Is my dealer being shady? Ordered a Hybrid XLT - built as an EcoBoost?

[achristian]

Just putting out some feelers to see if something like this has happened to anyone else who ordered a 2023 Hybrid...

I placed an order with my dealership back in September. We got an order number and confirmation from Ford. I've been keeping up with status of my order pretty frequently since then.

In May I got an email letting me know my order had been scheduled for production at the end of June. At that time the order information still stated it was for the hybrid model.

A few weeks ago I got notification that the truck had been built. Imagine my shock when I checked the model information and window sticker, only to see that it had been built with a 2.0L EcoBoost Engine.

I contacted Ford and they told me I'd have to follow up with my dealer about what might have happened with the order.

My dealer claims this has happened to at least 20 of their hybrid orders and that there's nothing they can do to help me.

So here's my question, has this happened to anyone else? Or is my dealer just screwing me over? It seems like it would be pretty tempting to change a bunch of hybrid orders without telling the customer and being able to flip those trucks for a lot more money.

At this point I don't think there's much else I can do - I specifically need the hybrid model because it can be flat towed and the EcoBoost just won't work for what we need.

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[fossil]

just my opinion, your dealer thought your order would not be built as a hybrid and took it on their own to change engines.
purely to get a unit to sell and make $ despite what you wanted. knowing all the while you might reject the truck, maybe even hoping you'd reject it.
personally I'd take it at MSRP and sell it to screw them

 

[TheWizziard]

Can a single vehicle have a mis-build? Yes

I bought a F150 XL with cloth seats. Cloth seats weren't an option on the XL that year. They weren't even on the window sticker.

Can a single dealer have 20 hybrid/EcoBoost engine mis-builds. Not likely.
The strangest thing is that he thought you would believe this B.S.

 

[MM Mav]

Does the VIN from your scheduled for production email match the VIN on the window sticker ?

 

[Cubican]

You got scammed the dealer change the order on purpose

 

[achristian]

Does the VIN from your scheduled for production email match the VIN on the window sticker ?

Unfortunately, it's the same VIN. I'm surprised that I didn't get an email or any notification if/when they changed the order. It's super frustrating, not to mention a tempting and easy way to screw customers who are ordering over (if that's what happened).

just my opinion, your dealer thought your order would not be built as a hybrid and took it on their own to change engines.
purely to get a unit to sell and make $ despite what you wanted. knowing all the while you might reject the truck, maybe even hoping you'd reject it.
personally I'd take it at MSRP and sell it to screw them

I'd love to make sure they can't make anything extra on it, but I'm out of state for the summer and the logistics of making a trip back home for revenge is a little more work than I'm willing to do. I'd planned on making the trip in my current vehicle and using it as a trade in. If there was a way to change the dealer it was delivered to I'd be ecstatic.

 

[Deleted member 14823]

In before the "you should have carefully reviewed your order with an attorney present" posts.

 

[fossil]

I'd love to make sure they can't make anything extra on it, but I'm out of state for the summer and the logistics of making a trip back home for revenge is a little more work than I'm willing to do. I'd planned on making the trip in my current vehicle and using it as a trade in. If there was a way to change the dealer it was delivered to I'd be ecstatic.

It appears to be outright fraud. The un named dealer took buyer information and ordered what effectively is 20 stock units. Ford required your info for a COVP order and the dealer hijacked it, name them.

 

[achristian]

It appears to be outright fraud. The un named dealer took buyer information and ordered what effectively is 20 stock units. Ford required your info for a COVP order and the dealer hijacked it, name them.

It's Elder Ford in Tampa, FL - I did a little searching and there's at least one other person who's had issues with them on this forum. I have every intention of putting them on blast. I'm off this weekend and feel like writing a lot of reviews and making some phone calls.

 

[MM Mav]

Unfortunately, it's the same VIN

Unless the 8th digit of the matching VINs is a 3, it was not going to be built as a hybrid. The EB engine has a 9 in the eighth spot of the VIN. Maybe recheck your scheduled for production email to verify everything still said hybrid.
If it's not a hybrid (3), unfortunately it'll be a wash for you and your dealer is definitely up to some shady practices.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

You could take delivery and order a hybrid and hope it gets delivered to trade it in (whenever that would be), or sell it... (Be careful that prices are still high enough to not lose money on taking it and selling it!

But that sucks, sorry to hear.

 

[GreenLady]

Unfortunately, it's the same VIN. I'm surprised that I didn't get an email or any notification if/when they changed the order. It's super frustrating, not to mention a tempting and easy way to screw customers who are ordering over (if that's what happened).



I'd love to make sure they can't make anything extra on it, but I'm out of state for the summer and the logistics of making a trip back home for revenge is a little more work than I'm willing to do. I'd planned on making the trip in my current vehicle and using it as a trade in. If there was a way to change the dealer it was delivered to I'd be ecstatic.

1. Smart getting out of FL in the summer!
2. Check dealers around you and see if you can’t find what you want. They may even ship it to FL.
3. If you want to shame the dealer, write a Google review. They are powerful!

 

[Senior Master Ford Guy]

Totally agree with MM MAV, on your email that you received in June, if it has a 9 then either your dealer told you they were ordering you a hybrid in September and deliberately did not, or they changed the order after September. Do you have the original order information? They should have given you a copy showing exactly what was ordered at the time of order.

 

[Old Man]

Ask your dealer to show you the most recent order sheet for your order number. If there was a change it show there but they may say it only shows the original order which shouldn't be true if they did change it.

Did your original DORA sheet show a hybrid?

 

[Kingfish]

I don't know if it would help, but what comes to mind is something like this to the dealer:

"I want to make 100% sure you didn't make any changes to the order, correct? Because I'm directly in contact with Ford to track down where they screwed up.

I'm also talking with the Maverick Truck forum and of their hundreds of members, no one else has heard of this happening. So if it's happened 20 times to you, maybe there's something going on at Ford."

Kinda let them know you haven't given up and that there are hundreds of people hearing about this.

Again, maybe it won't matter. It's just so frustrating that I want there to be some kind of solution!

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