ice-capades

Production week scheduling information for the week of May 28th. 2018 EcoSport - Clean up scheduling 2018 Edge - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Escape - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 & 2018-08-06 2018 Expedition - No Scheduling 2018 Explorer - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-150 - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-06-18 2018 Fiesta - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Flex - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Fusion - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 - Final 2018MY Fusion orders are due on Thursday, May 31st 2019 Mustang - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-Series Super Duty - 2018MY Super Duty has balanced out 2019 F-Series Super Duty - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 - Retail orders will begin scheduling on May 31st. Until the Okay to Buy has been achieved, orders will not ship 2018 Taurus - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Transit - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Transit Connect - Clean up scheduling Please let me know if this information is of interest!

No new information available. A national search via Ford's Vehicle Locator shows a total of 26 Escape PHEV's with an "In Plant" status and none in stock.

Per https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/did-ford-make-a-mistake-killing-its-sedans

Correction... Transit Connect production was moved from Turkey to Valencia, Spain several years ago.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) here's the updated production timetable for the 2020/2021 Lincoln Navigator. 09/04/2020 - 2020MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 09/12/2020 - 2020MY Last Day to Spec Change 11/29/2020 - 2020MY Job Last Date 09/16/2020 - 2021MY Order Bank Open Date 10/15/2020 - 2021MY Scheduling Begins 11/30/2020 - 2021MY Job #1 Date The 2021MY Lincoln Navigator Order Guide should be available on or about the date that the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) opens.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) here's the updated production timetable for the 2020/2021 Lincoln Navigator. 09/04/2020 - 2020MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 09/17/2020 - 2020MY Last Day to Spec Change 11/30/2020 - 2020MY Job Last Date (Split Day) 09/16/2020 - 2021MY Order Bank Open Date 10/15/2020 - 2021MY Scheduling Begins 11/30/2020 - 2021MY Job #1 Date (Split Day)

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) here's the updated production timetable for the 2020/2021 Ford Expedition. 09/04/2020 - 2020MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 09/12/2020 - 2020MY Last Day to Spec Change 11/29/2020 - 2020MY Job Last Date 09/16/2020 - 2021MY Order Bank Open Date 10/15/2020 - 2021MY Scheduling Begins 11/30/2020 - 2021MY Job #1 Date The 2021MY Expedition Order Guide should be available on or about the date that the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) opens.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) here's the updated production timetable for the 2020/2021 Ford Expedition. 09/04/2020 - 2020MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 09/17/2020 - 2020MY Last Day to Spec Change 11/30/2020 - 2020MY Job Last Date (Split Day) 09/16/2020 - 2021MY Order Bank Open Date 10/15/2020 - 2021MY Scheduling Begins 11/30/2020 - 2021MY Job #1 Date (Split Day)

PRODUCTION WEEK SCHEDULING - WEEK OF 09/28/2020

Am I missing something here? Why are the discussions involving Maverick vs. Transit Connect when they're totally different vehicles serving different customer needs?

If you can tell me when you got the VIN number I can give you a very rough estimate of the potential production week. Again, your Dealer has all this information.

I don't know how long you've had the VIN number or when your vehicle is scheduled for production but the Window Sticker is not available and the vehicle hasn't been invoiced yet. If you're just asking a sales representative at the dealership for status updates you need to talk directly to the sales manager, general manager or the individual responsible for managing the dealership's order bank. Your dealer has 24/7 access to Ford's Vehicle Visibility program that provides vehicle status updates.

The problem with the lease payments is that what Ford can advertise doesn't reflect what's required in certain states. In CT, the Ford leases are required to include the property taxes which can bump the payments a lot. So what you might see advertised in many markets doesn't reflect what the actual costs or payments are. Why is Bronco Sport production limited to only 100K units? Ford's spending all this money to retool a plant to produce a vehicle that is getting so much interest and reservations and production will be limited? Doesn't make sense. What are the capacity issues?

Absolutely! The problem is getting the SE Sport Hybrid that Ford treats as a commodity issue and makes difficult if not impossible to get scheduled.

They're two different vehicles that will appeal to different customer needs, etc.

You can't compare the Bronco Sport to the Escape or any other vehicle. It's not going to sell on price. Bronco Sport buyers are going to buy first because of the unique look, the Bronco name, etc. It's an impulse decision for many and not because of price.

Yes, but Ford's had heavy incentives on the EcoSport's which is making them very attractive price wise. It's a big factor for customers looking at payments considering it's now Ford's entry level vehicle.

Sorry but the days of a V8 being available in the Navigator or Expedition are over. There's little need for a V8 in either with the technology and benefits of the newer 3.5L EB powertrain. The need for a V8 is different for the F-Series.

