In another thread (Where's my truck?) I asked whether my experience with F150 deliveries (slow)was typical. From that discussion, I learned about priority numbers, and that anything above a 10 might mean a slow delivery.

Today I asked my dealer what my priority number was, since I couldn't spot it on my DORA. he replied:

"The lower the number the higher the priority. The lowest number a dealer can assign is 10. After that it's all in Ford's hands. Ford brought your's to 02. Which means that things are happening and a build date is very near. We can't compare ordering times in Dallas to ordering times here. They're in a different part of the country that probably gets a lot more trucks
than we do in New England."

Does this make sense? Thanks for all your help.

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless steel nerf bars; Bedrug

 

Hi Link,

I ordered my truck this week and was told that nothing is on constraints right now for the F150.
There is no way that I can tell you for sure if this guy is giving you the run around, you need to go with your gut feeling. Perhaps his dealership does not have the allotment to get your truck scheduled yet. Again, the dealer must have allotment available to him to actually get the truck built. I'm looking at a Priority 10 status on my DORA, right next to the order number.
The F150 is the best selling vehicle in the United States, not just Texas. When I was looking for a SuperDuty in 1999, they were tough to get, even in Dallas. Did you put a deposit on this truck? I can't tell you what to do, though you might try phoning another dealer in your area who moves a lot of trucks.

Hope it schedules soon!

Zach

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Ordered 2-20-01 '01 F150 Supercab XLT 4x4 SWB
507A Pkg.
Oxford white
Dark Graphite Interior
Captains Chairs
5.4 Triton
Auto Tranny
Off Road Package
Towing Package
Power Moonroof
3.55 Limited Slip
Heated Seats
AM-FM Cassette/6 disc CD
Power Drivers Seat
Sliding Rear Window
Adjustable Pedals
Electronic 4x4 Shift

Immediate Mods - Rhino Liner, 285's on Weld Wheels, K & N, Flowmaster

 

Hi Zach,
Thanks for your comments. My truck is still not scheduled. Another thing that's getting me is that I do not see anything on my DORA that even looks like an order number, much less a priority number. See my post in the "Where's my truck?" thread for a list of what's printed on the DORA. It does say "SPEC ORD#", but the space following this is blank. What does your DORA say? Yes, I paid a deposit on the truck. I'll see what I can find out from another dealer, but at this point, I have no confidence that I'm going to get the straight story.

 

Does your DORA say VEHICLE ORDER CONFIRMATION across the top? Below and to the left of that I have a 4 digit order number and right next to it the priority code.

example:

Order No: 5755 Priority: 10

Hope this helps....

 

Nope, it says:
2001 DEALER ORDER RECEIPT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-FD
NEW ORDER **DEALER SUBMITTED**
BODY X18 BEGIN ORD 0020 # UNITS 001
SPEC ORD# ORDER TYPE 1
DORA PROCESSED / / PM
ORDER RCPT DATE 01/24/01 SCHED / /
ASSEMBLY PLANT VIN# X18l 1

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless steel nerf bars; Bedrug

 

Link...I pasted your information and e-mailed it to my friend who is the sales manager of a huge Ford dealership here. I told him that you are getting the runaround from a dealer in your area and told him the info is straight off your documentation, then asked the question "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?" "Please decipher"

No doubt I will hear from him tomorrow and when I do, I'll post it for you.

 

Thanks for your help Zach. Can't wait to hear what he says.

 

Zach,
Thanks for all the information. You are a real friend to re-type all that! I will be away until Sunday night, but on Monday I will be sitting down with my friendly local Ford dealer. I feel much better having some facts to back me up. I'll let you know how things go.

Thanks again, bro.

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless steel nerf bars; Bedrug

 

When will we learn that buying a vehicle is like any other contract.....it must have contingencies? Would you buy a house without stipulating a move in date ? Or enter into a contracting agreement without indicating a completion date? What gives?? You buy something worth $30,000.00 without a performance contract or delivery date?? DA...?

How about this...
I pay you the agreed price if you dliver on-time !
I pay you $100 less for each day you are late?

Have you paid your mortgage 6 weeks late lately ???

GIVE THEM HELL !!!!

But do it up front when you have leverage...



