No Lightnings at Local Dealership

[Monkey]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-pulls-plug-stocking-evs-182715069.html

Yeah, Ford realized they need the inventory at the dealerships and where they're visible to customers trying to shop local dealer inventory. I think sales numbers were already showing Ford that people still want EVs, regardless of the ebb and flow of our political environment. And Ford just posted a great first quarter for EV sales.

The Lightning and Mach-E are selling very well. Some dealerships don't want to support EVs and they'll either come around eventually or be left behind. Some areas are not popular EV locations yet, some areas are the opposite and demand outpaces availability. Anyone who says that people are not buying or they can't move these trucks, that may be true in their local market, but it does not represent reality.

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[K6CCC]

Simply go to Ford.com and you'll see inventory. There are 43 within 20 miles of me, all 2025s.

My experience a few months ago is that the Ford website absolutely lies about inventory. When I would look at the Ford.com website it would show the same vehicles (by VIN) at every dealership in the area and NONE of then actually had those VINs nor could could they get them. I finally started calling dealers and found the truck I bought on the lot at a dealer I had not yet visited. Maybe they were more interested because the sales guy drove a MachE and the finance guy drove a Lightning...

See my thread about this: https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...lability-vs-what-the-ford-website-says.23616/

 

[RickLightning]

My experience a few months ago is that the Ford website absolutely lies about inventory. When I would look at the Ford.com website it would show the same vehicles (by VIN) at every dealership in the area and NONE of then actually had those VINs nor could could they get them. I finally started calling dealers and found the truck I bought on the lot at a dealer I had not yet visited. Maybe they were more interested because the sales guy drove a MachE and the finance guy drove a Lightning...

See my thread about this: https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...lability-vs-what-the-ford-website-says.23616/

Since I'm not shopping, I'm not going to get into this in detail, but...

Ford website shows 1 at Varsity Ford. Varsity Ford shows 1 "on lot", 1 "in transit" and 1 with no label.

It shows 1 at Butman Ford. Their site matches.

It shows 1 at Atchinson Ford. They show 3, 1 in transit.

 

[Green Tree]

Sorry to say, but disconnecting the battery to reset modules is not fixing the problem. It is quite likely making the problem worse. (you wouldn't pull the wall plug out of your PC before turning it off would you?)You need to find a tech that is qualified to work on your problem. Even Ford may have trouble finding the right tech that is close enough to you.

I’m more talking about having to constantly remove the 12v battery to reset it to get things to work. But yes if they advertise software updates to make your vehicle better over time. Then they should send those updates and not make us hack our trucks with cables and software to match what others with the same vehicle have.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Sorry to say, but disconnecting the battery to reset modules is not fixing the problem. It is quite likely making the problem worse. (you wouldn't pull the wall plug out of your PC before turning it off would you?)You need to find a tech that is qualified to work on your problem. Even Ford may have trouble finding the right tech that is close enough to you.

The key is to do it at the appropriate time, certainly not while an update is in process.

BTW, we have a FoMoCo engineer monitoring the forum who supports carefully executed 12v disconnects.

 

[flyct]

I love the truck. I’m looking for another one after they take my current one. But there are none anywhere because of the amount of money ford is losing and the dealers can’t move them.

It’s dealer dependent. Brandon Ford, worlds largest Ford F series truck dealer is in Tampa area doesn’t sell any Lightnings.

I have a friend who is the Fleet Sales manager at another dealer very close to Brandon. When I bought my F-450 from him he was very vocal that they didn’t like EVs.

30 miles south, Sarasota Ford where I bought my current Lightning is a very different story. They have 19 new Lightnings in stock for sale. https://www.sarasotaford.com/searchall.aspx?q=Lightning A good portion of their sales reps and sales managers personally own Lightnings

 

[Woonkie]

If the dealers "can't move them", why are there "none anywhere"?

Reminds me of that famous Yogi Berra-ism "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded"

They cut production. Dealers in my city still have 23s on the lot.

 

[CD4TNF]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-pulls-plug-stocking-evs-182715069.html

Wow that's really recent. Thanks for the update. That's understandable it didn't catch on if listings didn't go into the major car search websites. Too bad.

 

[TaxmanHog]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-pulls-plug-stocking-evs-182715069.html

Yes, I understand this, but LISTEN to Tim's short, he talks about JOB-1 builds still being held at Flat Rock until the inventory is depleted, JOB-2 will ship direct to dealers late April onward.

 

[Jseis]

Our rural coast dealer shows 2 though dealers work deals with other dealers to source a rig you want. In ‘07 we test drove a GT. The one we purchased was a new exact match from 200 miles away. Which explains why I’ve never “seen” a Lightning or a Mach E on the lot, yet I know of sales from that dealer of several (two Mach Es and a Lightning) in the last 6 months.

 

[BlueLightning]

I had some time to kill between appointments yesterday and was near the Ford dealership I bought my Lightning at. I drove around to see what the inventory looked like. There were lots of ICE trucks and suvs but not one Lightning. Is that typical?

A lot of dealers say no to selling them. My dealer doesn’t even have one on four different dealership locations.

They were liquidating when I bought mine. “Get those things sold, no more!”

 

[Ragman]

Some dealers got burnt during the government all vehicles ev push, the big $$$ to be EV licensed, dealer had 17 on lot at one point. I bought one at $20k under had sat a year - they are gunshy to carry them now.

Last two one was allotment (no propower - dumb on Ford - it just wouldn't sell so good deal on it) other had to factory order.

Talked to owner now he keeps one on lot, one on order, if you want options/color it's factory order. His last one was Rapid Red guy came 1,500 miles to pick it up was only Red one available in any dealer inventory.

When it comes to EVs they are trying to be somewhere between Tesla online ordering but still have one on lot to touch and feel.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

It seems to be a very regional thing,
In cities like Vancouver and Montreal there are a lot of EV's on the roads maybe close to 50% of the new cars are either hybrid or EV.
In Rural mid-Canada ... not so much !!
From the dealer perspective, I suspect a Lightning is a big ticket item to have on a lot that may not move for months...requires the technicians to all get upgraded training, and from what we see on the forum here, there just isn't a lot of dealer maintenance for the dealers to 'sell' to an EV owner.

I bought my 2024 in February 2025, and that timing got me the best price available since the launch of the Lightning. I love the truck, hope Ford continues to develop it and work with battery suppliers on better, faster charging, longer range packs into the future.

Aside from fact the Lightning is an amazing quiet machine, my daily drive cost has dropped 10-fold since parking the ICE, and I sure don't miss those stops at the smelly gas stations...my wife thought I was 'outta my mind' when I bought the truck, but now she asks to take it grocery shopping every weekend - loves the truck and especially the "frunk".

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