bluebonnet

Seems like a fairly obvious thing for customer satisfaction, so there must be an underlying business reason why Ford won't divulge shipping info. I wish I (or someone) could track down my order. NM0AS8FX0E1162601 17 weeks I've waited so far. No E.T.A. One Ford internal web site shows it was built on 13 May. But I can't find any other info. Meantime my 20-yr old daily driver is making unhealthy sounds. I need that new car! Maybe it is here, but stuck in U.S. Customs at port of entry.

NM0AS8FX0E1162601 The "show me the window sticker" tool at most Ford dealer web sites returns "invalid VIN" but this is what the dealer gave me.

Ordered a Transit Connect in mid-Feb. Uncertain arrival date here in eastern USA. Wagon, Short wheelbase. Saw the very first one on the road on 07 May, a commercial cargo van Transit Connect. I've received my VIN, but the lookup tools online reject the VIN as invalid. Would like to see the window sticker online. The owner's manual is available online, however.

Still no TCs in state of Georgia. Why not? SC has some. VA, PA, FL, NJ, MD, .....but not GA. Some GA dealers claim "Just arrived" on their website, but both the Ford search inventory tool, and the cars.com search show none arrived, but plenty of them "dealer ordered." Is it because inventory of old models is too high here? One dealer lot near Atlanta has 20+ white 2013 TCs sitting unsold, yesterday Feb 9th.

Okay this is strange. A few hours ago (per Google) the EPA has updated www.fueleconomy.gov to show one version of the TC gets 30 MPG. It is the cargo version with 1.6 ecoboost engine. Makes sense (less weight of seats, insulation, etc). But seems odd that these figures would be revised when they were initially posted just a few weeks ago. Ford gets to meet its promise of "30 MPG" made so long ago when this van was announced.

At last it seems that a few Transit Connects have arrived at dealers' lots. Searches turn up dealer ads (i.e. on Youtube) with specific vans photographed at the dealerships vs. stock, generic photos of vans with "dealer ordered" footnote. I've seen a handful of these ads for dealers in the Eastern USA.

Update on when we can expect the first Transit Connects in the USA: the week before Christmas a dealer looked in his inventory, shipment system and said the first USA-bound vans are sitting on the docks in Valencia, Spain, waiting to be loaded. Perhaps they gather enough of them there to fill a freighter before loading. From there, they go to Jacksonville, Florida, to be distributed to US dealers. Ford's inventory search tool for customers shows all the ones that dealers have ordered are 2.5 L engine versions. Ecoboost models must be unavailable for now.

Fuelecomony.gov has recently updated the estimated MPG figures. They had the estimates for the 2.5 liter-powered Transit Connect already. Now they've added the 1.6 liter-powered estimates. 22 MPG city. 29 MPG highway. So 30 MPG should be possible with conservative driving.

Regarding the anticipated arrival at dealerships: A dealer told me last week that Ford corporate informed dealers that on 7 Nov the approval to ship Transit Connects from Valencia, Spain to USA had been received. With that info, he guessed that perhaps the last two weeks of December the first TCs might arrive at dealerships. Also said a more likely date would be after New Years. He said the first ones ordered by his dealerships were fully-optioned, high line Titanium model wagons, and he expected other dealers would do the same with their first orders.

Hoping for 30+ on the 1.6 Ecoboost equipped model. EPA has recently added their estimates (test result?) for the 2.5L equipped TC. Wagon: 20 MPG city. 28 MPG highway. Cargo version: 21 / 29. Apparently the EPA has not tested the 1.6 Transit Connect yet. See fueleconomy.gov if interested.

A picture might help show the place you describe. Would it be for rear wipers perhaps, which were not installed on his particular vehicle? Just a guess. You are referring to the rear swing-open, side-by-side doors, correct?