Ford production-Reality check

[mrmustang]

I'll premise this with the following: We are all wound up and frustrated waiting for our Expeditions to be built, or finished, or delivered. Lots of good information out there, also lots of minor miscommunication or misinformation being spread. This following is just my view, sitting on my couch this AM, awaiting my currently scheduled production week (3rd week in May) to come to possible fruition.


Expeditions are being built on a daily basis, what you are confusing is the future production schedule, which Ford has yet to determine based on what they are hearing from their supply chain. In other words, Ford has scheduled out current production lines (that is 3 shifts, 6-7 days a week) approximately 6 weeks, to the end of May. As reported by a Ford employee "220 per shift, 2,640 a week", or roughly 15,840 Expeditions. This is what they project they have enough incoming parts from outside suppliers to build in the next 6 weeks.

Mine is one of those, I went in to this knowing that I might not see it for 6 months, as I have special ordered vehicles before, not always for myself, but ordered them just the same. I check online every 5-7 days, have called my dealer once since placing my order, in January, and Ford customer service/marketing twice. My dealer has contacted me twice as they find out information or updates. I do speak and email with several contacts within Ford a few times a month, but speak in general terms, and not "what is going on with my Expedition". Given the state of the world right now, I remain patient, calm, cool, and collected. There are things out of my control, and I realize this, having been on the opposite end of such things in the past (running a production based business, or selling retail fire suppression systems for race vehicles).......Some things are just out of others control purview, expecting Ford marketing/customer service to have all the answers is just unrealistic at this point.

In closing, as others have said, take a step back, a deep breath, and relax. If you thinking jumping ship and ordering from GM, BMW, Toyota, Porsche, or anyone else will get you a SUV built faster, think again....This is a global issue, we are just seeing a small part of it with the Expedition line.........


Bill

 

[Maxine the Max]

I was in Indiana for my class reunion last month. My hometown is near a GM truck plant. Guess what was sitting out in rows on an empty lot? Rows, and rows of new pickups waiting for parts. It's everywhere.

 

[balthisar]

And I live in SE Michigan, where we have plants from all of the Big 3. There are Fords, Chryslers, and GMs parked everywhere awaiting bits and pieces, except Dearborn, where people keep stealing the Raptors (a bit of hyperbole on that last one).

 

[Rob6805]

And I live in SE Michigan, where we have plants from all of the Big 3. There are Fords, Chryslers, and GMs parked everywhere awaiting bits and pieces, except Dearborn, where people keep stealing the Raptors (a bit of hyperbole on that last one).

Stealing Raptors from Dearborn Truck and Stealing GT500's from Flat Rock.

 

[country girl]

I'll premise this with the following: We are all wound up and frustrated waiting for our Expeditions to be built, or finished, or delivered. Lots of good information out there, also lots of minor miscommunication or misinformation being spread. This following is just my view, sitting on my couch this AM, awaiting my currently scheduled production week (3rd week in May) to come to possible fruition.


Expeditions are being built on a daily basis, what you are confusing is the future production schedule, which Ford has yet to determine based on what they are hearing from their supply chain. In other words, Ford has scheduled out current production lines (that is 3 shifts, 6-7 days a week) approximately 6 weeks, to the end of May. As reported by a Ford employee "220 per shift, 2,640 a week", or roughly 15,840 Expeditions. This is what they project they have enough incoming parts from outside suppliers to build in the next 6 weeks.

Mine is one of those, I went in to this knowing that I might not see it for 6 months, as I have special ordered vehicles before, not always for myself, but ordered them just the same. I check online every 5-7 days, have called my dealer once since placing my order, in January, and Ford customer service/marketing twice. My dealer has contacted me twice as they find out information or updates. I do speak and email with several contacts within Ford a few times a month, but speak in general terms, and not "what is going on with my Expedition". Given the state of the world right now, I remain patient, calm, cool, and collected. There are things out of my control, and I realize this, having been on the opposite end of such things in the past (running a production based business, or selling retail fire suppression systems for race vehicles).......Some things are just out of others control purview, expecting Ford marketing/customer service to have all the answers is just unrealistic at this point.

In closing, as others have said, take a step back, a deep breath, and relax. If you thinking jumping ship and ordering from GM, BMW, Toyota, Porsche, or anyone else will get you a SUV built faster, think again....This is a global issue, we are just seeing a small part of it with the Expedition line.........


Bill

How long is long enough of being patient, though? I think I am reaching that point! Ordered mine on 12/10, and still have not received it. It has been sitting waiting for delivery since 5/29.

 

[mrmustang]

How long is long enough of being patient, though? I think I am reaching that point! Ordered mine on 12/10, and still have not received it. It has been sitting waiting for delivery since 5/29.

What did you order?
If it is something they are awaiting parts from a 3rd party vendor, then it's not something they have control of. Commodity issues are affecting each and every automotive manufacturer on the planet right now.
So again, you'll have to sit back, and decide to give up your order and let the dealer have it for inventory, or take that deep breath, a step back, and await the supply chain to filter the parts needed to finish yours.
Believe me, it's well worth the wait.

