'22 March Sales

[akirby]

I do t think dealers have incomplete vehicles.  They’re still at the plant.

[ice-capades]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

I do t think dealers have incomplete vehicles.  They’re still at the plant.

 

Agreed! Ford considered sending microchips to dealerships for installation more than a year ago but never implemented it. 

[fuzzymoomoo]

58 minutes ago, ice-capades said:

 

Agreed! Ford considered sending microchips to dealerships for installation more than a year ago but never implemented it. 

Well, yeah, they still can't even get enough to keep plants running at full capacity 

[ice-capades]

22 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

Well, yeah, they still can't even get enough to keep plants running at full capacity 

 

Exactly! The first priority for available parts is to supply them to the plants to keep assembly operations running. 

[jpd80]

12 hours ago, akirby said:

I do t think dealers have incomplete vehicles.  They’re still at the plant.

Don’t get me wrong, Ford is seeing its inventory of incomplete vehicles rising as holding yards fill, it’s looking at ways of off loading them to dealers either by buyers accepting incomplete vehicles to be upgraded later or holding some vehicles at dealers until the chips arrive. I am hearing that there’s lots of incomplete vehicles, mainly F Series at dealers. It’s a kind of channel stuffing with the hopes of quicker completion and delivery once the next batch of chips arrive.

 

Quote

https://www.carsdirect.com/automotive-news/industry-news/ford-will-begin-selling-cars-without-chips

This isn’t a new plan, as Ford originally launched the idea last July. Back then, the report indicated that the vehicles with missing semiconductor chips would not be sold to consumers, but would help add inventory to empty dealer parking lots. The new plan sounds slightly different, as the outlet claims that the vehicles that are being shipped to dealers are drivable and sellable. Unnamed sources told the outlet that Ford would send the necessary ships over to the dealers to install within a year.

 

Auto News claims that Ford did not provide any information on when it would begin shipping vehicles without semiconductor chips or what specific models the automaker would be shipping. Ford spokesman Said Deep told the outlet that Ford would be building the Explorer midsize SUV and shipping them to dealerships without power rear HVAC controls. Consumers that purchase Explorers without this feature will get their chips installed for free within a year and receive access to the feature after. Buyers that purchase an Explorer will receive a price reduction, said Deep.

 

The decision to ship and sell vehicles without some features and chips comes at a time when Ford is seeing its inventory of unfinished vehicles increase. This isn’t the first time Ford has decided to sell a vehicle without a feature because of the chip shortage. Last year, the automaker gave customers the option to purchase an F-150pickup truck without automatic start-stop for a $50 credit.

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by jpd80

[sigp228]

On 4/5/2022 at 12:14 PM, FordBuyer said:

 

In Central FL, the F150 is just another pickup truck among many. But the Super Duty is by far the King of the Hill here. Optioned out Super Duties with the big tires clutter the major highways here. About every major contractor and even the smaller landscapers covet the Super Duty. They really stand out and make the traditional pickup look like a toy. Too bad Ford is having such a hard time building them. 

 

No different in SFL where they all are getting jacked up on big tires.  Probably spend 10-15k just in suspension and tires on top of the 80k price tag.  Some even doing the Carolina squat now (which looks stupid by the way IMO).

[rmc523]

On 4/9/2022 at 8:49 AM, ice-capades said:

 

Agreed! Ford considered sending microchips to dealerships for installation more than a year ago but never implemented it. 

 

I thought they recently announced they were going to start sending some out with the drivable chips in but some features missing?

[jpd80]

April 1 inventory

 

Mustang…………..7,100

 

Bronco…….……..14,700

Bronco Sport….16,800

E-series van….….5,400

EcoSport………..10,900

Edge……………….15,700

Escape…………..17,000

Expedition……….1,500

Explorer…………33,300

F series……..….87,800

Maverick………...9,400

Mustang Mach-E….8,700

Ranger………………9,400

Transit……………14,300

Transit Connect……3,000

 

Aviator…………….2,200

Corsair/MKC….3,200

Nautilus/MKX..4,000

Navigator…………..900

 

[rmc523]

9 hours ago, jpd80 said:

April 1 inventory

 

Mustang…………..7,100

 

Bronco…….……..14,700

Bronco Sport….16,800

E-series van….….5,400

EcoSport………..10,900

Edge……………….15,700

Escape…………..17,000

Expedition……….1,500

Explorer…………33,300

F series……..….87,800

Maverick………...9,400

Mustang Mach-E….8,700

Ranger………………9,400

Transit……………14,300

Transit Connect……3,000

 

Aviator…………….2,200

Corsair/MKC….3,200

Nautilus/MKX..4,000

Navigator…………..900

 

 

No wonder Expy sales are so low with only 1,500 inventory.

[jpd80]

9 hours ago, rmc523 said:

 

No wonder Expy sales are so low with only 1,500 inventory.

