No updates on 2021 Mach E Orders @Ford

[kennethjk]

I initially thought this was 100% the incompetence of my dealer. I wasn't really looking on sites like this or the other Mach-E groups and absolutely could not understand why I wasn't getting any updates from my dealer and why things weren't moving quicker. Then, after I joined this forum and some other groups, it took a while to sort through information that was accurate and wasn't.

For example, early on as I grew increasingly unhappy with my dealer, I saw people saying on different sites that I could just move my order to a new dealer, no more having to deal with them and still hold my place in line! So after a failed attempt (due to the ADM they wanted) to buy a car on the lot that matched my exact order specs, I was boiling mad and convinced myself that I had to get an email from them saying they'd honor MSRP and XPlan or else I threatened to move my order to another dealer.

Well, moving my order turned out not to be something I actually could do and I probably burned some goodwill through the process with my sales rep and didn't get anything out of it (FWIW, I am comfortable enough with having documentation of the price in as much as I have a signed purchase agreement with price details and I'm a lawyer who's always happy to argue).

Now, many months later and after some conversations with the sales manager where he's expressed that he is just as exasperated as I am at the lack of information available from Ford, I really don't think there is much that is within my dealer's control for this whole situation other than that they could have communicated it all much better to me up front.

at the end of the day when all is said and done probably not much could be done except prioritize a bit better and sacrifice some production. To get older cars out.

I read a lot of car magazines and insider stuff and nothing from Ford about delays other than chip shortages.

but You are right that communicating up front would go a long way to lower the temperature.

ford doesn’t tell its dealers anything and less to us their ultimate customers. Shameful.

I have an alternative car on order from a diff manufacturer and if it comes in first I would consider it which is a shame for Ford because this is my first American car in over 30 years. I always order my cars, never take anything off the lot. I understand shortages but not to be told anything is a crime. It’s like they have never been in business before.

arrogance? I guess since the are oversold, good business practice no.

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[lonndog]

So after a failed attempt (due to the ADM they wanted) to buy a car on the lot that matched my exact order specs...

One more point for my dealer. When we were placing the order (May 15th) and were told then the projected delivery was November, he said if they get one in that was either a dealer inventory item, or someone who decided not to buy, and it matched what we wanted, they'd let us have that, with x-plan pricing.

Note: Hasn't happened yet, but still...

 

[PhoenixGuy]

How much of this is dealer incompetence?

For a few years I have had a business with many dealerships as customers, and I would consider many of the GMs I work with to be partners/friends; including the one at the Ford dealership I ordered my MME 21 through (7/15/21), most recent build date of 12/13/21...been sitting "in production" since 1/4/22.

So I talk with them almost every day about what is going on.

These GMs (not just at Ford) are seeing a brand new world, and are not sure how to handle.

They have decades of experience with: Order as many cars as you financially can, and when they show up start advertising/calling prospects, to get them off the lot as quick as possible.

These are "relationship guys"; who rely on these relationships in all aspects of their business to help when things don't go as they should.

They had <5% of their new car business as "build to order", so they rarely had to deal with this process. They don't have a ready eco-system of relationships to reach out to. They don't know who to reach out to either for answers. They are doing the best they can to find out.

The OEMs (ie, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda) did not see this coming, and are at different levels of change to their systems and dealership support models to help them (and things like chip shortages and seat belt recalls haven't helped).

Bottom line...this is on Ford, not the dealerships!

For my MME order; my GM says "we hear these are delayed by chip shortages". The VVR has no additional insights, his Ford contacts have no additional visibility, and he doesn't know who else to reach out to for more definitive answers (and at this point he is more focused on getting in used cars and selling those).

I am willing to cut Ford some slack as this is a "once in a couple generations shift in buying patterns/supply chains, etc.)" ...but I do know other OEMs are changing processes faster and are handling this better (ie, the production/delivery systems are more reliable with honest reports of delivery dates, help desks specifically for the dealership orders in place, etc.).

I have asked my GM about cancelling my 21 for a 22...he said I will have to start over on delivery, and he has no visibility into 22 deliveries, so it is completely my decision.

So I will wait a little longer; continue to check my order status every day, look at my installed ChargePoint sitting unused in my garage, and read the Forum to help determine what I should do.

Good luck with your decisions.

PS: My suggestion to Ford is take some of the F-150 Lightning advertising $'s and use it for a dealership order help desk.

 

[MachEMomE]

@Ford Motor Company and @Ford Team there are many of us with 2021 Mach E orders that are very frustrated by the multiple delays and the lack of communication regards the same from your company. We have all at different points of time considered, are considering or are beyond walking away from our orders to entertain taking our business to more professional establishments. Some of our major concerns include:

• Getting a 2021 model delivered in the 2022 calendar year. This is a slap in our faces to be getting a car that's already depreciated in value and borderline illegal to build a 2021 model in 2022. Many of us have order dating back to April 2021 and were promised deliveries within a 16-24 week time frame. We are already well beyond any of those windows.
• There are multiple users with order dates well after us that have already received their cars.
• There are also many user with order dates before ours that were converted to 2022 models along with getting a nice credit on their account, not sure how and why we got bumped down the list.
• Our build dates have been pushed back from October to November to finally the week of 12/6/21. After which our cars have been dumped offsite awaiting microchips. There have been no updates from Ford since on when this is going to get resolved. Meanwhile cars continue to get built, assembled and shipped even on the 2022 models.
• We noticed that there was another group from an October build week that is only now getting their vehicles shipped. A similar time frame for would push our deliveries into Aril / May 2022, which is absolutely unacceptable.

