2021 Ford Bronco Break-In Period

For years, automakers around the world have recommended a break-in period to new car buyers. For combustion engine cars, the break-in period is to hone the inside of the cylinder walls and the outside of the piston rings as well as to allow other moving parts to work out the kinks. Sparing those parts from immediate torture with moderate driving for the first few hundred miles allows the engine to deliver better performance for more miles in the future. With the popularity of electric cars and improved technology and lubricants, many new vehicle owners are asking whether or not this break-in period is still required. 

Bronco Break-In Period

According to the owner’s manual, the 2021 Bronco does require a break-in period. For the first 1,000 mi (1,600 km), Ford recommends you avoid driving at high speeds, braking heavy, shifting aggressively, or using your vehicle to tow. Although they do not elaborate, Ford goes on to say that during this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics. This ambiguous description provides a tremendous amount of leeway for the manufacture to explain any potential gremlins inherent in some new cars.

Owner’s Manual: 552 Pages

There is no doubt that the all-new Bronco is chock-full of innovation and technology –– creating the need for a 552-page owner’s manual to explain it all. This encyclopedia of detail is an impressive 80 pages more than the platform brother, the Ford Ranger, and nearly 90 pages more than the 2021 Jeep Wrangler. Of course, nothing can match the bestselling F-150’s owner’s manual topping out at a whopping 703 pages.

For those of you keeping score, my first generation 1972 Bronco has 36 pages, and by the way, it recommends a 1,000-mile break in!