Pricing and incentives are still issues with the Escape. I understand the whole profit vs. pricing point but sales in my market are about a third of what they were making it appear that Ford's pricing themselves out of the market and losing volume to the competitors. I could count on one hand the number of new Escape's I've seen on the road. And the only place I've heard negative reviews is online here. Escape sales not being important is just an excuse. The Bronco Sport may be a big success but there's no reason why the Escape couldn't be either. Then they'd be realizing the volume and profit potential on two vehicles instead of just one.

Ford Dealers can submit vehicle orders via either the traditional CONCEPS ordering system or the newer WBDO (Web Based Dealer Ordering) system. Fleet orders and/or specification changes must be made via CONCEPS. The WBDO system only accepts stock (Dealer Stock, Demonstrator) orders and all variations of retail orders (Retail, A/X/D Plan, Etc.). Both ordering systems generate error notices and will not display pricing information until any errors are corrected. The CONCEPS ordering system requires the Dealer to manually enter all the order codes… Year, Body Code, Priority Code, Option Codes, etc. The newer WBDO system uses plain language descriptions, etc. and only displays options available for that vehicle’s Model Year, Body Code & Order Code. Retail orders using the WBDO system default to Priority Code “19”. Dealers assign priority codes to each order based on the Order Type. Stock orders are assigned priority codes 20-80, retail orders are assigned priority codes 10-19. Fleet orders are assigned special alpha numeric codes that represent a requested production week. The priority codes determine the order for which vehicle orders are to be selected and/or considered for scheduling. This overview doesn’t consider commodity issues (model, powertrain or option scheduling restrictions) that may be in place for a scheduling week. Commodity issues and/or restrictions can apply at either or both the regional and national levels. The highest priority that a Dealer can use for a retail order is 10. An order with a “10” priority code will schedule ahead of an order with an “11” priority code, etc. This allows Dealers to prioritize the order in which vehicles are scheduled, especially when a Dealer may have multiple retail orders in the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank). With the WBDO ordering system, retail orders default to priority code “19” so it’s important that a Dealer change the priority code to a lower number if they want the order to be considered for scheduling earlier compared to other orders. Ford provides Dealers with a schedule for vehicle allocation each week on Monday mornings which shows how many vehicles of each model line that the Dealer has allocation for scheduling that week. That same weekly allocation report also includes information on any regional commodity issues or restrictions. On Monday afternoons, the Scheduling Toolbox Report is released which provides more detailed information on commodity issues and scheduling availability on a national basis. On Tuesday mornings, the AM Scheduling Preview Report is available to show Dealers which vehicle orders have been selected or previewed, on an initial basis, to be selected for scheduling that week. The same report is updated and available on Wednesday morning to show any changes based on commodity issues that may have changed. On Wednesday afternoon, the Regional Scheduler issues a notice informing Dealers of the vehicle specifications available for scheduling for orders not already showing on the AM Preview Report. This provides Dealers with information on what vehicle specifications are available for scheduling should they have orders showing on the AM Preview Report that are not what the Dealer wants. Ford generates what are called “SIMS Orders” each week which are Ford’s suggested orders based on commodity information available at the time. If a Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling that week and has no Dealer orders in the USOB or orders that don’t meet the commodity restrictions in place for that week, the scheduling system will default to trying to schedule SIMS (Smart Inventory Management System) orders if they meet any commodity restrictions in place. The SIMS orders are available to Dealers online Monday mornings and in print form on Tuesday mornings. Dealers can enter their own vehicle orders or change the Ford generated SIMS orders. Ford Dealers earn vehicle scheduling allocation each month based on reported vehicle sales, current inventory, projected sales, etc. Each month, Dealers usually meet with their Ford Zone Manager to review the allocation offered for scheduling the following month. A Dealer can accept the suggested allocation per vehicle line or change their commitment. Should a Dealer want more allocation than offered for a vehicle line, they can submit a request for supplemental allocation which will be considered based on total allocation available and commitments from other Dealers in their Zone. There are times when Dealers accept less allocation than offered for a vehicle line which makes that allocation available to other Dealers that may be looking for additional inventory. At other times, a Dealer may want more allocation for a vehicle line than Ford has offered. A supplemental allocation request is how Dealers can get allocation for extra inventory. A Dealer needs allocation each week for scheduling for each vehicle line. Even without allocation for a vehicle line, Ford is pretty good at trying to schedule retail orders even when a Dealer doesn’t have allocation that week. When a Dealer knows that they don’t have scheduling allocation, it’s always a good idea for them to provide the retail order information (Body Code & Order Number) to their Ford Zone Manager and the Regional Scheduler. The Regional Scheduler can reprioritize the retail order to priority code “01” which basically forces the Ford scheduling system to schedule the unit ASAP unless extreme commodity restrictions prevent the scheduling. When a Dealer doesn’t have allocation, the Ford Zone Manager may try to get the allocation from another Dealer that is willing to give up their allocation. Ford scheduling is done on Thursday’s but at times scheduling may be carried over to Friday’s due to scheduling, commodity or other issues. Vehicle scheduling confirmations are available on Friday mornings for allocation scheduled on Thursday. With only a few exceptions (Focus RS, EcoSport, Transit Connect) VIN numbers are generated at the time that an order is “Submitted to Plant” for scheduling. The initial scheduling information will show an order scheduled for a production week. Afterwards, the information will be updated to show production for a particular date. Along the process, the vehicle order status information will be updated along with the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) at the dealership. Years ago, the ordering process was much easier, with few or limited commodity issues to deal with. Ford’s vehicle scheduling was mostly driven by scheduling and building vehicles based on Dealer orders to meet Market demands. For a number of years now, the ordering process has become more complex and time consuming based on the constantly changing commodity issues and restrictions. It is now not uncommon for allocation to roll over to the following week because manufacturing can’t accurately forecast how many vehicles can be scheduled for production. In many cases, it seems that either because of vendor supply issues or other factors that Ford skews vehicle scheduling to higher content models in order to maximize corporate profits rather than scheduling vehicle production to meet Dealers orders or Market demand. The overall vehicle order process, scheduling and status updates is listed below for reference. · Dealer places order into the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) · When Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling, orders are scheduled based on Order Type, Priority Code and commodity restrictions. o Scheduled vehicle orders display as “Submitted to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily schedule status report. o Vehicle orders are assigned a VIN number when scheduled except for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, Transit Connect) o The initial vehicle scheduling notice will include information for the scheduled week of production. The initial ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) is usually provided within a few days of the scheduling notice. o Dealers can change vehicle specifications for a scheduled vehicle up until the vehicle is “locked in” for production or about two weeks prior to the scheduled build date. Specifications for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, etc.) cannot be changed once scheduled. § Dealers are limited to making 6 changes to scheduled orders. § Dealers cannot change Order Type, Body Code, Order Code (Package/Trim Level) · Vehicle order is next updated with a scheduled production date. · Vehicle goes into production and shows as “Sent to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily status report. o Vehicle invoices and window stickers are generated and available to Dealers at about this time. · Dealer’s daily status report shows updates on production status. · Vehicle status updated to “Produced” · Vehicle status updated to “Released” meaning that the vehicle has been released for shipment. · Vehicle is loaded on rail car. Dealer is provided with carrier information (Canadian National, Norfolk Sothern, etc.) along with the actual rail car number. · Vehicle status is updated to show arrival at the final rail destination (Ramp 41/Newark, NJ) · Vehicle is received by the car carrier (Fleet Car, Diversified Automotive, etc.) for delivery to the dealership. · Vehicle is delivered to the dealership. Dealers have access to the “Vehicle Visibility” application which provides status updates on a 24/7 basis for any vehicle order. This information is provided to answer the most often asked questions about the vehicle ordering process by the Ford enthusiasts that are members of the Blue Oval Forums. I’ll update this information as conditions warrant.

