ice-capades

New Ford Vehicles Heavily Damaged in Arizona Derailment https://fordauthority.com/2023/06/new-ford-vehicles-heavily-damaged-in-arizona-derailment/ Incidents involving trains are certainly nothing new, but in recent months, these types of problems have seemingly been rearing their ugly heads more often than usual. Regardless, we’ve seen more than one train derailment result in damage to new Ford vehicles, including an incident in 2020 that destroyed a slew of Ford Explorer and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers, as well as another in 2021 that smashed up a bunch of Ford F-150 pickups. Now, it has happened yet again, as around 20 train cars have derailed in Coconino County, Arizona, according to ABC 15 news. According to BNSF Railway, the incident happened late Wednesday night, though it’s unclear what might have caused the derailment, as an investigation is currently underway. However, we do know that the cars were carrying a variety of new Ford vehicles, along with other models, all of which sustained heavy damage as a result of the crash. Luckily, there have been no reports of injuries at this time, at least. “BNSF Railway can confirm that at approximately 11:20 pm on June 7th, approximately 20 automobile cars derailed in Williams, AZ (35 miles west of Flagstaff, AZ),” the company said in a statement. “No injuries or hazmat involved. Cause is under investigation.” It’s unclear how long it will take to clean up this giant mess, but judging from the photos provided by Coconino County Emergency Management, it won’t be an easy task by any measure. In these pictures, we can see a number of Ford Transit vans and Ford F-150 pickups, meaning that there are likely many other new Ford vehicles buried in this massive wreckage, though it’s unclear just how many total vehicles were onboard the 20 or so cars at the time of the derailment.

2023 Escape Orders & Discussion Ford order questions and general discussion.

At least from my experience, the Edge had a very loyal owner body and those owners loved the size, the 2-row configuration, the price point, etc. It would be interesting to know what the utilization rate is for those buying 3-row SUV's.

Customer Wait Times to Shrink as F-150 Lightning XLT Production Scales - No Reservation Needed For Retail Orders https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2023/06/08/customer-wait-times-to-shrink-as-f-150-lightning-xlt-production-.html# DEARBORN, Mich, June 8, 2023 – Ford is on track to increase production of the F-150 Lightning® at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center this fall to reduce customer wait times. The high-demand F-150 Lightning XLT model gains the largest initial production increase with new retail orders made today estimated to deliver as early as September. Ford also continues to accept retail customer orders for the Lariat® and Platinum models. “Customer interest for XLT has considerably outstripped supply since the F-150 Lightning launch and we’ve worked with our suppliers to help address that,” said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer, Ford Model e. “We heard loud and clear from our customers that they want their truck deliveries as close as possible to their orders. As we scale production, we are making this possible.” You can order exactly the F-150 Lightning you want from your local Ford dealer online at ford.com or in-store. The F-150 Lightning XLT, with a starting MSRP1 of $64,474, delivers an EPA-estimated range of 2402 miles. The available extended-range battery has an EPA-estimated range of 3203 miles and 580 horsepower4 starting at $78,874. The F-150 Lightning XLT – with standard range battery and most configurations for extended range battery – is eligible for $7,500 in potential federal tax credits.5 When equipped with the extended range battery and Max Trailer Tow Package, F-150 Lightning offers a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 pounds6. Pro Trailer Hitch AssistTM, an industry first, automatically controls steering, throttle and brake inputs to help make hitching trailers easier. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is standard with the Tow Technology Package available on XLT. The production increase for the F-150 Lightning is part of Ford’s plan to scale electric vehicles and make them more accessible to customers. Ford is on track to triple F-150 Lightning production by the end of this year to an annual rate of approximately 150,000 units, to help meet customer demand for the high-tech truck. The 2023 MotorTrend Truck of the Year winner, F-150 Lightning is the smartest, most innovative F-150 that Ford has ever built, with the freedom of an available 9.6-kilowatt smart power plant on wheels with Pro Power Onboard, software updates that help make it even better over time and Built Ford Tough capability. F-150 Lightning drivers can access the BlueOval Charge Network, one of North America’s largest public charging network7 with over 84,000 chargers. Starting next year, F-150 Lightning drivers will also have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers, making it the largest integrated fast-charge network across the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, Ford dealers are adding roughly 1,800 public-facing fast-chargers and locations to the BlueOval Charge Network by early 2024. Customers can order their F-150 Lightning from their local dealer here or in-store.

