund, you spent 5 minutes and re-ordered it and the price went up. Does it suck, agreed. Does Ford owe you anything, no.

 

[Wayfaring Ranger]

Installation cost for most accessories went up in the last few months from what I can tell. The keypad used to be $23 for installation, now it's $56.

Not specific to the j-braces, looks like it was an audit on ford's end for the cost of labor.

 

[MTN_WZRD]

The main thing is Ford is making the customer pay for an engineering mistake. They should pony up and fix it. To your point we bought these things to do truck stuff. No other manufacturer is making us pay for these things. It’s plain and simple mistake that the customer is having to pay for. ?

 

[SubaruRaptor]

The main thing is Ford is making the customer pay for an engineering mistake. They should pony up and fix it. To your point we bought these things to do truck stuff. No other manufacturer is making us pay for these things. It’s plain and simple mistake that the customer is having to pay for. ?

How is it an engineering mistake? A lot of people are never going to do anything or put anything on top of it to cause an issue.

 

[MTN_WZRD]

How is it an engineering mistake? A lot of people are never going to do anything or put anything on top of it to cause an issue.

Since when don’t people use toppers or bed racks? It’s been a thing for as long as I can remember. It’s a BASIC requirement for all trucks. That’s a Product Engineering misstep. How do you forget to check that?!

 

[Wayfaring Ranger]

Since when don’t people use toppers or bed racks? It’s been a thing for as long as I can remember. It’s a BASIC requirement for all trucks. That’s a Product Engineering misstep. How do you forget to check that?!

a minority use toppers and racks and even a smaller minority go through 'extreme offroad conditions' with those items.

why should >90% of truck buyers be required to pay for a part that only <10% of truck owners actually require?

if i didn't plan on getting a bed rack or topper, i'd much rather save $400 (cost of part + installation) than pay for something i'll never need.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Since when don’t people use toppers or bed racks? It’s been a thing for as long as I can remember. It’s a BASIC requirement for all trucks. That’s a Product Engineering misstep. How do you forget to check that?!

As Wayfaring mentioned, most people dont put things on their trucks. The only BASIC requirement is probably a bed liner of some sort, but even then there are folks who will raw dawg it. Outside of that, the only other actually common thing is a cover, which doesnt require the braces.

 

[Mike9816]

Had my shell/topper installed in May and have been on many dirt roads without a problem. I don't do extreme four wheeling.

 

[Jason B]

I would like to start by stating that I am nothing but happy with my 2024 Ranger Lariat. That being said, every single interaction with Ford, as a company, has been a total letdown. 11 months from Order to delivery. Ok, sure. There were supply chain issues, and then there was the Union strike, and then the holidays, yada, yada, yada. I get it. I'm not an unreasonable person. I waited patiently and while I did so, I kept up on other Ranger related topics…

That’s where I found out about the “Load Box Reinforcement Brackets” aka J-brace, and that they would be required if you wanted to put anything on the load box that might weigh more than 88 pounds. (a cap/topper, racks, equipment carriers, … you know… truck stuff. (and please don’t get on me about “well, you don’t really need them unless you’re going to be doing heavy offroad w/ max payload over the bedrails. I am aware. That’s not the point of this post.)

So even before my truck arrived, I asked the dealership if they could verify if those would be installed from the factory for US models (which seemed like a no brainer). They could neither confirm nor deny. They couldn’t find any information at all on the topic. So, I asked if they could go ahead and order them for me and set me up with a service appointment to have them installed when the truck arrived. They said they couldn’t find it in their part system so they couldn’t order it.

The truck arrived (Yay! Happy day!) and, sure enough, no Load Box Reinforcement Brackets were present so I asked again if they could order them. The answer was an unequivocal “No”. It wasn’t in their system so they couldn’t order them.

