[MOT]

This post might generate some heat but I’ve been trying to piece together the reservation process and it has left me confused and upset at Ford.

I placed my reservation for a Lightning on 5/20/2021, through Ford’s website, I had to select a dealer without context on how Ford was allocating Lightnings. I assumed it was going to be first come first service according to the order in which the reservations were received on Ford’s website. It appears to be something much more convoluted than that.

I have noticed that some people who placed their reservation after me have already reserved their Lightning. Ford says they delivered 15,000 2022 Lightning trucks. There are approximately 3,000 dealers and my dealer received 5 Lightnings, so does this mean each dealer got 5 vehicles regardless of what order people put in their reservations? I know I’m 33rd on the list at my local dealer but did I mistakenly pick a dealer that received a lot of reservations and only an average allocation? Should I have picked a dealer in a less urban area that might not have gotten as many Lightning orders?

Since I put my reservation in I have been in continual contact with my dealer but from Ford, I have gotten one email in December telling me “Get Ready to Order”. Any other communication with Ford I have had to initiate and it’s either been bad information or finger-pointing. Here is a sample of some of the contact I have had with Ford.

A Ford rep told me that the tax credit was not an issue because only 15,000 Lightnings have been sold so far and the limit was 200,000 before the tax credit started to go away. I didn’t even bother trying to explain how this was wrong.

Another rep told me I needed to log into the Ford website, configure a Lightning and then hit the “Get Updates” button and I would get an email in a few days telling me I could order.

In an online chat with a Ford rep, I was told that it was the dealer's fault the price of the 2023 Lightning was increasing by $8500 and I need to take it up with them.
At this point, the price of the Lightning has effectively increased by 25% due to the loss of tax credits, Ford raising the price on Lightning models along with increasing the price of most options.

I’ve owned multiple Fords over the years and my wife was looking at trading in her Model Y for a Mach-E but this experience has soured me on Ford. For now, I’m going to keep feeding my 2015 F-150 dino-juice.

-Tom

 

[jodgey]

It’s not a good process, that’s for sure. Leaves a lot to be desired. I reserved at like midnight may 19 and am still 22 on the list. i think they put their full 25 preferred reservations before mine.
sorry to hear you are frustrated enough to bail on it. Losing the credit sure does hurt In addition to the price hike. All knowing that solid state batteries are on the way in like 4-5 years, god willing.

 

[Kiddushin]

I was a day nine reservation. Switched dealers and that moved me to the back of the line. I wish I had known that.

 

[MOT]

jodgey
Thanks. I needed to vent a bit. Ford has been sloppy with this rollout.
I'm not a Telsa fanboy, frankly, it's hard to like a company that is run by a narcissistic sociopath. Our model Y order date was updated a dozen times but at least they were communicative, which is not something Telsa is normally good with.
I wanted Ford to be better. I know they can be better.

 

[MOT]

I was a day nine reservation. Switched dealers and that moved me to the back of the line. I wish I had known that.

It's hard to know anything about this process. Ford has not been clear about how and when reservations are converted to orders.
Worse is Ford has people in customer relations that clearly have no idea what's going on.

 

[Ford Thunder]

Putting rhyme and reason on Ford system will be a frustrating exercise.

I stopped trying and just told my dealer. Whenever and whatever. They have no idea too.

 

[HellBoy]

I sense a lot of people failed to read the terms and conditions of the reservation…!

 

[Voltz]

Ford says they delivered 15,000 2022 Lightning trucks.

Where did they say that?

 

[MOT]

Putting rhyme and reason on Ford system will be a frustrating exercise.

I stopped trying and just told my dealer. Whenever and whatever. They have no idea too.

This also bothers me. Ford asked me if I wanted to pass my issues along to the dealer. I feel like they are trying to throw the dealers under the bus. I know there are some dirty dealers out there and my dealer hasn't been perfect but they have been transparent. In fact, the sales manager has been nice enough to let me drive anything when it comes in. When they got their first Bronco he let me take it out for almost an hour. They also go in a base with no options Pro Lightning, I wasn't sure who it was for or if it was a demo vehicle, they let me take it out for an hour. I have a standing deal with them for when the Lightning comes in, sticker price, no more, no less... this is fine with me... clear.

