TO FORD: To Dealer:

[BBQin]

Dear ford... I'm extremely disappointed in how you have handled the introduction of the Ford Maverick, the customer service provided, the lack of communication, the smoke and mirrors, the confusion, the extremely lengthy wait for a vin# (which I'm still lacking from an October 2021 base model order with NO constraints)... I completely understand supply chain issues and our ongoing problems related to Covid (that's another topic all together) As a business owner, I know first hand how supply chains have broken down. I know how some things are either hard to get, and some things are just not available. However, through all of this, I managed to keep my doors open. More importantly I've managed to keep my customers informed with complete honesty and basic communication. I've used Facebook to keep them updated on pricing, as well as products that we can't get. I've explaimed face to face and apologized with sincerity that i couldn't.... ... Ahhhh fuck it the rest of this preaching is useless. I'm convinced Ford just doesn't give a shit ...
To cut the TO Dealer: portion of this post short, I can say the same. You have been extremely difficult to deal with and again I'm convinced you just don't give a shit. FORD dropped the ball introducing the Ford Maverick. My local dealership definitely dropped the ball in the Customer service realm

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[Captain Pork chop]

Ordered October 7th. I will not complain. I understand the constraints. Can't wait for my Hybrid

 

[Deleted member 5597]

I think Ford underestimated the demand and popularity of the Maverick, plus were way off on their target market projection. Ford wasn't expecting both the ecoboost and hybrid models to sell out as fast as they have. That, along with the chip shortage and shortage on parts and logistics, all combined into a perfect storm that has caused the log jam.

Take a look at the price and what the Maverick has to offer compared to a mid-sized truck. Who wouldn't want an economical truck with fantastic gas mileage? That, and Ford deciding not to make sedans and to focus on SUV's, and what they're best known for, trucks.

The dealers hands are tied, and they can only take directives from Ford and pass that along to the consumer.

Also, ranting here on Maverick Truck Club chat does very little to address the problem. Letters or emails written to Ford and your dealer directly will get your answers more quickly than here, although not much will change.

 

[stevhorn]

I think Ford underestimated the demand and popularity of the Maverick, plus were way off on their target market projection.

I believe your analysis is dead on. This was Ford's biggest failure with the launch of the Maverick.

Another thing to consider, (for good or for bad), is the quantity and variety of vehicles Ford has brought to market during Covid: Maverick, Bronco, Bronco Sport, F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach E. What other automobile manufacturer has done this?

I understand the OPs frustration, but these are indeed unique times.

Sometimes I wonder how our current society would have faired during WWII. We're asked to wait a few months for a car, and we complain incessantly about it, while my parents generation had, by 1942, no ability to purchase a vehicle for years as governments ordered manufacturers to focus on the war effort (not to mention all of the other "supply chain" issues of the day and fuel and food rationing).

Europeans had it even worse: no private cars, commercial trucks or automotive parts were made for personal use, fuel was strictly rationed and non-essential car owners’ vehicles decommissioned and put away in storage.

And that's today's history lesson over.

 

[unlimited]

Ordered October 7th. I will not complain. I understand the constraints. Can't wait for my Hybrid

Exactly. It's hard for you and I(September) to complain when June, July and August haven't all been filled yet either. I am a spontaneous/impulse buyer so the wait is killing me but I can't find anything that I "think" I will enjoy as much as a FE.

 

[baseballchamps]

I think Ford underestimated the demand and popularity of the Maverick, plus were way off on their target market projection. Ford wasn't expecting both the ecoboost and hybrid models to sell out as fast as they have. That, along with the chip shortage and shortage on parts and logistics, all combined into a perfect storm that has caused the log jam.

Take a look at the price and what the Maverick has to offer compared to a mid-sized truck. Who wouldn't want an economical truck with fantastic gas mileage? That, and Ford deciding not to make sedans and to focus on SUV's, and what they're best known for, trucks.

The dealers hands are tied, and they can only take directives from Ford and pass that along to the consumer.

Also, ranting here on Maverick Truck Club chat does very little to address the problem. Letters or emails written to Ford and your dealer directly will get your answers more quickly than here, although not much will change.

The question is given the situation What has Ford done or attempted to do about it? Appears to be very little.

 

[Deleted member 5597]

The question is given the situation What has Ford done or attempted to do about it? Appears to be very little.

How do you know that? I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to avoid a profit loss. They simply can’t sell a truck without parts.

 

[baseballchamps]

How do you know that? I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to avoid a profit loss. They simply can’t sell a truck without parts.
[
Results! They invested billions in Rivian and lost instead of the supply chain. What would their sales be like if they invested in the manufacture of chips instead?