Ok. So, I went on Ford Accessories, found the part, ordered the part and paid for the extra charge for installation. This was back in July (months after delivery in April and having heard nothing from the Dealership up to that point). I called my local dealership about a month after ordering from Ford Accessories to confirm that the order showed up in their system, they confirmed that it was in the system and that they would contact me when the parts arrived (it was on backorder) and that they would call me to set up a service appointment to install it when it arrived.

Time passed… more time passed… more time passed. So last week (beginning of October) I went in and checked the order status online, and it was listed as CANCELLED! Of course I immediately called the Ford Accessories Website and they casually informed me that if an order sits in a backorder status for long enough, they just routinely cancel them. ?!?!?! Apparently, it impacts their sales or service metrics? What the Actual F!@%?

Ok. it’s bull$hit, but it happened. No reason to chew the head off of a customer service rep who has no control over these sorts of things. I confirmed that the “pending charges” for the original sale was gone from my credit card and that I wasn’t charged, and I went ahead and placed my order again, and again, I selected to have the part installed by the ford dealership.

This is the part that really pisses me off. When I added the installation, the cost of that installation is almost DOUBLE what it was before.

They cancelled my order so that they could DOUBLE the amount that they are going to charge me to have it installed.

This is an item that should have been part of EVERY factory delivery. Correcting this issue **should be** a customer satisfaction initiative, performed free of charge for ever single truck impacted. At the very least, if a customer purchases the part and requests to have it installed, they should at least be prioritizing correcting the issue at Minimal cost to the customer. But to not only charge the customer for the part, and installation, but to pull the rug out from under a customer that already PAID for the part and installation, make them re-order the parts and restart the delivery timer and then charge them DOUBLE to install it (if it ever arrives)???

I’m not mad… I’m just disappointed.

Correction, the beds should have been designed to not need after sales modifications to do what trucks do. The only way they were offered a customer satisfaction install was if you purchased the truck with the Ford branded bed cap.
As for prices, all things are going up. The original engine cover for the 5G could be bought for ~$70, then went 'out of stock' for a few months, then returned at twice the price.

 

[pyates999]

I bought the J braces with points acquired after the purchase of the truck, I also installed them. The fact that people do install items on the bed rails should mean that Ford design their product to be able to accommodate everyone whether the end user decides to install something or not. People should not have to purchase additional bracing for their truck to accommodate 88 pounds on the upper rail. It seems ridiculous that a manufacturer whose business it is to engineer, build & sell trucks would drop the ball in such a mindless manner. Ya, I'm sure there are those who will say Ford doesn't owe me anything & that's true but they do owe their customers a better thought out piece of equipment & not sacrifice structural integrity @ the hands of the almighty bean counting suits!!

 

[Zangor]

I bought the J braces with points acquired after the purchase of the truck, I also installed them. The fact that people do install items on the bed rails should mean that Ford design their product to be able to accommodate everyone whether the end user decides to install something or not. People should not have to purchase additional bracing for their truck to accommodate 88 pounds on the upper rail. It seems ridiculous that a manufacturer whose business it is to engineer, build & sell trucks would drop the ball in such a mindless manner. Ya, I'm sure there are those who will say Ford doesn't owe me anything & that's true but they do owe their customers a better thought out piece of equipment & not sacrifice structural integrity @ the hands of the almighty bean counting suits!!

All valid.

Ford really should have a black eye for how they have handled this and for stripping the grab handles from the US market trucks.

I wish some outlet like Car&Driver or Consumer Reports would publish an inflammatory article like “Ford Ranger- a ‘truck’ that can’t carry more that 88 lbs”

 

[SparkyTWS]

I mean welcome to the club? At the end of the day it is what it is, lets not over exaggerate what is occurring here. You placed an order for something it got canceled, you got a refund, you spent 5 minutes and re-ordered it and the price went up. Does it suck, agreed. Does Ford owe you anything, no.

