Dig into just about any car, under the hood or in the interior, and you can find all kinds of weird bits and pieces. If you’ve bought a cheaper model, you might find lots of blanked-off switches or cable harnesses that go nowhere. Or, if you’ve bought a modern Ford Bronco, you might find an entirely fake speaker and amp — yes, dummy parts almost like movie props — in the back. Isn’t that curious?
A video from BuckleUpButtercupTV gives us a great look at this curious manufacturing decision from Ford. In the back of her Bronco, there’s a “dummy” amplifier and subwoofer living behind a trim panel. Both are non-functional, even though the speaker looks like the real deal and the amp has wires coming out of it. The trim panel even has a grille for the speaker, even though none of it works!
Hunt around online and you’ll find a whole ton of Bronco owners who have found the same fake components in the back of their trucks. So what’s going on? Why would Ford put fake parts in the Bronco?
Why?!
First, the background. In late 2022, the chip shortage spawned by COVID-19 was once again causing havoc for Bronco production, just a few weeks in to a new model year. Ford found itself lacking the parts to deliver the new standard seven-speaker audio system it had promised for some 2023 model year vehicles. Of those seven speakers, one was a subwoofer that lived in the back of the vehicle. Ford reasonably figured it could cut the subwoofer without unduly harming sound output. This allowed the automaker to keep getting Broncos out the door. Notably, this only affected models with the standard sound system, not those with the upgraded Bang and Olufsen system, which used different components.
Ford didn’t hide this from customers, of course. As noted on the Bronco6G forums, those with active orders were notified ahead of time, and asked to sign an acknowledgement form regarding the change. Customers received a $250 discount to MSRP in exchange for the subwoofer delete. Ford also notified customers that their vehicles would not be retrofit with the subwoofer at a later date.
Deleting the components made sense. Ford couldn’t source the chips it needed to build the amps that ran the subwoofer, and it seemed silly to hold up production over a single speaker. Thus, it made the call and kept the production lines humming. That all makes sense. However, the exact way Ford went about it is rather curious.
See, Ford didn’t just ship the vehicles with the subwoofer and amp missing. Instead, it still put the components in the vehicles, just using dummy amps and subwoofers instead. The amps are readily identifiable—they have the same aluminum case as a proper unit but with a red X on it to indicate the dummy status. As covered by Best Car Audio, the amplifier housing has connectors and a PCB inside, but it’s not populated with components. Meanwhile, the subwoofers lack their magnets, which would be an easy way to cut costs on a sub that’s not being used anyway.
While we know why Ford did this (supply chain constraints), we don’t know for sure why they chose this exact method rather than leaving the space blank. And though Ford’s decision-making here is not exactly intuitive — manufacturing fake speakers and amps costs money — I have some guesses.
On a surface level, it would surely make more sense to simply not install amps and subwoofers in vehicles instead, however, Ford obviously did this for a reason. Research has failed to net me an official explanation, so I’ve reached out to the automaker for comment. In the meantime, let’s speculate—intelligently!—on why Ford went to the trouble of installing dummy parts.
For one thing, using the dummy parts would prevent any disruption to Ford’s finely-tuned assembly line processes, even with a rapidly changing supply chain situation. The worker who’s tasked with bolting in subs and amps? He or she is gonna keep doing the job the same way. Sure, you could tell them to take a few months off, or retask them, but that’s a change, and change gets expensive and fussy when you’re in the manufacturing game. Best to leave them be, right? Sounds silly, but sometimes the easiest path is the best one.
More importantly, though, removing the subwoofer and amp has consequences. Remove the subwoofer and its housing, and there’s suddenly nothing in between the interior trim and the outer metal body panel on the Bronco. That could act as a funnel for noise to enter the cabin, particularly as the subwoofer is near the rear wheel well. Small rock strikes and other annoying noises could be far more audible with the subwoofer missing. Similarly, if the audio cable from the wiring harness had no amp to plug in to, the connector on the end would just be rattling around inside the trim. That would sound really annoying! [Ed Note: I’m curious if the difference in mass between the real part and the dummy part has any NVH implications. -DT].
A populated amp PCB from a Bronco that shipped with the full subwoofer kit. via Enfig Car Stereo, YouTube screenshot
These issues could be solved. Ford could task an engineer with making some kind of clip to hold the connector. The subwoofer could be replaced with a block-off panel, too. However, these parts would have to be designed, manufactured, transported, and the production line techs would have to be reeducated on how to install them. We’re talking lots of hours of work here for probably tens of people. And they’re already really busy!
Instead, Ford took the simple route. One call to the amp supplier—”Hey, we can’t get chips. Just send us the subwoofer amps unpopulated and put a red X on them.” Done. One call to the subwoofer supplier—”Hey, don’t bother putting magnets or coils in the Bronco subwoofers. Just send us dummies with the cones installed.” The suppliers cut out the unnecessary processes, Ford gets near-identical parts, and changes nothing on its end barring a small reconfiguration to the audio software.