2023 Super Duty Orders & Discussion

All this talk and speculation about the tiniest details was amusing and entertaining at first but now getting very tired. I'll wait to form an opinion once we see an actual product. My overall opinion of current SUV products isn't favorable in the sense that they mostly look alike with few, if any, distinctive styling cues. The design sketches, exercises and illustrations look like they were designed by a committee! Someone at Ford should let the designers loose and encourage them to present all-new designs that they'd like to see in production, instead of having to work under all the constraints and input imposed by a "management by committee" approach.

This morning's gas prices in Hamden, CT (New Haven) $3.59 Regular (Cash) @ Gulf $3.69 Regular (Cash) @ Citgo Surprising that CT prices haven't gone higher, especially with the announcement that OPEC will be cutting production further as of July 1st.

2024 Ford Mustang Variants Coming From New Collaboration https://fordauthority.com/2023/06/2024-ford-mustang-variants-coming-from-new-collaboration/ The Ford Mustang has inspired its fair share of collaborations and variants over the years, many taking place in partnership with aftermarket companies. That includes Steeda, which previously teamed up with Chad McQueen – the son of legendary actor Steve McQueen – to create the Steve McQueen Edition Mustang Bullitt, which was built in scant quantities with unique styling cues and more performance. Now, Steeda has announced that it will continue its relationship with that same entity by offering a series of new 2024 Ford Mustang variants under the McQueen Racing banner. The new lineup – dubbed the McQueen Racing Limited-Edition Series – will start with the brand new S650 generation 2024 Ford Mustang, to which Steeda plans to add a series of powertrain, suspension, and braking upgrades, along with an array of exterior and interior styling updates. The company has yet to provide any specifics as to what we can expect in that regard, save for McQueen Racing’s Mulholland wheels and Nitto Tires, though it also revealed that customers will be able to choose from both naturally-aspirated and supercharged variants. The S650 McQueen Racing Mustangs will be sold exclusively through that company and Steeda, with a full reveal expected to take place very soon and deliveries anticipated to begin later this summer.

Tesla Model 3 Vehicles Now Qualify for $7,500 Tax Credit A Model 3 starts at $40,240 and the price may fall to $25,240 https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/tesla-model-3-vehicles-now-qualify-7500-tax-credit Tesla has made changes to its battery supply chain that bring some of its vehicles within the guidelines qualifying them for federal U.S. credits. Tesla's Model 3 vehicles now qualify which could lower its price to less than that of a Toyota Camry. The Biden administration on Tuesday confirmed that all Tesla Model 3 vehicles now qualify for $7,500 electric vehicle consumer tax credits after two of the three versions were eligible for half the credits. New battery rules went into effect in April that lowered the credit of the Model 3 Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive and Long Range All-Wheel Drive to $3,750. The government confirmed the change on its fueleconomy.gov website. A Model 3 starts at $40,240 and the price may fall to $25,240 when the $7,500 federal tax credit and another $7,500 from the California tax rebate kick in, depending on income and other requirements. Toyota's Camry is listed at $26,320 and higher.

Allocation is required for any order to get scheduled along with priority code, commodity constraints, supply chain issues and the orginal order date. Even at priority code 10, the number of other unscheduled retail orders with the same priority code is a factor. Re-prioritizing retail orders is part of the dealership's responsibility regarding USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank). Dealers need to review unscheduled retail orders on a regular basis and contact their Ford Zone Manager or Regional Scheduler to have longstanding retail orders re-prioritized to 01 or 02.

Removing options from a scheduled retail order doesn't result in the order's scheduled production date being pulled forward because there are fewer options and the build "simpler" to build. The revised or reduced specifications forces the order to face an updated commodity restraint compliance review, resulting in a later scheduled production week assignment. Carryover orders and priority matters are a different subject and fall under order management with other factors involved.

Electric Chevrolet Blazer Reservations Are Sold Out Already https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/electric-chevrolet-blazer-reservations-sold-out Deliveries of the all-electric midsize model revealed in July are not expected to begin until next summer, but the first batch is already spoken for. A Chevrolet spokeswoman told FOX Business that the automaker has "fulfilled our reservation target" and is no longer accepting new reservations. The first Blazer EVs scheduled to ship are listed at $47,595 and $51,995. An entry-level $44,995 model will be added in late 2024.

