[ABaraka]

IS THIS NORMAL? We're septembre 5 and nothing new.
To ensure your complete satisfaction, we will require additional time before your 2022 F-150 Lightning LARIAT is delivered to DEALERXXX.. Your vehicle’s previous estimated delivery range of August 9, 2022, and August 15, 2022, has been updated to between August 19, 2022, and August 25, 2022.

We will continue to keep you informed regarding your vehicle’s estimated time of delivery.

Thank you.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

IS THIS NORMAL? We're septembre 5 and nothing new.
To ensure your complete satisfaction, we will require additional time before your 2022 F-150 Lightning LARIAT is delivered to DEALERXXX.. Your vehicle’s previous estimated delivery range of August 9, 2022, and August 15, 2022, has been updated to between August 19, 2022, and August 25, 2022.

We will continue to keep you informed regarding your vehicle’s estimated time of delivery.

Thank you.

Yes....happens to a lot of folks. Be thankful they are giving you updates.

 

[Joseywales]

I'm in the same boat. Could be worse... at least a truck is being delivered.

 

[CDT]

I had the same thing happen. Not sure what the delay was but everything is great with my truck.

 

[Joseywales]

I had the same thing happen. Not sure what the delay was but everything is great with my truck.

Mine is just sitting in a transpo lot in ATL. Has been for like a week. Just a victim of the supply chain. Life happens.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

it's probably a train delay, which is something out of Ford's control. They don't handle shipping/delivery, they farm that out to a third-party company/train that takes it from the factory area to your closest off-loading rail yard, etc. Mine made it's way on Norfolk Southern pretty efficiently from MI to GA over several days, to Atlanta airport's main 'breakdown' yard, then over a few miles to it's only 'Auto Rail' unloading yard, unloaded the next day to the parking lot's 'numbered' space, where it was then scheduled for a transport delivery, several days later, to my dealer. I watched it arrive, watched it get unloaded, and took it home an hour later.

to your aggravation about how 'long' these train cars 'sit' in a yard, yes, we don't understand this ourselves, but trains don't just bring a single car to a destination, they wait until they have a 'full train' to go to a certain region, state, or rail yard. The same happens when the truck is unloaded at it's final 'auto rail yard'. The transport co won't bring it by itself to the dealer, they'll wait and schedule it when that dealer, or a set of dealers in a string of stops on the same day, has a FULL load.

 

[Joseywales]

it's probably a train delay, which is something out of Ford's control. They don't handle shipping/delivery, they farm that out to a third-party company/train that takes it from the factory area to your closest off-loading rail yard, etc. Mine made it's way on Norfolk Southern pretty efficiently from MI to GA over several days, to Atlanta airport's main 'breakdown' yard, then over a few miles to it's only 'Auto Rail' unloading yard, unloaded the next day to the parking lot's 'numbered' space, where it was then scheduled for a transport delivery, several days later, to my dealer. I watched it arrive, watched it get unloaded, and took it home an hour later.

to your aggravation about how 'long' these train cars 'sit' in a yard, yes, we don't understand this ourselves, but trains don't just bring a single car to a destination, they wait until they have a 'full train' to go to a certain region, state, or rail yard. The same happens when the truck is unloaded at it's final 'auto rail yard'. The transport co won't bring it by itself to the dealer, they'll wait and schedule it when that dealer, or a set of dealers in a string of stops on the same day, has a FULL load.

DUDE! That's exactly what's going on. It's been in the numbered spot for about a week. Not upset about anything, just excited. Life could be worse.

Thanks for the process overview!

 

[THEsocalledfan]

it's probably a train delay, which is something out of Ford's control. They don't handle shipping/delivery, they farm that out to a third-party company/train that takes it from the factory area to your closest off-loading rail yard, etc. Mine made it's way on Norfolk Southern pretty efficiently from MI to GA over several days, to Atlanta airport's main 'breakdown' yard, then over a few miles to it's only 'Auto Rail' unloading yard, unloaded the next day to the parking lot's 'numbered' space, where it was then scheduled for a transport delivery, several days later, to my dealer. I watched it arrive, watched it get unloaded, and took it home an hour later.

to your aggravation about how 'long' these train cars 'sit' in a yard, yes, we don't understand this ourselves, but trains don't just bring a single car to a destination, they wait until they have a 'full train' to go to a certain region, state, or rail yard. The same happens when the truck is unloaded at it's final 'auto rail yard'. The transport co won't bring it by itself to the dealer, they'll wait and schedule it when that dealer, or a set of dealers in a string of stops on the same day, has a FULL load.