Plug and play upgrades are possible, but some choose to use aftermarket amps instead.
Some have also speculated that removing the subwoofer or associated parts could have affected the Bronco’s crash test approval. That one’s outside my wheelhouse, but my engineering spidey-sense says removing a speaker isn’t a big enough change to count in that regard. I could be wrong, though, so I’ve raised that with Ford as well.
Retrofits Are Possible
Incidentally, while Ford declined to offer retrofits, that doesn’t mean they’re not possible. Plenty of owners have pursued subwoofer installations on their own, and it’s actually remarkably easy. All because Ford left virtually everything in place!
For the amp, the dummy can be replaced with a working version part numbered for the Ford Fusion. It plugs straight in. As for the subwoofer, a Kicker 6.75″ sub is a common choice. Then, all that’s required is a small modification with a FORScan OBDLink tool to enable the subwoofer output in the audio system.
Performing those simple mods gets the Bronco’s sound system much closer to how the manufacturer originally intended. No more will the low frequencies go under-represented!
Ultimately, some will grouse at Ford for not pursuing a retrofit campaign itself. As demonstrated by many owners, it’s not difficult to pop off some trim pieces and put the working parts where they’re supposed to go. Instead, amidst a difficult manufacturing environment, Ford chose an easier way out that got product to customers and it washed its hands of the whole situation. Plus, it gave Bronco owners a fun weekend project in the process. No harm, no foul?
In any case, it gives us an insight on how weird manufacturing can be at larger scales. Sure, it might seem simpler for Ford to just leave out parts when it can’t get them. But reality is often more complex! Big automakers seldom do anything for stupid or frivolous reasons, outside of design and product planning, anyway. Dummy parts often exist for good reasons, even if they’re seemingly useless.
Image credits: Amazon, BuckleUpButtercupTV via YouTube screenshot
My parents have a 2023 Bronco with this exact setup. It’s also important to note that they originally had ordered the B&O system as part of the Lux package, but due to the chip shortages, Ford told them they would cancel the Bronco order outright and they’d have to order a 2024 and start over at the back of the line.
Instead, they dropped the Lux package to keep their 2023 order intact. They then took it to a reputable car audio shop who quickly installed an aftermarket sub in place of the dummy just like the article described. My parents also opted to install sound deadening behind the subwoofer mounting panels, along the entire floor, and around all of the wheel wells. Unsurprisingly, they said that had a dramatic impact on reducing NVH.
The shop is going to be biased here, but they did tell my parents they had another Bronco that DID have the B&O system come in and the owner had every single part of it replaced with aftermarket as they weren’t happy with it at all. They did not do any sound deadening, and the shop said they thought the standard audio system with aftermarket sub replacement of the dummy plus the extra vibration deadening sounded better than the guy who replaced the entire B&O system.
Regardless, my parents are happy with their setup. They were initially very annoyed about the long wait and having to drop options, but Ford did try and make things right and gave them a lot of perks for their trouble. A year later, and they really love the Bronco.
Not exactly the same thing, but my 2008 Odyssey has a subwoofer under the passenger seat that’s not used as part of the sound system. Supposedly it plays noise at just the right frequency to help cancel out vibrations that resonate throughout the cabin when the half the engine cylinders are shut off.
Honda had to add or change so many things for that cylinder management system it makes me wonder why they thought it was worth it for like an extra 1 mpg.
Noise cancellation is common these days, but they use existing audio components to do it!
My 2022 Bronco came with a dummy non-functional manual transmission. Your mileage may vary.
That you have to flash the main computer to get the radio to “recognize” the new amp and speaker is kind of stupid. I’ve installed so many radios and head units and added speakers in a bunch of cars and trucks from the 1980’s-2010(ish). I know “iT’z InfOtAinMenT NoW”. But complication for the sake of being “high tech” is ridiculous. I’m now the old cranky guy yelling at those danged kids with their new fangled toys to get off my lawn. I accept that. But I swear on all things holy that my 2019 Ram 1500 Classic is the last new vehicle I will buy. It even has the good, old fashioned RA2 radio and not UConnect. I’m done with technology in vehicles.
This caught me while reading too. I miss the days of DIN and double-DIN standard sizes where you could add whatever you wanted. This is something I actually consider when getting a “new” (to me) car, but that’s gotten much harder.
Time to go outside and yell at the clouds….
The sub and amp almost certainly come to the vehicle assembly plan already installed on the plastic subwoofer housing.
Building with a part that doesn’t meet print happens sometimes but automakers have a process for accepting that deviation and it takes a lot more than a phone call to a supplier lol
Its behind a speaker grille, but that sideways installed Kicker sub would drive me nuts, just thinking about it
Does anyone else add inappropriate graffiti behind body panels with a paint pen, or is it just me?
