Has your Fusion delivery been delayed?

[AJS65]

Hi All. I was just wondering if any one who ordered a Fusion recently has been told by their dealer that there is a delay in delivery.

 

I ordered a Fusion Sport on 5/6 and was told it would be in the week of 6/28. However , last week I was told it would be delayed but the dealer could not say when it would be in.

 

Thanks,

[Grey]

High volume caused production delays. The plant was scheduled down from July 5 to July 16. I hope you are in transit.

[AJS65]

Thanks. My car was scheduled to be built around 6/13 so with any luck it is on a truck or train as I write this post!

[MechanicMarc]

I've had mine "in transit" for almost a week now. Problem is, once it leaves Dearborn, there is no way to track when it will arrive.

[akirby]

I've had mine "in transit" for almost a week now. Problem is, once it leaves Dearborn, there is no way to track when it will arrive.

 

If yours is leaving Dearborn you might be a bit disappointed when it arrives because it won't be a Fusion.

[MechanicMarc]

Sorry. That's an "inside" term we use at the dealership. Secret's out. I work at a Ford dealer. No matter where it comes from, we use the term "coming from Dearborn" to mean on the truck and being delivered.

[akirby]

Sorry. That's an "inside" term we use at the dealership. Secret's out. I work at a Ford dealer. No matter where it comes from, we use the term "coming from Dearborn" to mean on the truck and being delivered.

 

Ahh......gotcha. I'm sure there are some customers out there who probably think their Fusion came from Michigan, though.

[Razzy]

I ordered my car on April 16th. Two weeks later, I was told build date will be week of May 3rd and estimate delivery date would be May 31st. About a week before 31st, I got a call from dealership saying it will be delivered on June 11th and no other information. Called up Ford and they said same June 11th date and assured there's no delay as I thought there was one since it was built on week of May 3rd. Then May 28th, got a call from dealership saying car has arrived which I picked up the same day...

Edited July 8, 2010 by Razzy

[Grey]

Setting a delivery date is at best a guess. Once the vehicle is produced, the delivery scheduling is in the hands of the carrier. They decide which vehicles get onto which rail car and in which order. Big varriable.

 

It is then delivered to a rail yard, offfloaded and parked until a transport carrier decides which truck to put it on for delivery. That might take a day, or a week. Any problems with the vehicle or carriers can add more days.

 

The estimating system adds a few days to average delivery timing to account for unexpected delays.

 

When you order a vehicle, the salesperson may have been told that the average delivery timing is 8 weeks, but there are 101 variables that can add to or reduce the actual timing that are out of their control, or Ford's.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Grey

[akirby]

Setting a delivery date is at best a guess. Once the vehicle is produced, the delivery scheduling is in the hands of the carrier. They decide which vehicles get onto which rail car and in which order. Big varriable.

 

It is then delivered to a rail yard, offfloaded and parked until a transport carrier decides which truck to put it on for delivery. That might take a day, or a week. Any problems with the vehicle or carriers can add more days.

 

The estimating system adds a few days to average delivery timing to account for unexpected delays.

 

When you order a vehicle, the salesperson may have been told that the average delivery timing is 8 weeks, but there are 101 variables that can add to or reduce the actual timing that are out of their control, or Ford's.

 

You should hear the problems with the new mustangs. Some of the early builds are just now being delivered (2 months later).

 

Ford needs to stop building retail orders until the quality holds are finished and vehicles are shipping directly from the factory to dealers so pre-ordered vehicles don't sit on the lot waiting for repairs or reinspections while dealer stock gets shipped. It really pisses off the customers. I also think the dealers give unrealistic ETAs and some don't know how to use the vehicle locator to give status.

[drolds1]

I ordered my car on 5/23/09. I didn't take delivery until 8/13. I was told 8-10 weeks and they kept me posted as to its progress. It arrived at the dealership 1 day before the ETA they'd given me.

 

It's true that there are variables, but I don't buy that the dealer can't give you a fairly accurate ETA. Either they can't be bothered or don't know how to work the system.

[Grey]

It's true that there are variables, but I don't buy that the dealer can't give you a fairly accurate ETA. Either they can't be bothered or don't know how to work the system.

 

 

Once a vehicle leaves the assembly plant, how does a dealer "work the system"?

[Grey]

Ford needs to stop building retail orders until the quality holds are finished and vehicles are shipping directly from the factory to dealers so pre-ordered vehicles don't sit on the lot waiting for repairs or reinspections while dealer stock gets shipped. It really pisses off the customers. I also think the dealers give unrealistic ETAs and some don't know how to use the vehicle locator to give status.

 

Dealerships pretty much control the build timing, based on their allocation and order priority. It is rare that Ford manages or adjusts the scheduling (exceptions are retail verification vehicles like Hybrids). With quality holds, it is the luck of the draw. Most initial orders are stock units - very few will be retail, unless it is a highly desirable or limited volume vehicle.

Most deaerlships will not track transit status and most use the delivery guides that ford provides for each vehicle line - normally a range like 8-10 weeks. What they may not share with the customer is the limited allocation they may have for the next few weeks.

 

Back to your original suggestion - Ford is going to build what dealerships order.based on their allocation, priority assigned and order date. If a dealer doesn't manage the customer's expectations, that is on them.

[akirby]

Dealerships pretty much control the build timing, based on their allocation and order priority. It is rare that Ford manages or adjusts the scheduling (exceptions are retail verification vehicles like Hybrids). With quality holds, it is the luck of the draw. Most initial orders are stock units - very few will be retail, unless it is a highly desirable or limited volume vehicle.