Warning, a bit off topic.....but educational since I think a lot of you probably are not in rural areas.

When I was a kid growing up in North Dakota, railroads would drop off a few cars at each little town elevator for filling with grain. Then, they'd come back, and go town to town picking up the loaded cars until a complete train and take them to market. At one point, the railroads got smart and realized how inefficient that was. They quite dropping cars, and forcing the elevator operators to built giant "unitrain" elevators at regional locations. Now, to this day, railroads literally drop 110 cars at one elevator, and they fill them all. Then, they hitch up and pull them to market. It is an incredibly efficient system. Many of the little elevators still exist, but they load their grain into semis who take it to the unitrain elevator. Farmers typically get a little higher price if they take product directly to the unitrain elevator.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

I can imagine... and I've learned a lot of interesting facts about railroading, although more than I really wanted to know! Trains are the cheapest movement of goods, but come with a lot of risk of 'unknown' dates of arrival - Trucking, though, is straight to your door, but, of course, a lot more expensive.

 

[tmbev]

My Lightning Lariat was ordered on 04/16.
It was shipped on 09/03.
It was delivered by rail to the railyard a few miles from the dealership on 09/09.
I then received a call estimating a delivery to me on 09/14.
On 09/20 they sent an email delaying until 10/10 - 10/16.
On 10/18 (two days after the last estimated delivery window) they emailed estimating a new delivery window of 11/10 - 11/16.
I have received 0 communications from Ford about what is going on. I have tried calling to ask. They won't tell me a single thing other than it is on a quality hold.

 

[ChasingCoral]

They won't tell me a single thing other than it is on a quality hold.

This is critical information. It sounds like Ford has identified something that has them concerned about your vehicle and so they have placed it on a quality hold. That probably means they are testing some models with a component like yours to determine if there is an issue that needs to be resolved before delivery to the customer (you), or they have identified a part that needs replacing (hardware or software). This is usually done at the dealership. Ford or the dealer may be choosing to hold it at the rail yard rather than take up space at the dealership while the issue awaits resolution.

 

[tmbev]

This is critical information. It sounds like Ford has identified something that has them concerned about your vehicle and so they have placed it on a quality hold. That probably means they are testing some models with a component like yours to determine if there is an issue that needs to be resolved before delivery to the customer (you), or they have identified a part that needs replacing (hardware or software). This is usually done at the dealership. Ford or the dealer may be choosing to hold it at the rail yard rather than take up space at the dealership while the issue awaits resolution.

Thanks for your thoughts ChasingCoral.
Unfortunately the problem is communication and an action plan. While what you are describing sounds plausible, it's all still conjecture. If Ford would communicate what is going on and the steps they are taking to resolve it, conjecture would not be needed. Leaving customers guessing by not proactively providing information is bad, bad business. Completely blowing off your customer when they call on their own to get information, pointing at the dealership, and then the dealership pointing back at Ford, is even worse business.

 

[Terraphobic]

@tmbev - I'm going through the exact same issue. Been delivered via train to a lot down the road on September 8th, the latest update is Dec 6-12. Everyone pointing fingers but no answers other than it's on a stop shipment. Had I not actively called the dealer or Ford I would have no information at all, and all they tell me is what I can get from the Ford tracking website. No clue how you get away with running a business like this...

 

[Terraphobic]

At 5PM on 11-14-22 my vehicle showed an estimated delivery of 12-6 to 12-12. At 7PM it showed 11-12 to 11-18. Next morning (11-15) I received an email from Ford saying "finish your purchase" and about an hour later the dealer emailed me the vehicle just arrived at their lot. Tracking system leaves a bit to be desired...but picking it up this morning!

 

[Voltz]

I received an email from Ford saying "finish your purchase" and about an hour later the dealer emailed me the vehicle just arrived at their lot.

Congratulations, maybe you'll see this. I suggest that you go through the "Finish Your Purchase" process available through that email. Select option to send the deal to the dealer and screenshot it or print it. It saved me several hundred dollars (price-protected shipping and dealer paperwork fee increases) from the one they had created in their system.

Also, make sure they give you credit for your deposit and $100 Reservation Fee. They "couldn't see it in their system" even though all deposit money goes directly to the dealer of your choice.