I’ve read ancient messages from various disciplines of tradesmen hidden in rarely seen places, and, frankly, found it moving and/or hilarious: so I’ve decided to pick up the torch.
I see the sideways sub in a completely unviewable location as being a kind of poke at the next guy. With any luck, the person that installed it put a smiley face on the sheet metal behind it.
Assembly workers at the Delorean plant in Norther Ireland did this to the insides of the gullwing doors. Owners found them years later. They call them “cave drawings.” Apparently they would write some interesting things.
“Ya big dummy(part)!” -Fred Sanford
GM was doing the same with heated seat and parking sensor control modules during this time as well. Dummy modules with unpopulated logic boards. These were replaced with functional parts later on though. Always assumed it also was to keep the assembly process the same.
I can say with absolute certainty that this would be the very first thing I would fix if I were one of the buyers who didn’t receive their sub. Like before I even put gas in it.
Great Story!
The notion that Ford offloaded this task to their supplier makes perfect sense to me. All of their processes stay the same and Broncos keep rolling. Seems like one of the best decisions FoMoCo has made in recent history.
If only you had a past contributor with expertise in the NVH area… 😉
This is beyond dumb. The explanation makes no sense. A piece of styrofoam would have provided the necessary ‘support’ for the interior panel.
If they already had the parts ordered and sized correctly it was likely cheaper and logistically easier to work out a deal where the manufacturer removed pieces from the already designed part than to have a whole new one designed, made, and shipped even if it was just foam. Especially peak covid times.
Functionally sure, but any new part would have required design/proto/test and would be rendered obsolete when the temporary shortage went away. The math seems pretty simple there, it saves X if we make a plug, but the plug costs Y to develop. In this case Y was greater than X. The cynical side of me also sort of wonders how long a change order like that would take to process vs doing what they did on a deviation or something… I bet it would take me 6-10 weeks of bullshit meetings after the design was locked before it would finally be signed off, then the planner would freak at the idea of scrapping the 6 months worth of junk inventory they had on hand and the product manager would chicken out and build with the non-conforming parts on deviation anyway.
The only way it makes sense is because of the corporate idiocracy you just mentioned. It’s stupid.
There are regulatory and testing processes that these vehicles undergo. Unless you were part of that process, you can’t declare it’s stupid.
Tell me you’ve never worked in a major automaker without telling me!
Bingo – I work for a powertrain OEM and it’s the same story there. Deviating creates a whole mess of BS to deal with unless you’re dealing with a very temporary, cosmetic-only change. Bring quality, form, fit, or function into play and that’s asking for a nightmare.
I kind of have, but imagine cars on water. It’s stupid, but not THAT stupid. Aluminum tooling from protomold would be like 5k tops, and you could just shoot expanding foam or something.
I mean, let’s be honest, it’s not just major automakers. Many production lines are better served by keeping a “shell” part that was already planned for than trying to change on the fly, even if it’s for something that would otherwise be considered trivial.
IT orders during pandemic (and post) times were affected similarly and we ended up with some strange products if you didn’t understand the why.
You’re absolutely right—they should have done the Tesla thing and just crumpled up some plastic water bottles and cardboard and stuffed it in there instead. It’s called recycling!
My 2013 MINI Cooper Coupe S comes with rear fog light housings, lenses, bulbs, wiring and are fully functional, except that the toggle switch to turn them on is missing. I bought off the lot (because I was too impatient to wait months to get a custom factory order in with the options I might have wanted at the time).
I know the lights are actually hooked up and work because I used the Carly app and its OBD2 hardware to code the car to raise the door windows on long-pressing lock on the key fob (evidently this is an option or is just standard on MINIs not sold in the US at the time), permit front fog lights, high beams and (later, when I had them installed) the OEM LED auxiliary driving lights to all come on at the same time if I so choose and finally to have the rear fogs come on with all the other lights when the car is unlocked.
One of these days I’ll get around to actually retrofitting a rear fog toggle and code them to work. It’s only been 11 years!
Anyway, all MINI Cooper S Coupes (and possibly R56 cars) came with the rear fogs. They all just don’t have a switch to use them. Probably cheaper for MINI to install all the lights and wire on every car and just leave out the toggle instead of popping in blanking plates where the lights would go if the option was ignored? Maybe. Except that I have seen older MINI Coopers with rear fog light blanking plates! Who knows.
This reminds me of the base model GM trucks circa 2012. They didn’t have the row of buttons on the dash to cycle through the menu in the cluster that gave you tire pressure/MPG/avg speed, stuff like that. It just had the little button that cycled through trip A/B and the odometer.
But the harness was still there, so if you bought the switches and bezel you could just plug it in and it worked.