Bill

 

[country girl]

What did you order?
If it is something they are awaiting parts from a 3rd party vendor, then it's not something they have control of. Commodity issues are affecting each and every automotive manufacturer on the planet right now.
So again, you'll have to sit back, and decide to give up your order and let the dealer have it for inventory, or take that deep breath, a step back, and await the supply chain to filter the parts needed to finish yours.
Believe me, it's well worth the wait.

Bill

It is waiting on nothing, but to be shipped. I was told that when I called Ford, and that is what my dealer told me.

 

[Deadman]

Just go buy one off a lot. They do exist.

 

[Fastcar]

Just go buy one off a lot. They do exist.

Maybe or maybe not. I've read that if a dealer has one that has one or both of the recalls not completed they are not to be sold. Since ford isn't sending wiper parts kinda hard to do the recall.

 

[CGalex]

Just go buy one off a lot. They do exist.

You gotta hunt online and be willing to possibly travel outside your area, but yes they do. my order is going on 3 weeks of chip hold with no end in sight. As soon as it went from in production to chip hold I started pinging every dealer in state until I found a limited 4x4 with either stealth or performance stealth. It took a few days, but I found a 4x4 dark matter gray limited max with stealth and HD tow pack same as my ordered stone blue stealth. The one I found had even more pack options as well as having the hands free lift gate still intact that was removed from my order. I obviously went up in price with a max and the other options not on my original regular limited order, but I like the extra cargo of max and the added options (CCD sport tune and 3.73 EDLS and cargo management) are nice haves. The real plus is being in my driveway and not sitting at KTP until end of time.

 

[rd618]

You gotta hunt online and be willing to possibly travel outside your area, but yes they do. my order is going on 3 weeks of chip hold with no end in sight. As soon as it went from in production to chip hold I started pinging every dealer in state until I found a limited 4x4 with either stealth or performance stealth. It took a few days, but I found a 4x4 dark matter gray limited max with stealth and HD tow pack same as my ordered stone blue stealth. The one I found had even more pack options as well as having the hands free lift gate still intact that was removed from my order. I obviously went up in price with a max and the other options not on my original regular limited order, but I like the extra cargo of max and the added options (CCD sport tune and 3.73 EDLS and cargo management) are nice haves. The real plus is being in my driveway and not sitting at KTP until end of time.

What was the price difference? It’s all about opportunity cost, for some it’s worth it to wait and save $5k than spend the extra to have it “now”. for others they need something now and the extra money is acceptable expense.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

What was the price difference? It’s all about opportunity cost, for some it’s worth it to wait and save $5k than spend the extra to have it “now”. for others they need something now and the extra money is acceptable expense.

Need and want are very different things. No one needs an $60-85k SUV let alone one that may carry up to a 25% markup on top of that. If you're buying one of these new now either you have very deep pockets or a very low IQ.

 

[CGalex]

What was the price difference? It’s all about opportunity cost, for some it’s worth it to wait and save $5k than spend the extra to have it “now”. for others they need something now and the extra money is acceptable expense.

went from 73K on my ordered Limited to to 80K for Limited Max(with extra stuff not on order). we had already sold our other family car thinking new one would be here by JUL/AUG and were down to just my Jeep Rubicon for 2 drivers, so ran the numbers and the extra $102 on the monthly payment buying the 80K now vs waiting for our order was worth it to have 2 cars again, now rather than who knows when with chip hold and shipping delays. the bump was a bit of a shock since I had such a good price lock but once I broke it down to how much more is my monthly, the shock wasnt as bad.

 

[JohnSC]

Need and want are very different things. No one needs an $60-85k SUV let alone one that may carry up to a 25% markup on top of that. If you're buying one of these new now either you have very deep pockets or a very low IQ.

You are probably at least partially correct, but there are some things a vehicle in this class can do that very few other vehicles can accomplish - hauling your choice of 7 people or a 9000 pound trailer (although not at the same time unless most of the people are very small) and comfortably cruise the interstates for hours. And the other options that are capable of this combination have different compromises.

Yes it may be an expensive time to buy one due to world issues, but in my case the financials are finally working so I can buy a new car. And I assure you I have neither a low IQ nor terribly deep pockets - it is simply that timing is dictating that this is the year to do it.

Be nice....

 

[bjjford]

It is waiting on nothing, but to be shipped. I was told that when I called Ford, and that is what my dealer told me.

Did you receive yours and when? Mine has been awaiting shipment since early September. Just sitting in a rail yard. Expected arrival is this week but have heard nothing. Getting impatient myself!

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

Wow. I thought I had it bad. I've been waiting for a '22 hybrid F150. Ordered in March, VIN'd and stickered in first week of September, dropped out of trim selectivity at Dearborn Truck 9/14/22 and still not complete. I have a friend whose '22 F150 Tremor was completed the first week of September and still hasn't received it in Ames, IA. My ford friends are guestimating a February, '23 delivery for me.

For those of us who remember the Soviet Union....one of it's defining characteristics was a combination of shortages and rationing (in addition to Totalitarianism, suspect voting machinery and censorship). New vehicles would sometime take more than a year to deliver.....a fact that seemed perplexing to Americans at the time.....Socialism is as Socialism does.