 

[Ford Thunder]

I sense a lot of people failed to read the terms and conditions of the reservation…!

Unless you are suing, you'll never hear this from a company who is interested to have a satisfied and happy customer.

If you have dealt with Toyota, then you'll know what I mean.

 

[MOT]

Where did they say that?

Ford stated in 2021 they wanted to produce only 15,000 2022 Lightnings. As of the beginning of August, it looks like they have delivered close to 5,000. I'm unsure if Ford will continue further deliveries under the 2022 model year.

 

[zamboti2013]

Ford stated in 2021 they wanted to produce only 15,000 2022 Lightnings. As of the beginning of August, it looks like they have delivered close to 5,000. I'm unsure if Ford will continue further deliveries under the 2022 model year.

Yes the experience by Jim Farley to attract new customers to Ford needs 3 things to align: Product-People-Process. So far 1 out of 3. My dealer is nice and hopefully I can order in early September as I reserved 10.32pm on 5/19/2021. It's very disappointing to see people getting delivered their Lightning which was reserved many months later. Ford should honor the fair process of first come first serve. Maybe honor 2022 prices for those 1st day reservation holders too.

 

[bcdevkota]

Don't know if it makes you feel better, but I was clicking the button repeatedly to reserve the truck on the day of announcement/opening of reservations. I dont remember the day, but it was 9pm eastern, and I was online at that time placing the order. Not knowing any better I picked the closest Ford Dealership in Northern VA, which is a pretty densely populated area. I ended up being the second delivery of a lightning for the local dealership. Hindsight 20/20, I would have picked a rural dealer, because mine told me they were only allocated 5.

 

[jodgey]

Yes the experience by Jim Farley to attract new customers to Ford needs 3 things to align: Product-People-Process. So far 1 out of 3. My dealer is nice and hopefully I can order in early September as I reserved 10.32pm on 5/19/2021. It's very disappointing to see people getting delivered their Lightning which was reserved many months later. Ford should honor the fair process of first come first serve. Maybe honor 2022 prices for those 1st day reservation holders too.

The thing I don’t really like is Ford allowed 25 priority reservations To each dealer with over 100 reservations. That’s 25 people getting to skip the line for no reason other than dealer discretion, for a year where most dealerships got 5 allocations. Greenway, one of the biggest dealerships on the eastern seaboard got like 15 allocations. I’m not a smart man, but that math is kind of shitty if you are looking for fair.

 

[MOT]

Don't know if it makes you feel better, but I was clicking the button repeatedly to reserve the truck on the day of announcement/opening of reservations. I dont remember the day, but it was 9pm eastern, and I was online at that time placing the order. Not knowing any better I picked the closest Ford Dealership in Northern VA, which is a pretty densely populated area. I ended up being the second delivery of a lightning for the local dealership. Hindsight 20/20, I would have picked a rural dealer, because mine told me they were only allocated 5.

Another NOVA person! I am in Vienna,VA. My dealer is Ted Britt.

 

[HellBoy]

Unless you are suing, you'll never hear this from a company who is interested to have a satisfied and happy customer.

If you have dealt with Toyota, then you'll know what I mean.

hey I read the T&Cs, understood how it was going to work, worked with my dealer and SURPRISE - I have a 2022 Lightning parked in my garage…! So no concerns or issues here at all…

 

[MOT]

hey I read the T&Cs, understood how it was going to work, worked with my dealer and SURPRISE - I have a 2022 Lightning parked in my garage…! So no concerns or issues here at all…

Good for you.

 

[EV OLVE]

I found out who 2 of the 25 people were that got me bumped on my May 19th 703pm order. 1 was the General Manager of the dealership, the other was Nick Carter. who didnt even take delivery, now that Lariat has a 50k ADM on it

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

Darren Palmer, of Ford, admits that they went into this whole thing a little naive. All of their research had led them to believe that maybe 20,000 was a good number to shoot for - they were not ready for the onslaught of reservations, and probably had not built a reservations system designed to handle it. Maybe it would have worked o.k. for a much small number of reservations, but when they finally stopped taking them when they had already reached over 200,000, it was too late to make everyone happy.

