✅ 1/30/2023 Lightning Build Week Group (MY2023)

[UpWithFilm]

Side note for everyone: I received a Vinview update the day before my truck made it to the dealership that read "Damage Identified (A9).

Freaked out. that day and called Ford customer service. The rep couldn't find anything, couldn't even pull up that message for some reason. Assured me that it was an error of some kind, though I wasn't convinced.

Sure enough, after my dealership took deliver and washed the truck to get it ready for pickup, they found a scrape on the driver's side door, and a decent sized dent on the rear passenger door. Thankfully, they proactively addressed both and fixed them without any hassle.

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[davehu]

dealer has no new information. his last update on vinview was in mid February. frustration continues.

Call on 5/4 FCS and she gave me an ETA of 5/12-5/18 Called Ford marketing customer service. He was looking at a different system and it said ETA 5/15. So who knows. but today I see an email from Ford and my heart jumped a beat, but adding insult to injury here's what I got.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Call on 5/4 FCS and she gave me an ETA of 5/12-5/18 Called Ford marketing customer service. He was looking at a different system and it said ETA 5/15. So who knows. but today I see an email from Ford and my heart jumped a beat, but adding insult to injury here's what I got.

I got one too, I was poking around the new truck builder while fully logged on and thought it was a follow-up email to probe me into finalizing the configuration..

 

[Jim Lewis]

That happened to me, too. https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/-2-13-2023-3-20-lightning-build-week-group-my2023.13655/post-313429

Ford must have some sort of software glitch or someone who's not hitting the right keys. The shipping and delivery of my vehicle still marched along and it went back to a normal progress display after a few days. My dealer rep added me to their Vin View account to get texts on shipment status changes, but there was a long hiatus between Salem, IL and when the truck showed up in San Antonio, TX (about a week). I learned of the arrival of the vehicle on the dealer's lot from a Vin View text before my sales rep even knew it was there!

From the Ford status, it was very ambiguous when it would be hauled from the San Antonio rail depot to the dealer (the ETA covered an ~ two-week span even after it was well past the ETA start date!). The rep said some guy basically walks down the lot and "randomly" picks vehicles to load. But he said his dealership got three to four loads of vehicles a week from the depot, and he would call the depot and ask them to find and load my truck because of the long wait to get the vehicle and having a paying customer waiting to buy it. That must have worked, as the vehicle was delivered the next day

 

[davehu]

That happened to me, too. https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/-2-13-2023-3-20-lightning-build-week-group-my2023.13655/post-313429

Ford must have some sort of software glitch or someone who's not hitting the right keys. The shipping and delivery of my vehicle still marched along and it went back to a normal progress display after a few days. My dealer rep added me to their Vin View account to get texts on shipment status changes, but there was a long hiatus between Salem, IL and when the truck showed up in San Antonio, TX (about a week). I learned of the arrival of the vehicle on the dealer's lot from a Vin View text before my sales rep even knew it was there!

From the Ford status, it was very ambiguous when it would be hauled from the San Antonio rail depot to the dealer (the ETA covered an ~ two-week span even after it was well past the ETA start date!). The rep said some guy basically walks down the lot and "randomly" picks vehicles to load. But he said his dealership got three to four loads of vehicles a week from the depot, and he would call the depot and ask them to find and load my truck because of the long wait to get the vehicle and having a paying customer waiting to buy it. That must have worked, as the vehicle was delivered the next day

it's not a software "glitch" it's a simple marketing mistake that fails to compare a database of people who signed up for marketing emails vs one that lists all current reservation holders. lazy

Call on 5/4 FCS and she gave me an ETA of 5/12-5/18 Called Ford marketing customer service. He was looking at a different system and it said ETA 5/15. So who knows. but today I see an email from Ford and my heart jumped a beat, but adding insult to injury here's what I got.

 

[davehu]

So today I get this:

First, this is the first communication I've had from Ford since Feb 4th. To say they will update me every 45 days is BS. The last I heard from them was over 90 days ago, double the time they are promising.
Second: The email indicates the delay has something to do with "supply chain" issues completely ignoring the 6 week stop sale situation of which we are all aware.
Third: I know from my dealer and from a call I made to Ford that my truck was built and was only waiting for a spray-in-bedliner to be complete on the day of the fire. Supply chain issues had nothing to do with this. Lots of trucks have been delivered off orders placed AFTER mine....