[This message has been edited by MrBill (edited 02-23-2001).]

 

Link, here is the response I got from my friend this morning.....

The United States is broken up into regions by Ford so they can better serve their local dealers with people who specialize in that particular market. The Northeast Region has a huge demand for 4x4 products. Although they only get so much of the production of the plants. Right now during snow time their demand is always higher than their piece of the pie. (output of the factories) It also matters how big a a dealership he ordered it from. If the percentage of sales in the region is not high then it will take them a long time to earn the allocation to even order his truck. Right now the Southwest Region has the highest percentage of truck production because we sell more than any other region.
The dealer might have put his truck on an order status which is real low, but if they don't have any allocated production, it could possibly sit there for 1-10 months. It just depends on how long it is until he earns another allocation for that type of truck (body type). It could set there for months if the guy has too many in stock and is not earning any factory allocation. I'm sure this is probably the problem. I bet it was a dealership that does not sell many vehicles. That is why they sell them so cheap, they know it's going to be so long before the truck comes in. They just keep ordering vehicles for customers so they have their pipeline going, much like a savings account. They put orders in and the vehicles come in from 4 to 60 weeks later, they don't really care. Like I said, it's like they have a savings account of vehicles perpetually coming in. To sum this up, don't order anything from a small allocation, low volume store unless you are really prepared to wait. Now that I'm off my soapbox, I hope this answered the question for your friend.


Cut & Paste would not work, my fingers are worn out! His answer should tell you what you need to know. I know what I would do but you have to do what is best for you.

Zach

 

Hmmmm...the plot thickens.

It remains to be seen whether the dealer can get your truck by April, Link. 8 weeks without a TPW does not look good, especially when the dealer is telling you the order is a Priority 10 (or the illusive Priority 2?). Be aware that the current incentives expire the first week of April. Ford may see fit to extend the current incentive, but any discussion on that is mere speculation at this time.

At any rate, perhaps this thread will help some others who are considering special ordering a truck. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Zach (edited 02-25-2001).]

 

In the category of "buyer beware". I dug out my purchase agreement and read all the fine print. One item jumped out: "I acknowledge that delays may be experienced by you in obtaining the vehicle purchased by me which are beyond your control. For this reason I further acknowledge and understand that any time for delivery quoted in this Motor Vehicle Purchase Contract is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be binding upon either of us."

Be careful out there.

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless nerf bars; Makik stainless brush guard; PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug

 

Mr Bill....I like your enthusiasm, but the analogy of a mortgage payment is a poor one. In that instance you've already purchased the home. To be fair, not all dealers are guilty of taking someones deposit, all the while knowing that they can't get the ordered vehicle in a timely manner. Often time the focus of the buyer does not go beyond price, issues such as dealer allotment and order priority are left aside, many buyers are not even aware of such things. Above all, if you must put down a deposit on an ordered vehicle, USE A CREDIT CARD so that you can dispute the charge if the dealer does not perform in a satisfactory manner.

 

To tell the truth, I let my guard down on this one. I've purchased plenty of new vehicles in my life, but I never bought one that had to be built for me. I told the dealer that I didn't really need the truck until April, but I would take it as soon as he could get it. When he said that April wouldn't be a problem, I had no reason not to beleived him. Since April was 14 or so weeks away at the time I placed the order, I never even though about putting something in writing about the delivery date. I'm feeling a bit sheepish, since I put so much time into researching the truck, but nothing into understanding the order/build process. Normally I am very careful about what I sign, but I just didn't anticipate this particular wrinkle.

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless steel nerf bars; Bedrug

 

Oh yeah, one more thing. The dealer claims that Ford put an "02" priority code on the truck and this is supposed to be super high priority. Does anyone know if there is any truth to any of this? Does Ford sometimes upgrade the dealer priority code? Is there any such thing as an "02" priority?

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Ordered January 19: 2001 F150 4X4; 5.4; bright red; super cab; short bed; Lariat; captains chairs; class III tow package; electric shift-on-the-fly; 3.55 LSD; sliding rear window

Considering: ARE Z cap; Westin Platinum stainless nerf bars; Makik stainless brush guard; PIAA 80XT's and super white bulbs; Bedrug