Most deaerlships will not track transit status and most use the delivery guides that ford provides for each vehicle line - normally a range like 8-10 weeks. What they may not share with the customer is the limited allocation they may have for the next few weeks.

 

Back to your original suggestion - Ford is going to build what dealerships order.based on their allocation, priority assigned and order date. If a dealer doesn't manage the customer's expectations, that is on them.

 

Obviously if Ford doesn't know it's a presold unit they can't do anything about it. Whether it's Ford or the dealer, somebody needs to make sure that presold units don't get caught in the pre-production quality hold.

 

If I had ordered a 2011 mustang in February and it was verified as built in May but it still had not arrived while others who ordered in May already received theirs - I'd be a little miffed too.

 

If they waited to build pre-sold units until the quality holds were over then that wouldn't happen and the normal ordering/allocation/scheduling rules would apply.

[clavettr]

I ordered my Fusion on March 18 2010 and I'm still waiting. I was told 8-10 weeks, then I was told another month because I ordered a manual. The dealership then went out of business and was bought out by a used car franchise. The said they will still be able to deliver my car because they have Ford Dealers in the franchise. Now I don't know what to think, Ive waited so long that I hate to give in now and get something I don't really want. I'm also concerned that I wont get the 0% financing that they had in March and again in June.

[Grey]

Obviously if Ford doesn't know it's a presold unit they can't do anything about it. Whether it's Ford or the dealer, somebody needs to make sure that presold units don't get caught in the pre-production quality hold.

 

If I had ordered a 2011 mustang in February and it was verified as built in May but it still had not arrived while others who ordered in May already received theirs - I'd be a little miffed too.

 

If they waited to build pre-sold units until the quality holds were over then that wouldn't happen and the normal ordering/allocation/scheduling rules would apply.

 

Ford doesn't set the schedule, dealers do. If a dealership orders a stock unit with a 19 priority and a retail with a 20, the stock unit will be built first (because that is what they indiocated they wanted.) Many vehicles are introduced without lengthly quality holds. They are not going to try to second guess what might happen between stock and retail orders.

 

All dealers have different systems for ordering, Some tell customers when they don't have allocation for this cycle, others don't. Most initial orderw will be stock units and a dealer's allocation may be placed for several weeks out. If the retail customer is in a hurry, they can place a higher priority on their order and attempt to jump ahead of a stock order that has not yet been scheduled. Ford doesn't wait - it builds whatever is next up as long a commodities are available. Knowing what to ask when you order can help you understand where a dealership stands vis-a-vis allocation, priorities and commodities on hold.

[akirby]

Ford doesn't set the schedule, dealers do. If a dealership orders a stock unit with a 19 priority and a retail with a 20, the stock unit will be built first (because that is what they indiocated they wanted.) Many vehicles are introduced without lengthly quality holds. They are not going to try to second guess what might happen between stock and retail orders.

 

All dealers have different systems for ordering, Some tell customers when they don't have allocation for this cycle, others don't. Most initial orderw will be stock units and a dealer's allocation may be placed for several weeks out. If the retail customer is in a hurry, they can place a higher priority on their order and attempt to jump ahead of a stock order that has not yet been scheduled. Ford doesn't wait - it builds whatever is next up as long a commodities are available. Knowing what to ask when you order can help you understand where a dealership stands vis-a-vis allocation, priorities and commodities on hold.

 

I totally understand the whole dealer ordering situation and completely agree. The problem is when the dealer screws up on a retail order it hurts Ford.

One guy cancelled his mustang order and bought a Camaro for the reasons I mentioned above. Others are really pissed that the car they ordered hasn't arrived yet while cars ordered 2 months after theirs is already here. Not saying that's necessarily Ford's fault either.

 

I also understand it's difficult since the order queue is pre-set for months before job 1 and you don't know where the quality holds will end. But there has to be a better way to treat pre-sold vehicles that get caught in a long quality hold. If the hold was only a few days or even a week it would be ok, but some mustangs have been held for almost 2 months.

[Grey]

It is too bad that the Mustanger's don't have a good forum like this one to advise them of the questions to ask when they order a new vehicle. Misunderstandings would be fewer and buyers could make the best decisions for themseves. Buyers who waited two months longer than others should have been told that they were low priority, ordered out of allocation, had commodities that were in short supply, etc. BUT, that is between the dealership and the customer.

 

Like I said before, quality holds don't distinguish between retail and stock orders. When they happen, they happen. Unfortunately, we know more about the system than many sales people, so you have to know what to ask and of whom.

[akirby]

Buyers who waited two months longer than others should have been told that they were low priority, ordered out of allocation, had commodities that were in short supply, etc. BUT, that is between the dealership and the customer.

 

You misunderstood the situation. The cars were built 2 months ago but held for repairs. They were sitting on a vacant lot at the factory just waiting for parts or repairs or re-inspection for 6-8 weeks. The dealers and customers knew where they were but they were not given any type of accurate ETA on when they would be shipped.

 

Delays in building them would be much more understandable. But being built and held for 2 months while new cars get ordered, shipped and delivered just seems wrong.

 

And I'm only talking about the quality holds that take place at job 1 - when Ford knows it's going to hold the first N that are built for inspections and they know the potential exists for those vehicles to be held for weeks awaiting repairs. If there was a way to distinguish pre-sold units and exclude them from these pre-job 1 builds then that would benefit the customers waiting on those vehicles.

[AJS65]

Hi All. Well my Fusion finally came in but when I went to the dealer to see right next to it was a brand new Kona Blue 2011 V6 Mustang. I asked my salesguy can I have that one instead?

 

So needless to say I left the dealership without the 2010 Fusion Sport that I ordered. The Fusion is a great car but the the new Mustang rocks!