I get that they had to appease not only us customers, but also their dealer base. They wanted their dealers to be involved, but they also wanted to manage the majority of the process. They new that not only did they need to produce customer vehicles, but also a DEMO Lightning for each and every eCertified dealer - that's 2,800 or more.
They also had included FLEET customers, who might order 3 at a time, or 300 at a time. Then they had to decide not only when to ship dealer DEMOs, but also when to build those Fleet orders, at the same time while trying to keep the 'retail' customer's builds happening along the way.

I'm one of those 'first' reservations placed, and fortunately one of those 'first' order invitations way back in January. My dealer now tells me that they have 3 other reservations still active, but have no idea if any of those will receive an invitation to order for 2023. My PRO arriving this week will be special. Not only because it is in Iced Blue Silver, which we now know is a '2022 only' color, but it is also the only known retail PRO coming to Georgia. It is also recognized now that even if someone else in Georgia gets an invitation for a 2023 model PRO, Ford has said that those will only arrive NEXT fall, meaning that my Georgia PRO will be the only one riding the roads for a YEAR...that is just crazy, and not MY plan, but apparently Ford's. I know I can't be the only customer who ordered a 2022 PRO in Georgia, but it is looking that way. I'm not happy that others don't get the same option, and I'm not happy mine has taken SO LONG to be built, and to be delivered, the waiting is just maddening, and yet I feel for everyone else who feels left out. I will enjoy it, but I will also continue to suffer with those who will continue to wait impatiently for who knows how long. Yes, it IS a crazy time.

 

[ChasingCoral]

This post might generate some heat but I’ve been trying to piece together the reservation process and it has left me confused and upset at Ford.

I placed my reservation for a Lightning on 5/20/2021, through Ford’s website, I had to select a dealer without context on how Ford was allocating Lightnings. I assumed it was going to be first come first service according to the order in which the reservations were received on Ford’s website. It appears to be something much more convoluted than that.

I have noticed that some people who placed their reservation after me have already reserved their Lightning. Ford says they delivered 15,000 2022 Lightning trucks. There are approximately 3,000 dealers and my dealer received 5 Lightnings, so does this mean each dealer got 5 vehicles regardless of what order people put in their reservations? I know I’m 33rd on the list at my local dealer but did I mistakenly pick a dealer that received a lot of reservations and only an average allocation? Should I have picked a dealer in a less urban area that might not have gotten as many Lightning orders?

Since I put my reservation in I have been in continual contact with my dealer but from Ford, I have gotten one email in December telling me “Get Ready to Order”. Any other communication with Ford I have had to initiate and it’s either been bad information or finger-pointing. Here is a sample of some of the contact I have had with Ford.

A Ford rep told me that the tax credit was not an issue because only 15,000 Lightnings have been sold so far and the limit was 200,000 before the tax credit started to go away. I didn’t even bother trying to explain how this was wrong.

Another rep told me I needed to log into the Ford website, configure a Lightning and then hit the “Get Updates” button and I would get an email in a few days telling me I could order.

In an online chat with a Ford rep, I was told that it was the dealer's fault the price of the 2023 Lightning was increasing by $8500 and I need to take it up with them.
At this point, the price of the Lightning has effectively increased by 25% due to the loss of tax credits, Ford raising the price on Lightning models along with increasing the price of most options.

I’ve owned multiple Fords over the years and my wife was looking at trading in her Model Y for a Mach-E but this experience has soured me on Ford. For now, I’m going to keep feeding my 2015 F-150 dino-juice.

-Tom

Have you read the Dealer's Playbook to help understand the original order to conversion process?

2022 F-150 Lightning Delivery Dates Updated In Dealer...

This leaked 30-page Ford dealer playbook on preparing for the F-150 Lightning order bank opening reveals some interesting info. Like how Platinum and Lariat models will arrive Summer 2022, while the XLT is set for Fall 2022 and lastly the Pro in Fall 2023. It also lists pricing that seems...

www.lightningowners.com

Another thing has become clear. Ford made sure to dribble the trucks out across the dealers in the first year, making sure to deliver to all 50 states and DC. I suspect past truck sales and number of Lightning reservations will have more of an influence on Lightning allocations in 2023. Hopefully, reservation order will be high in Ford's priority system. We'll probably never know Ford's exact algorithm.