2024 Chevrolet Malibu Continues Mostly Unchanged Price Rises Just $100, Only on the Base Trim - And Sales Have Bounced Back https://www.autoblog.com/2023/06/05/2024-chevrolet-malibu-continues-mostly-unchanged-and-thats-not-a-bad-thing/ The Chevrolet Malibu would like you to know it's still here, carrying the torch as the last Chevrolet sedan — one of only three sedans in GM's portfolio along with the Cadillac CT4 and CT5. And in fact, not only is the Malibu here, it's selling almost as well as it did in 2019 and 2020 after having a down year in 2021. Dealers sold just 39,376 Malibus in 2021, the car likely suffering from GM prioritizing more popular models during the unexpected post-Covid rebound. The inventory and the buyers returned in 2022 and took home 115,468 units. Through the first three months of this year, 37,438 Malibus found new homes. GM Authority has good news for sedan shoppers aching to do the same with a 2024 Malibu: The MSRP has gone up just $100, and only on the base LS trim; the RS, 1LT, and 2LT are unchanged. The early intel lists these prices for the ninth year of the ninth-generation car, after the $1,095 destination charge: LS $26,195 RS $27,095 1LT $29,195 2LT $32,595 Changes to equipment and options are just as subtle. Outside, Dark Ash Metallic and Riverside Blue Metallic depart the palette, while Lakeshore Blue Metallic joins. Mineral Gray Metallic, Mosaic Black Metallic, Sterling Gray Metallic, and Summit White will be the other four options for all trims, all of them at no cost. Getting Radiant Red Tintcoat requires stepping up to at least the RS trim and paying an additional $495. The giving is that the 2024 Malibu LS gains body-colored mirrors as standard equipment. Currently, those can only be optioned at no cost when also ordering the $545 Driver Confidence Package. The taking away is that the LS won't come with a 16-inch compact spare and emergency tool kit. Instead, the stock fit will be a tire inflator kit, the donut tire and tools an option. The trims above the LS continue with the 16-inch spare as standard. There's no consensus about what's happening to the Malibu after 2024, if anything. GM Authority believes there will be a tenth-generation Malibu on a new platform for 2025. Automotive News predicts the Malibu dies in 2026, with nothing yet in the pipeline to replace it, at least not directly.

Traditionally, at the dealership level, the Explorer inventory in stock and sales would vary widely every few months. Dealers would get relatively large allocation that would arrive a couple of months later, sales would increase from stock afterwards, but the future allocation would drop substantially, or completely, until the dealership's inventory numbers were updated in Ford's systems. As such, the Explorer inventory and sales numbers at the dealership would see saw dramatically. The wide swings in numbers at the dealership level were far more pronounced for the Explorer than any other model due to the allocation, scheduling, production and reporting times which was somehow different for Explorer. It may seem strange, or possibly an undetected glitch in Ford's systems, compared to other vehicle lines but that was the case for Explorer for many years.

I'd recommend asking your Dealer for documentation supporting their statement that the 3.55 ratio axle isn't available with the FX4 Off-Road Package (17X). The information in the 2023 Super Duty Pick-Up Order Guide (03/17/2023) does not show any axle restriction for the FX4 package. Axle restrictions are noted in other packages. Your Dealer has access to the Super Duty resource guide which may provide additional information. The only other potential documentation that I can think of are older copies of the DORA's, if the dealership retains copies of all DORA's issued for retail orders, which would show the notice of the commodity compatibility error and the date.

The extended range option has basically been a restricted commodity since the Mustang Mach-E was introduced. I'd consider it a supply chain issue mostly with the majority of the extended range production going to fulfill retail customer orders.

Ford Backed Group to Tell House AM Radio Not Needed in Cars https://fordauthority.com/2023/06/ford-backed-group-to-tell-house-am-radio-not-needed-in-cars/ Ford Motor Company stirred up a proverbial hornet’s nest recently when the automaker decided to ditch AM radio functionality in the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning and 2024 Ford Mustang, and later announced that it would be following suit in most all of its models, save for commercial vehicles – in both the U.S. and Canada. This move not only drew the ire of customers that still use and enjoy AM radio, but also a host of lawmakers concerned that its removal might impact emergency broadcast situations, prompting some to introduce a bill requiring automakers to retain this functionality. That pushback seemingly worked, as Ford CEO Jim Farley recently announced that the automaker will be retaining AM radio in its 2024 model year vehicles after all, but the Ford-backed lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AIA) is now arguing that this feature isn’t necessary either, according to Automotive News. The AIA is expected to make this argument during an upcoming hearing hosted by the House’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to discuss the proposed bill called the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which aims to direct the NHTSA to issue a rule requiring automakers to keep AM radio in new vehicles at no extra cost to consumers.