You owe all of us some basic answers and updates on our cars. That's the least from a company with a storied legacy to live up to. Don't forget that you are in a very competitive segment of the industry and word of mouth will be big complementary part of your success.

I will let the many other chime about their experiences. When and if contacted by you we can DM you our VIN # and dealership details. We all want you to do the right thing.

We wanted to order one in Nov '21, but were told it would be a 6 to 8 month wait. So, we begrudgingly paid the dealer markup of $5000 and bought the one that was on the lot (just arrived, in the model/ color we wanted). Now, I will keep quiet about the markup, and be happy we have one at all. People have stopped and said it's the first one they've seen. Very few on the road. You have our sympathy! Ford not handling this situation well at all!!

 

[Logal727]

For a few years I have had a business with many dealerships as customers, and I would consider many of the GMs I work with to be partners/friends; including the one at the Ford dealership I ordered my MME 21 through (7/15/21), most recent build date of 12/13/21...been sitting "in production" since 1/4/22.

So I talk with them almost every day about what is going on.

These GMs (not just at Ford) are seeing a brand new world, and are not sure how to handle.

They have decades of experience with: Order as many cars as you financially can, and when they show up start advertising/calling prospects, to get them off the lot as quick as possible.

These are "relationship guys"; who rely on these relationships in all aspects of their business to help when things don't go as they should.

They had <5% of their new car business as "build to order", so they rarely had to deal with this process. They don't have a ready eco-system of relationships to reach out to. They don't know who to reach out to either for answers. They are doing the best they can to find out.

The OEMs (ie, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda) did not see this coming, and are at different levels of change to their systems and dealership support models to help them (and things like chip shortages and seat belt recalls haven't helped).

Bottom line...this is on Ford, not the dealerships!

For my MME order; my GM says "we hear these are delayed by chip shortages". The VVR has no additional insights, his Ford contacts have no additional visibility, and he doesn't know who else to reach out to for more definitive answers (and at this point he is more focused on getting in used cars and selling those).

I am willing to cut Ford some slack as this is a "once in a couple generations shift in buying patterns/supply chains, etc.)" ...but I do know other OEMs are changing processes faster and are handling this better (ie, the production/delivery systems are more reliable with honest reports of delivery dates, help desks specifically for the dealership orders in place, etc.).

I have asked my GM about cancelling my 21 for a 22...he said I will have to start over on delivery, and he has no visibility into 22 deliveries, so it is completely my decision.

So I will wait a little longer; continue to check my order status every day, look at my installed ChargePoint sitting unused in my garage, and read the Forum to help determine what I should do.

Good luck with your decisions.

PS: My suggestion to Ford is take some of the F-150 Lightning advertising $'s and use it for a dealership order help desk.

Maybe with the way inventory is handled now. But I can't forgive the majority of dealers knowing absolutely nothing about the vehicles they sell. I can't feel bad for them if they aren't learning about vehicles when given the opportunity. Walk into any Ford dealer and ask about the MME and hear all the false information given, it's crazy. This obviously isn't an issue with just Ford dealers, just the entire dealership model.

 

[kennethjk]

I called Ford marketing this morning because it’s 45 degrees here in Florida and I am retired so what’s else do I have to do.

my car is still at the factory , not on chip hold and delivery date is TBD. Useless information I get from Ford tracker whenever it works which was not this morning.

last week I contacted Ford thru here and they set up a case to find out more information about my car. No response yet. I wonder who they hire for their internal computer and systems department. Did any of them actually graduate from somewhere. how long does it take to look up why hundreds of cars aren’t being completed at a factory for their premier launch of EV’s

I was asked to complete a survey at the end of my call, I couldn’t give zero because the lowest number was 1.

anyway, another week of refreshing constantly coming up. I truly believe car won’t be delivered until March which may work out great for me since I am still in florida for a while.

still, this is no way to run a company . I can’t imagine the shit show when they start production the F150 EV

 

[kennethjk]

For a few years I have had a business with many dealerships as customers, and I would consider many of the GMs I work with to be partners/friends; including the one at the Ford dealership I ordered my MME 21 through (7/15/21), most recent build date of 12/13/21...been sitting "in production" since 1/4/22.

So I talk with them almost every day about what is going on.

These GMs (not just at Ford) are seeing a brand new world, and are not sure how to handle.

They have decades of experience with: Order as many cars as you financially can, and when they show up start advertising/calling prospects, to get them off the lot as quick as possible.

These are "relationship guys"; who rely on these relationships in all aspects of their business to help when things don't go as they should.