And lastly, I called Ford again on Wednesday (5/9) and asked to talk to a supervisor. I was told one wasn't available but someone would contact me within 2-3 days. I was firm but polite in my request. I sure hope this form letter/email isn't what they meant by responding.

the delay is bad but the lack of communication is
unacceptable. I am hoping someone from FMC is reading this.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Handling of cases gone sideways like this, one should always try to communicate directly with the customer, pattern letters like this don't work.

 

[davehu]

today, my dealer confirmed (vinview) my truck is still in Detroit. but he's had no updates since mid February. He put in a text to a new CS responsible for his dealership. Will call me when he hears from them.

also today I got a call (as I requested last week) from a supervisor in BEV marketing. She still sees an ETA of 5/15. that obviously hasn't been met. Because vehicle is still listed as in production they have no visibility and claimed there was no one she could call. (It appears they have a wall between production and sales where sales doesn't talk to the factory and vice versa) I explained that after 3 1/2 months, that's inexcusable lack of communication and FMC's VP of Customer Experience couldn't possibly be happy with that. She promised to forward my feedback and to follow up with me if she see's a change.

So, I'm still waiting for a truck that was built on 2/5 with no ETA

 

[kenj89087]

FWIW, I received this email today
"Great news! Your 2023 F-150 Lightning PLATINUM SuperCrew has been built. Right now, we are performing some final inspections on your vehicle to get it ready for shipment. While this could add time to your wait, it ensures that we deliver a vehicle that you can depend on.

Undoubtedly, this is an exciting moment for you. We invite you to access a copy of your window label and check the status of your vehicle at any time by clicking the button below. We have included your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for your reference: 1FT6W1EV6PWG12150."

This is for a truck I already know was built over 3 months ago but they're only now suggesting they just finished it and are just doing some final inspections. The website was finally updated from "in production week of 1/30" to "Built Estimated Delivery 6/4/2023 - 6/10/2023".

I did cancel this and another truck I have on order over a month ago and the dealer is working on the refund. Despite this news, I don't regret the cancelation nor the subsquent purchase of a new EV car that I really love. Just thought I'd pass along the update if its helpful to any of you still waiting. I hope this means you'll get your trucks soon.

 

[TaxmanHog]

FWIW, I received this email today
"Great news! Your 2023 F-150 Lightning PLATINUM SuperCrew has been built. Right now, we are performing some final inspections on your vehicle to get it ready for shipment. While this could add time to your wait, it ensures that we deliver a vehicle that you can depend on.

Undoubtedly, this is an exciting moment for you. We invite you to access a copy of your window label and check the status of your vehicle at any time by clicking the button below. We have included your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for your reference: 1FT6W1EV6PWG12150."

This is for a truck I already know was built over 3 months ago but they're only now suggesting they just finished it and are just doing some final inspections. The website was finally updated from "in production week of 1/30" to "Built Estimated Delivery 6/4/2023 - 6/10/2023".

I did cancel this and another truck I have on order over a month ago and the dealer is working on the refund. Despite this news, I don't regret the cancelation nor the subsquent purchase of a new EV car that I really love. Just thought I'd pass along the update if its helpful to any of you still waiting. I hope this means you'll get your trucks soon.

Must have been stuck in debugging stage right as they began the stop production, tucked way back of the hold lot.

 

[davehu]

Thank you for sending this. It gives me valid reason to think I'm close. Like you tracker on my truck hasn't changed since Feb 5th. but I check it daily. so theres HOPE!

 

[davehu]

Must have been stuck in debugging stage right as they began the stop production, tucked way back of the hold lot.

I see it shipped on 5/21.... I'm still waiting.

 

[ryun]

I see it shipped on 5/21.... I'm still waiting.

I wonder if the lightning plant shutting down for upgrades mid-June for a month will allow ford to work more on the backlog of delayed trucks like ours... or if it's going to mean a further delay.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I wonder if the lightning plant shutting down for upgrades mid-June for a month will allow ford to work more on the backlog of delayed trucks like ours... or if it's going to mean a further delay.

The debugging and rework happens in nearby facilities, it should continue.

 

[davehu]

I wonder if the lightning plant shutting down for upgrades mid-June for a month will allow ford to work more on the backlog of delayed trucks like ours... or if it's going to mean a further delay.

Just talk to FMC again... new ETA (it was 5-15) for me is June 2nd. It's clear that manufacturing has a system that automatically adds 2 weeks to the ETA when the date passes with no movement.

I have begun thinking that perhaps I should just cancel my order and place another one when 2024 order banks open. As I have now been waiting 2 years what's another 6 months? could the price go up? maybe, but maybe not with more competition on the horizon.

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