The point I was trying to make is that we seem to have really lowered the bar on our expectations from Ford. If an organization accepts an order for parts and/or labor and charges (pending) your card for said order, any reasonable consumer would expect that order to be fulfilled AS AGREED UPON. Let's macro scale this. How would you feel if you'd ordered your shiny new raptor, waiting almost a year after the time of ordering for your turn to finally roll around and then, just as you start to see similar trucks finally being delivered to the lots in your neighborhood, you find out that your order has been cancelled. But hey, you can place another order. would just take a few minutes. Should be ready in about 9 months...

 

[FossIsleBC]

I would like to start by stating that I am nothing but happy with my 2024 Ranger Lariat. That being said, every single interaction with Ford, as a company, has been a total letdown. 11 months from Order to delivery. Ok, sure. There were supply chain issues, and then there was the Union strike, and then the holidays, yada, yada, yada. I get it. I'm not an unreasonable person. I waited patiently and while I did so, I kept up on other Ranger related topics…

That’s where I found out about the “Load Box Reinforcement Brackets” aka J-brace, and that they would be required if you wanted to put anything on the load box that might weigh more than 88 pounds. (a cap/topper, racks, equipment carriers, … you know… truck stuff. (and please don’t get on me about “well, you don’t really need them unless you’re going to be doing heavy offroad w/ max payload over the bedrails. I am aware. That’s not the point of this post.)

So even before my truck arrived, I asked the dealership if they could verify if those would be installed from the factory for US models (which seemed like a no brainer). They could neither confirm nor deny. They couldn’t find any information at all on the topic. So, I asked if they could go ahead and order them for me and set me up with a service appointment to have them installed when the truck arrived. They said they couldn’t find it in their part system so they couldn’t order it.

The truck arrived (Yay! Happy day!) and, sure enough, no Load Box Reinforcement Brackets were present so I asked again if they could order them. The answer was an unequivocal “No”. It wasn’t in their system so they couldn’t order them.

Ok. So, I went on Ford Accessories, found the part, ordered the part and paid for the extra charge for installation. This was back in July (months after delivery in April and having heard nothing from the Dealership up to that point). I called my local dealership about a month after ordering from Ford Accessories to confirm that the order showed up in their system, they confirmed that it was in the system and that they would contact me when the parts arrived (it was on backorder) and that they would call me to set up a service appointment to install it when it arrived.

Time passed… more time passed… more time passed. So last week (beginning of October) I went in and checked the order status online, and it was listed as CANCELLED! Of course I immediately called the Ford Accessories Website and they casually informed me that if an order sits in a backorder status for long enough, they just routinely cancel them. ?!?!?! Apparently, it impacts their sales or service metrics? What the Actual F!@%?

Ok. it’s bull$hit, but it happened. No reason to chew the head off of a customer service rep who has no control over these sorts of things. I confirmed that the “pending charges” for the original sale was gone from my credit card and that I wasn’t charged, and I went ahead and placed my order again, and again, I selected to have the part installed by the ford dealership.

This is the part that really pisses me off. When I added the installation, the cost of that installation is almost DOUBLE what it was before.

They cancelled my order so that they could DOUBLE the amount that they are going to charge me to have it installed.

This is an item that should have been part of EVERY factory delivery. Correcting this issue **should be** a customer satisfaction initiative, performed free of charge for ever single truck impacted. At the very least, if a customer purchases the part and requests to have it installed, they should at least be prioritizing correcting the issue at Minimal cost to the customer. But to not only charge the customer for the part, and installation, but to pull the rug out from under a customer that already PAID for the part and installation, make them re-order the parts and restart the delivery timer and then charge them DOUBLE to install it (if it ever arrives)???

I’m not mad… I’m just disappointed.

well @Ford Motor Company watcha got to say to this fellow? "Congrats on your new vehicle. Welcome to the ford family" won't really cut it here. Anything else you can reply with? We're all waiting with baited breath ?

 

[Deleted member 9086]

No WE aren’t, you just might want to confine your comments to yourself……??

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