They had <5% of their new car business as "build to order", so they rarely had to deal with this process. They don't have a ready eco-system of relationships to reach out to. They don't know who to reach out to either for answers. They are doing the best they can to find out.

The OEMs (ie, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda) did not see this coming, and are at different levels of change to their systems and dealership support models to help them (and things like chip shortages and seat belt recalls haven't helped).

Bottom line...this is on Ford, not the dealerships!

For my MME order; my GM says "we hear these are delayed by chip shortages". The VVR has no additional insights, his Ford contacts have no additional visibility, and he doesn't know who else to reach out to for more definitive answers (and at this point he is more focused on getting in used cars and selling those).

I am willing to cut Ford some slack as this is a "once in a couple generations shift in buying patterns/supply chains, etc.)" ...but I do know other OEMs are changing processes faster and are handling this better (ie, the production/delivery systems are more reliable with honest reports of delivery dates, help desks specifically for the dealership orders in place, etc.).

I have asked my GM about cancelling my 21 for a 22...he said I will have to start over on delivery, and he has no visibility into 22 deliveries, so it is completely my decision.

So I will wait a little longer; continue to check my order status every day, look at my installed ChargePoint sitting unused in my garage, and read the Forum to help determine what I should do.

Good luck with your decisions.

PS: My suggestion to Ford is take some of the F-150 Lightning advertising $'s and use it for a dealership order help desk.

Wife wife is ecstatic that the car is delayed. She wants me to get a different car anyway.

 

[rohankumar]

Quick update for the group, I was contacted by a Karen Jones who is an executive representative for Ford. She said she is going to work with her team and try and get an update for me on my car by Monday.

Again she could simply report back to say that the car is delayed pending microchip hold but wanted to keep everyone in the loop. Also I couldn't tell you what prompted the formal response whether it's all the emails to Ford, their C suite for customer relations, or the new Vehicle service team or tweeting Mike Levine.

Another update for this group (posted the same update on the 12/6 thread earlier) . I got a call back from Karen Jones earlier today and she stated that according to her update all issues with my car and sorted out and I should expect delivery in around 2-3 weeks. On being specifically asked whether the microchips issue was sorted out she stated that's what she understands. Apparently I still won't be able to see updates on the Ford tracker (for some reason) or on the other useful trackers available on this website.

So even though there was some good news (for everybody who's had their vehicles delayed due to similar issues) I am still skeptical because I was offered nothing concrete. I will contact my dealer by the end of the week and see if he is seeing any changes on his end.

 

[em5quare]

Rohan,

Who is Karen Jones and how do I contact her? Pretty frustrated with my car in production since 12/6 and no progress in sight.

 

[lonndog]

I called Ford marketing this morning...

my car is still at the factory , not on chip hold and delivery date is TBD. Useless information I get from Ford tracker whenever it works which was not this morning.

Dang, said the other TBD guy.

@rohankumar did you happen to ask Karen "So...what about these TBD delivery estimates?" didja?

 

[kennethjk]

Dang, said the other TBD guy.

@rohankumar did you happen to ask Karen "So...what about these TBD delivery estimates?" didja?

I wonder what our cars are saying to each other in the parking lot?
you think my car is saying he wished he were silver not gray Or I hope by battery doesn’t die just sitting around in the Mexican heat?

 

[lonndog]

I wonder what our cars are saying to each other in the parking lot?
you think my car is saying he wished he were silver not gray Or I hope by battery doesn’t die just sitting around in the Mexican heat?

I'm picturing them in an ICU for cars, in an induced coma waiting for that lifesaving transplant.

Thoughts and prayers.

And, true confessions...our car really wanted to be Ice Blue Metallic...so maybe they're both moaning about their paint jobs after all

 

[rohankumar]

Dang, said the other TBD guy.

@rohankumar did you happen to ask Karen "So...what about these TBD delivery estimates?" didja?

I didn't have a chance to bring up the other questions. The call come in very early 7 am PST (or BCT before coffee time) for me so I was barely functional. All I was told was to expect delivery in 2-3 weeks time.
Someone on the forum ran my VIN yesterday and the VVR states vehicle is till sitting in Mexico awaiting microchips, so no change basically since 12/11/21.

 

[lonndog]

I didn't have a chance to bring up the other questions. The call come in very early 7 am PST (or BCT before coffee time) for me so I was barely functional.

I'd have been the same.

All I was told was to expect delivery in 2-3 weeks time. Someone on the forum ran my VIN yesterday and the VVR states vehicle is till sitting in Mexico awaiting microchips, so no change basically since 12/11/21.

Micro chips moving in micro increments. Some day...

 

[kennethjk]

I just spoke to Ford- my car is still in production , no change, but now I have a delivery date of 3/2/22, it was TBD. Ford tracker is not working again for me.

I guess that’s progress.

I asked the person on the phone who was very nice to convey to higher ups the displeasure many people have due to no communication from Ford and how hard it is to stay with a brand that believes it can stay quiet while delays mount . I also asked her to relay that if they have tracker it should work all the time not here and there.

That’s for whatever it’s worth.

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