Dealers seem to know nothing. I've had everyone from my dealer to the head sales manager contact Ford and they have no information for them. I even contact Ford customer experience and last thing I was told weeks ago was they are working on the lot where mine is stored. Nothing since.
Roger ALL that. I contact my dealer 2-3 times a week and bitch. Then he contacts his Area Rep, who tells him to shut up and color (as we say in the Military). They give him (and therefore he gives me likewise) NO information of any value. No reason....no hope....no "light at the end of the tunnel". Just "get in line", 100s or 1000s in the "same boat". No reason or rhyme as to EXACTLY why.....though someone else posted on the many possible reasons (chip shortage, shipping issues, factory shutdowns, dealer priority, customer order priority, options ordered, etc.). Yea, I've contacted Ford itself once or twice a week. They just keep telling me every time a window "comes and goes" that those are only ESTIMATES. And when I beg them for specifics, they give me this generic/lame "could be LOW volume to your area, could be HIGH volume to your area or could be factory volume issues". In other words, just a kind of generic catch-all. My windows since my 14 March build date (blend date 1 March, in production 2 March, invoiced 9 March, built 14 March) have been "arriving 3-8 April" ....then "arriving 24-29 April"....then "arriving 2-8 May"....and before 8 May even came, they changed to "now arriving 14-20 May". Those, after the initial promise of 8-12 weeks (which would have been about 1 April as I recall....as in, that was just an April Fools joke on me!). Every day....I check multiple times (when the stupid tracker is working, which half the time....it isn't)....for any update on FINALLY shipped. For almost two months now (14 May will be two months), I've dutifully checked 2-3 times a day.....called my dealer....called Ford....over and over and over....ad nauseum. As the band Lonestar says in one of their hit songs, "No News".
Two of the things that bothers me the most is knowing the car is sitting outside (no doubt).....ever since March 14 build date (at least, so they tell me)....so if it rains.....if it hails......whatever the weather, I'm guessing it's exposed? Just sitting out there in the elements. Sure, I know.....if you buy one off the lot, it's been sitting in the elements for who knows how long....maybe a LONGGGG time. I get that. But here's a car that's built....READY TO SHIP.....READY TO BE SOLD.....nothing holding it back OTHER THAN SHIPPING....and for two months now, they refuse to ship it. Something tells me they aint "washin' and waxin" those 100s or 1000s of vehicles sitting in the weather day after day either. And as I keep saying, based on my F350 experience last year, EVEN IF/WHEN they ship, the "agony" isn't necessarily over. As I keep saying, we waited OVER a month for that F350 to get here. It sat in the rail yard in Atlanta (went from wherever they build F350s to Atlanta via rail) for exactly ONE MONTH. Then finally a truck brought it to the dealer in mere hours from Atlanta (180 miles from me). So even if they shipped TODAY, doesn't mean I'll get it ANY TIME SOON.
I literally have....since ordering 8 January:
1. Gotten 3 loans.....the third is about to come and go 26 May and require me to get another one...
2. Which has led all the previous times to rising interest rates (started with 2.04%, then went to 2.44% and now currently...until 26 May....sitting at 2.54%). Now ...I'm about to face ANOTHER interest hike...which means for the life of the loan, I'm paying more
3. I sold my other car, thinking I was getting this one in "8-12 weeks" like the dealer promised. I ordered 8 Jan. I sold the other car (to that same dealer) on 11 January (hey, at least.....that story began VERY positive....i got $3000 MORE than I paid for that car TWO YEARS BEFORE THEN when it was brand new!). I've been without a 2nd car now since 11 Jan. I was prepared to MAYBE go "8-12" weeks. It's now been, OVER 4 MONTHS. I need that 2nd car.....NOW.....YESTERDAY...ASAP. (not whenever the whims of Ford Motor Company might someday decide to ship)
4. Lost my job.....wondered if I still should even get this car
5. Got another job.....so know ....yes, getting the car is no problem
6. Lost my dog
7. Put another 10,000 miles on my first car...which IS part of the deal ....as a tradein. Am I still going to get the same offer made to me 8 January for that car with 10,000 more miles on it.....4 (now) or 5 or 6 or whatever/however many months later?
8. Which now, due to those extra 10,000 miles.....desperately needs new tires
9. Winter turned to Spring.....has now turned to Summer....in the deep South
10. The next model year is starting to loom on the Horizon...with talk of the new Sync 4 making me wonder................
In other words, A LOT OF LIFE....has passed by already during this ridiculous wait. And there's no end in sight..............................
IF I ever get this car, and I have VERY, VERY SERIOUS doubts at this point, I've had it with Ford's ordering process. "Fool me once (F350 last year), shame on you.....fool me twice (2022 Ford Explorer ST this year), shame on me". There absolutely, positively will NOT ever be a third time with Ford. IF I can wait this nightmare out, I'm through with Ford and their BS ordering process...........
When we in the Military are dealing with the VA for disability issues, there's a sad joke that the Veteran might die before his appeal is decided (if they reject you initially on your case and you appeal).....it takes THAT long often when dealing with the VA board. Sadly, Ford seems to be attempting to compete with the VA for ineptitude in efficiency on their ordering process? I'm not getting any younger...........ship the damn thing!!!!!!!!!!!