I doubt that Ford "missed" the opportunity that you think it has. Taking the Mustang global was a major change, including the investment to engineer and produce the Mustang specifically for RHD markets. In addition, a sizeable part of Flat Rock's Mustang production is for export markets and those vehicles are produced with different specifications and at much higher prices. Ford capitalized on expanding the Mustang franchise by introducing the Mustang Mach-E which has given them the attention and more than they would have achieved by introducing a 4-door initially. There's nothing preventing them from further expanding the Mustang line to include a 4-door model but I'd expect it to limited to a GT version.

Sorry to hear about your experience, past and present. Unfortunately, the Ford order tracking site is not reliable and a lot of times the information isn't current. Your dealership is the best source for vehicle status information as they have 24/7 access to Ford's Vehicle Visibility system that provides the latest information available. It's very nice that you're hesitant to contact a dealership manager for assistance but that's exactly what you should do. It's your vehicle that you've spent a good amount of money on and the dealership should be providing you with the information you require. I've attached a copy of your vehicle's Window Sticker so that you can confirm that the vehicle specifications are correct. The vehicle was invoiced to Grappone Ford in Concord, NH on 09/02/2020. 1FT8W3BT4LEE40644_WS.pdf

No. It's 10/26/2020 per the latest FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) which is the only Ford source for USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) and production timetable information.

Job #1 Date is 10/26/2020

Parts availability is always prioritized for the plants first so that production isn't interrupted.