Dear Ford,
I have been a long time lurker on this site but finally felt the urge to sign up so that I could add my two cents to this discussion. I hope someone from Ford reads this and feels compelled to PM me or email me because after waiting 16 weeks for a Mustang to show up I still do not have it and no one can tell me when I will. This is a summary of the communication I received.
Feb 1 - Ordered the mustang. I was told retail orders take priority over stock orders and that I should receive the car in 6-8 weeks.
At 8 weeks - No car and no eta from the dealer. I contacted Ford customer service and they have no idea of a build date.
At 10 weeks - No build date from dealer or Ford customer service.
At 11 weeks - VIN issued, build date April 26th. Contacted Ford customer service and found out an eta of 5-12.
5-12 - Stop by the dealer at 4pm. No car and no idea when it will arrive. 5-12 is just an eta and not an exact date of delivery which I am fine with. No update in Ford's system other than the car was built on 4-26. By the way remember retail orders take precedence over stock orders? I guess not, the dealer has four 2012 Mustangs on the lot including three 5.0s.
5-13 - Call from dealer in response to call I made to Ford customer service on 5-12 regarding where is my car? Now all of a sudden the dealer has information. My car is built and is still in Flat Rock, MI with no eta of delivery.
My issue with Ford during this who process is the lack of communication. In my business I deal with customers every day and learned a long time ago they want to be communicated with...even if it is to say there is nothing new to share.
I asked the dealer to update me once a week on the status of the order, even if there was no change. This happened the first two weeks and then stopped. I was told when something changes we'll let you know. I asked to be update weekly regardless of changes but was not. I found out that a Ford Customer Service rep frequents several mustang web sites. I began communicating with the reps. This is how I found out what my order number was, VIN, and delivery eta. My dealer should have done a better job of communicating with me but I have already figured out they are in the dark just about as much as I am.
Seriously Ford, how can you build a car on 4-26 and then not update the system with any information? Tell the dealer the car is on delivery hold for two weeks waiting for an inspection or there is a problem securing rail cars for shipping but no update is not acceptable!
Ford there is one additional frustration that is escalating my dissatisfaction. I am forced to post a message on a web site not knowing whether or not anyone from Ford will read this or respond. I would rather directly communicate higher up in the corporation than to air my complaints on a web site but I have not been provided with this option even though I have asked.
The Ford Mustang will be my first Ford product. I thought maybe the first of many but now I doubt it. You see, I like it that you did not take a government bailout and I like what I am seeing in the Fusion and Edge but I never had these issues when buying my Camry or LX330. I love working with the Toyota dealer and Toyota communication has always been fine for me. I cannot say the same about Ford or the dealer...and I really wanted to.
Thanks for allowing me to vent. PM me or email me at jmoeller@imonmail.com if you want to talk.