Build Complete/Delivery Time Lag

Longboard, I am in the same boat as you. My van per ford was to be built priority 01 on 12/1/14 and scheduled to be delivered to the dealer between 12/15/14 and 12/22/14. My van was built 12/2/14 on 12/5/14 the shipping changed to be picked up by the shipper 12/20/14 and delivered to the dealer 12/26/14. On 12/22/14 I stopped at the dealership to see what I needed to have together to get my van and my sales man said it did not ship yet. Every slot for the shipping of my van has changed to TBD with absolutely NO explanation from ford again!!! Just talked to my salesman no change! Ford Customer Care was supposed to call me yesterday with an update. NOTHING!!!! It has been 21 weeks and a day (148 days) Since I ordered my van with supposedly nothing to delay it. By the way the new joke is whether or not I will have to make my first payment on my van 2/12/15 before I receive it since I had to pay for it on 12/29/14 for Tax purposes.

Same for me built Dec.2 delivery Dec.15 changed to the week of Dec.25-31, then to be determined. Now they tell me it has just been released from ford waiting for transportation. Customer care said they can not help me once it has been released for transport but will call back on Tuesday if they can find anything else out for me. They did tell me that they were told that there is a shortage of train cars that is causing problems.

If you have a medium or high roof Transit, the railroad has to have the special rail car to get them loaded. Ford does have knowledge of which rail carrier is transporting your vehicle as well as the dealer. They can give you the rail company and the rail car number it was loaded on at the plant. From there, it goes to the Regional Distribution Center to be delivered to your local dealer. You can go to the rail company site and get the information on locating where the specific rail car is up to its drop off at the distribution center. In some cases, if the dealer is within 400 miles of the plant, it may be directly loaded on the Auto Convoy and delivered to the dealer.

I specifically asked the fleet guy for rail car assignment because you had pointed that out before and he said so far no name or number.

I'm in a similar situation as well. The van was built in mid November according to the VIN check on Ford's site. The dealer told me it would be delivered December 18-22. As of 12/23 it was still sitting in Kansas City. I found this out by calling the national customer service manager several times. Everyone I talk to (dealer, sale manager, sales rep) says there is no way of finding out where the vehicle is or when it will be shipped/delivered. How can USPS, UPS Fed Ex etc. track every piece of mail on the planet but Ford can't track a $34,000 dollar van?

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20 days from build 12/19 to delivery (Portland, OR) 1/8 for mine.

JP

It is pretty annoying that they don't have a better system for this, but it doesn't seem that there is much we can do about it. Just cross your fingers that there isn't a delay or that your Transit doesn't get lost somewhere along the way.

I stumbled across this site the other day, but have not checked out its functionality. It appears to cover most of the stages of ordering a Transit, with the post-build period being the weak link obviously. [Calling the FFIC -- waiting for the play on words with this acronym to start . . . ]

With my Wagon order being modified recently, I am waiting for my VIN, so take heart, you are all much closer to the finish line!

How to Track Ford Factory Car Orders

FWIW

I talked to the district manager again on Friday still waiting for a train car to ship. I would also like to know what Ford did with my van from Dec. 2 when it was built to Jan. 2 when it was released for shipping. It should have gone through the line in no more than three days. District manager and I are going to speak again on Dec. 16, if there is nothing they can do why even bother, unless they are going to keep BSing me untill they can finally say it's shipped. I have pushed my moving plans back a month now and given up on turning it into a camper. If they wait any longer I will loose my $1000 down payment and they can hunt me down in Wisconsin. Maybe they will let me pick it up on my way through and I can save those destination charges.

1stford said:

I talked to the district manager again on Friday still waiting for a train car to ship. I would also like to know what Ford did with my van from Dec. 2 when it was built to Jan. 2 when it was released for shipping. It should have gone through the line in no more than three days. District manager and I are going to speak again on Dec. 16, if there is nothing they can do why even bother, unless they are going to keep BSing me untill they can finally say it's shipped. I have pushed my moving plans back a month now and given up on turning it into a camper. If they wait any longer I will loose my $1000 down payment and they can hunt me down in Wisconsin. Maybe they will let me pick it up on my way through and I can save those destination charges.

Click to expand...

Have you asked your dealer for these two reports?

1. Track a Vehicle - Full History -- by your VIN. Will show every step your Transit has gone through incl. it's last location/status.

2. Status Report -- daily report showing all vehicles on order by the dealer, one line of which should show your Transit by its VIN, with a column for Status.

See the following thread for details:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/83281-post18.html

The time lag for getting the Transits off the production line and on to the rail car may have to do with the regional loading of the vehicles. When they load a rail car, all of the vehicles on that car have to be going to the SAME REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

Normally all the vehicles are grouped together by DISTRICT SALES OFFICE so the VINs are together and they can be built, put out on the lot, and loaded in the SAME RAIL CAR going to the same REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

With all the problems with specific options (MFT as example) some of the Transits are getting shipped while others are left back waiting for the other options to be installed. Then the waiting time for the special rail cars to get back to get another load of Transits could be three weeks to a month. At one time, I think there were about 40 distribution centers in the Continental USA.

We're leaving for FL Feb 13th. It's starting to look like despite our Transit being built Dec 2nd we will be spending Valentines Day all cozy in the Honda Element.
I'm now shooting for having it by the Easter trip, but still probably un-converted.

On my window sticker on method of transp., it reads.. CONVOY guessing if it were rail it would say Rail??? I am in Rice Lake Wisconsin. This is the North West part of the State, about 2 hours from the Twin Cities. BTW, My build date is suppose to be tomorrow from what the Dealer told me. This is 247 days from when I ordered it. I own a business and when I drop the ball I almost always compensate my customer by reducing my price some, What is Ford going to do for me? Guessing maybe telling me... "Sorry bout your luck"...LOL They have been getting interest on my 1000 dollars since May 10th , I really hope it only takes 3 weeks to get here after it is finally made. I am going to call this regional manager tomorrow and ask her for a Status report since my dealer gaffed me off on the request.

I have no reason to doubt that its waiting for a rail car. Seems to be a pattern of Transits built on Dec. 2 that they were not beeing shipped right away. I did not order MFT, but did order the rear A/C and that would have been the only item that would of held it up. I live in California and would think there would be a large volume of orders coming here do to the population. Friday I will be talking to the district rep again and see if they will e-mail me the reports. If it has not shipped by then. Go Packers!!!

Mine also said convoy, and I live in Detroit. I'm assuming rail but all the dealer knows is build was completed Dec 2nd and a transport company has been assigned. No company name or description as of Friday. I'm assuming rail, but who knows!

packerbacker, and a "Track a Vehicle -- Full History" report for your specific Transit, as well?

Update,(7:47am PST)

10-02-14 ordered
10-16-14 received Vin#FKA37104
12-18-14 received Window Sticker, build date12-22
12-23-14 actually started build
01-08-15 build complete, awaiting inspection and release for shipment
01-12-15 complete printed Primary & Minor features from FordEtis.com
Awaiting delivery