If this is truly the reason - that would be ridiculous.
If you were 100% going to buy it, so it's a done-deal, I wonder if it would make a difference.
I mean - what would it matter if it was already sold.
Honestly, for 2023's to be sold on a lot, they need to be supremely discounted.
For Memorial Day I saw one for $10K off, but we're talking about two model years old, getting beat by the sun and elements, and even worse known quality issues that may require the vehicle to go right in for recalls or be repair-ridden soon.
Yes, it's a terrible position for Ford/dealers to be in, but putting the cost onto customers is a problem too.