Ford CEO Farley Not Optimistic About Building Every 2023 Maverick Order Even with more plant capacity, still so much more demand than expected https://www.autoblog.com/2023/06/05/ford-ceo-farley-not-optimistic-about-building-every-2023-maverick-order/ Ford's managed to increase Maverick production at its Hermosillo, Mexico plant by a healthy amount. According to production figures posted at Maverick Truck Club, May was the first time this year that 2023-model-year pickup output reached double digits; from 8,694 units in January to 11,061 in May. That output will continue to increase thanks to Ford hiring 1,100 new direct employees for a third shift at the factory, and 5,000 indirect employees. It's likely that none of this will be enough to clear the backlog of Mavericks for this model year. During the same shareholder event where Ford CEO Jim Farley used the new F-Series Super Duty as an example of the automaker's quality focus, he answered a question about Maverick production with some pessimism about clearing the 2023 backlog. "We have a capacity increase in July at the plant, that will help. Unfortunately, we completely undercalled the demand for the Maverick, so I'm not confident even with the capacity increase that we're going to have a lot of Mavericks available to everyone." The boss noted that there's a ten-day supply of Mavericks at dealers, so, ostensibly, the regrettable news only applies to buyers waiting for reservations. Compare that to Cox Auto writing at the end of April that F-150 inventory was built up to 97 days of supply. But the meager Maverick inventory means buyers who show up at lots are often asked to pay dealer premiums for the privilege of taking one of the compact pickups home.

This is exactly why, per my post above, it's advisable that dealership service departments run the VIN number in Ford's system for all retail or stock vehicles when they arrive to check for any New Vehicle Demonstration/Delivery holds and/or outstanding recall notices. Delivering a vehicle with outstanding holds or recalls violates Ford policy in addition to federal regulations and subjects the dealership to substantial fines.

2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty Recalled Over Incorrect Labeling https://fordauthority.com/2023/06/2023-ford-f-250-super-duty-recalled-over-incorrect-labeling/ Ford Motor Company is recalling select 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickups due to an issue with incorrect labeling. The defect: in affected vehicles, the Tire and Loading Information (TREAD) label states the incorrect load carrying capacity, which can result in an overloaded vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, “Tire Selection and Rims.” The hazards: an overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this issue. Components:TREAD label Affected vehicles: select 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickups produced between March 16th, 2022, and March 31st, 2023. Number of vehicles affected: 16,009 The fix: Ford will mail a new TREAD label to install over the existing label, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the new label installed. Owners should: wait for communications from Ford, which will be begin on July 5th, 2023. The Ford reference number for this recall is 23C18. Contacts: Ford Customer Service: 1-866-436-7332 FoMoCo Recall Number: 23C18

This morning's gas prices in Hamden, CT (New Haven) $3.63 Regular (Cash) @ Gulf $3.73 Regular (Cash) @ Citgo

Okay, thanks for the clarification!

The supply chain issues are understandable from the industry-wide experience the past few years. What's interesting is that the plant is running OT, at times, yet shutting down early and sending everyone home. That's an interesting Ford management technique for plant operations!

So much for ramping up production! Let's rebuild MAP, re-introduce Ranger, add the Bronco, make a complete mess of the Bronco introduction, prioritize Bronco production to fulfill unanticipated demand backlog, prepare to introduce the next-generation Ranger, yet plant production constrained indefinitely and primarily by lack of a third shift. And even adding a third shift at some point in the future, it's unlikely that there won't be enough production capacity to meet demand. What's wrong with this picture? A lot of Ford failures in planning, anticipating and making adjustments as needed to maximize plant utilization and profits.

I don't recall seeing a case where the axle was changed, unless the change was made at the dealership level or forced by Ford due to a compatibility issue with the vehicle specifications. Compatibility issues are highlighted in the WBDO (Web Based Dealer Ordering) system and the AM Preview Scheduling Reports. Most likely, the change was made at the dealership level, and no one reviewed the updated DORA to confirm that the revised vehicle specifications were correct. If the axle change was actually a mistake that the dealership failed to notice, the vehicle will be treated as a "misbuilt" unit. The dealership would need to submit a claim to Ford with the related documentation in compliance with the Ford Service and Warranty Manual. If approved, the dealership may be able to install the correct axle and submit the approved claim to Ford for reimbursement. The other matter that could be a factor is the availability of the required parts. Should it be necessary to reorder the vehicle, the dealership should immediately contact their Ford Zone Manager requesting that the new order be re-prioritized by the Regional Scheduler to either 01 or 02 priority code, preferably 01 for expedited scheduling considering the situation. If it's necessary to re-order the vehicle as a 2024MY, there will be issues with the sales price as price protection would not apply to the original 2023MY order. The first step is for your Dealer to carefully review the order history and documentation to determine when and how the axle ratio was changed, and a determination of which party was responsible. Hope this helps!