 

[Deleted member 5597]

Here’s a suggestion for all of those getting frustrated with waiting. You can do what I did, and become proactive. I ordered a hybrid XLT with the Lux package and CP360 on 15 October. I knew the hybrid still needed to pass emissions and EPA gas mileage, and I knew that was going to take place in November or December. Still, I gave Ford 90 days to at least send me a production date.
On 15 January, I had not received a production date email, so I began to contact all the Ford dealers as far away as I was willing to travel to find a hybrid Maverick of any trim level. It took me 12 days, but on on 27 January, I found an XL hybrid in VB, the same color I ordered. It was in Gastonia, NC. I took care of financing ahead of time, flew up there, and drove it home 546 miles.
Before I found it, I was put on a call back list by many Ford dealers to let me know if a customer canceled their order, or didn’t qualify for financing.
In the meantime, I didn’t cancel my original order. In the middle of March, the dealer I ordered from gave me a call and told me about the constraints, and told me if I didn’t drop the lux pkg and CP360, my order may roll over to a 2023. I didn’t change it. On 30 March, I got a call from my ordering dealer that a VB hybrid XLT with the Lux pkg just rolled off the truck, and the customer canceled it. I made it there in record time, traded in the XL for the XLT. End of my search.
During the past 1 1/2 months, I received call backs from some of the Ford dealers in various states to let me know they have had customers cancel their orders and have a Maverick available.
So, my advice is, stop sitting and waiting! Start calling around and make contact with Ford dealers!!

 

[Kelli]

I believe your analysis is dead on. This was Ford's biggest failure with the launch of the Maverick.

Another thing to consider, (for good or for bad), is the quantity and variety of vehicles Ford has brought to market during Covid: Maverick, Bronco, Bronco Sport, F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach E. What other automobile manufacturer has done this?

I understand the OPs frustration, but these are indeed unique times.

Sometimes I wonder how our current society would have faired during WWII. We're asked to wait a few months for a car, and we complain incessantly about it, while my parents generation had, by 1942, no ability to purchase a vehicle for years as governments ordered manufacturers to focus on the war effort (not to mention all of the other "supply chain" issues of the day and fuel and food rationing).

Europeans had it even worse: no private cars, commercial trucks or automotive parts were made for personal use, fuel was strictly rationed and non-essential car owners’ vehicles decommissioned and put away in storage.

And that's today's history lesson over.

I've thought of this too. The one HUGE difference is the fact that communication can and does travel much faster now. Another thing was the mindset--the US was coming out of a depression so people were use to buckling down. They didn't have nor could afford luxuries as we do now including grocery stores with items galore (despite current shortages), vehicle (or tractors) that couldn't be fixed without a computer, the list goes on. Not only that, but they weren't that far removed from generations that had little to no options except to make their own, fix it themselves, and/or invent what was needed to make things work. Putting things in this perspective makes lots of us (me at times included) sound whiny, inconsiderate, and selfish. Okay, enough of the family historian perspective. Here's to the hope that lots of orders will enter production this week!

Side note: I do think Ford forgot lessons from Marketing 101 on the Maverick and should have limited production from the start and opened it again if/when they had parts starting to come in as they HAD to know they would be in a HUGE jam. It would have been a LOT better (my perspective) to limit production than everyone waiting and they would have had a better reputation along the lines of "Ford can get things done, even in a pandemic. Come order your Ford today!" Talk about the positive publicity! Hello FORD--think please!!

 

[enaKcM]

Dear ford... I'm extremely disappointed in how you have handled the introduction of the Ford Maverick, the customer service provided, the lack of communication, the smoke and mirrors, the confusion, the extremely lengthy wait for a vin# (which I'm still lacking from an October 2021 base model order with NO constraints)... I completely understand supply chain issues and our ongoing problems related to Covid (that's another topic all together) As a business owner, I know first hand how supply chains have broken down. I know how some things are either hard to get, and some things are just not available. However, through all of this, I managed to keep my doors open. More importantly I've managed to keep my customers informed with complete honesty and basic communication. I've used Facebook to keep them updated on pricing, as well as products that we can't get. I've explaimed face to face and apologized with sincerity that i couldn't.... ... Ahhhh fuck it the rest of this preaching is useless. I'm convinced Ford just doesn't give a shit ...
To cut the TO Dealer: portion of this post short, I can say the same. You have been extremely difficult to deal with and again I'm convinced you just don't give a shit. FORD dropped the ball introducing the Ford Maverick. My local dealership definitely dropped the ball in the Customer service realm

Language!

 

[dalola]

Ford's biggest portion of blame in all this is the stupidity of following their outdated & non-applicable allocation system for paid customer orders. Inexcusable ignorance. Everyone understands the supplier constraints, production issues, high demand, yada yada yada. Most reasonable people can accept, and deal with, delays based on (mostly) uncontrollable circumstance. Unfortunately, Ford is largely responsible for creating all their bad press from their own ignorant actions. Could've been 99% avoided had they followed the simple FIFO-based-on-constraints production model FROM THE BEGINNING.

And the greedy unethical dealers are just adding fuel to the fire with their shady actions on customer orders. It's obvious the games many are playing, jacking up prices when a customer Mav finally arrives.

Add these two together, and it's a BIG public perception hit, mostly deserved.

As a shareholder, I'm embarrassed, and pissed off, and that was reflected in my proxy.

And even more disappointing, it seems the Lightning intro will be a bigger shit-show than the Maverick.

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