Absolutely but by way of compensation, there seems to be a lot more Explorers available although we know the chip shortages are forcing Ford to deliver them minus features until chips become available. Looking through the list, Bronco Sport with 16,800 is another opportunity to sell a desirable product. At 87,000, F- Series is very skinny and probably nowhere near the right build profile to optimise monthly sales, in good times it was two or three times that amount…

 

Ecosport….10,900 says they’re still pushing as an alternative to the Bronco Sport and Edge with 15,700 is not far under Escape’s 17,000, so again an opportunity to upset to Escape buyers I guess….

[FordBuyer]

11 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Absolutely but by way of compensation, there seems to be a lot more Explorers available although we know the chip shortages are forcing Ford to deliver them minus features until chips become available. Looking through the list, Bronco Sport with 16,800 is another opportunity to sell a desirable product. At 87,000, F- Series is very skinny and probably nowhere near the right build profile to optimise monthly sales, in good times it was two or three times that amount…

 

Ecosport….10,900 says they’re still pushing as an alternative to the Bronco Sport and Edge with 15,700 is not far under Escape’s 17,000, so again an opportunity to upset to Escape buyers I guess….

 

You can tell where decent inventory is by Ford regional advertising. Ford is pushing Explorer, Edge, and Escape especially, and more specifically Edge and Escape with 0% loans plus $1,000 cash back incentives. Bronco Sport and Maverick incentives are not as good. And Ecosports seem to rust on dealer lots. Mullinax has enough Ecosports to last years. 2022 may be last year for Ecosport, but they will be on dealer lots for years after unless they offer huge incentives. 

[atomcat68]

I think Ecosport will be Ford's Dart. In 2040 there will still be one randomly sold on the monthly reports.

[FordBuyer]

30 minutes ago, atomcat68 said:

I think Ecosport will be Ford's Dart. In 2040 there will still be one randomly sold on the monthly reports.

 

I still see 2021 Ecosport Titaniums on dealer lots for $30,000. Hard to believe they will sell for that price anytime soon. Small CUV with very mediocre fuel mileage. An Escape S for $25,000 looks a lot better. I doubt if many dealers will be ordering many 2022 Ecosports with too many 2021s sitting on lot. 

[akirby]

48 minutes ago, atomcat68 said:

I think Ecosport will be Ford's Dart. In 2040 there will still be one randomly sold on the monthly reports.

I think Ford writes off those old vehicles so they don’t have to report on them.  I don’t recall seeing that on past Fords.

[ice-capades]

Here's the 2021/2022MY EcoSport area inventory per the Ford Vehicle Locator this morning.

• 2021MY EcoSport - 338 Vehicles (Closest 300 Dealers) Includes vehicles "In Plant" and "In Transit
• 2022MY EcoSport - 679 Vehicles (Closest 300 Dealers)

Current incentives for my dealership area.

• Ford Credit APR Financing
  • 0.9/1.9/2.9/4.9/5.9% (36/48/60/72/75 Months)
• $0 - Retail Bonus Cash Rebate
• $3,000 - RCL Customer Cash (Ford Credit Red Carpet Lease)

[atomcat68]

17 minutes ago, akirby said:

I think Ford writes off those old vehicles so they don’t have to report on them.  I don’t recall seeing that on past Fords.

Although I was being sarcastic, I agree. I would hope if it gets to that point, Ford would auction them away like used cars to not have them on their books.

[ice-capades]

24 minutes ago, akirby said:

I think Ford writes off those old vehicles so they don’t have to report on them.  I don’t recall seeing that on past Fords.

 

I doubt Ford writes off old inventory but there's a point where dealerships no longer get sales credit for those vehicles. 

[jpd80]

39 minutes ago, FordBuyer said:

 

I still see 2021 Ecosport Titaniums on dealer lots for $30,000. Hard to believe they will sell for that price anytime soon. Small CUV with very mediocre fuel mileage. An Escape S for $25,000 looks a lot better. I doubt if many dealers will be ordering many 2022 Ecosports with too many 2021s sitting on lot. 

Maverick stands as the biggest reason not to buy Ecosport and probably why sales are now slowing down.

[akirby]

18 minutes ago, ice-capades said:

 

I doubt Ford writes off old inventory but there's a point where dealerships no longer get sales credit for those vehicles. 

I didn’t mean literally write off - I assume they sell them to the dealer or auction them to get them off the books for reporting.

[rperez817]

41 minutes ago, FordBuyer said:

Small CUV with very mediocre fuel mileage.

 

That's a very charitable description for Ford EcoSport in the U.S. market. The product is woefully uncompetitive, with the lowest owner satisfaction rating of any car or light truck.

[bzcat]

I was suprised by the 11k EcoSport inventory. It's kind of hard to see the value of that little turd when Maverick starts at $20k.

[Trader 10]

3 hours ago, bzcat said:

I was suprised by the 11k EcoSport inventory. It's kind of hard to see the value of that little turd when Maverick starts at $20k.

That’s probably the reason there’s so many in inventory. It wouldn’t be a good buy at $15K. 

 

 

0

[fuzzymoomoo]

26 minutes ago, Trader 10 said:

That’s probably the reason there’s so many in inventory. It wouldn’t be a good buy at $15K. 

 

 

0

I wouldn't even buy one at $10k

[bzcat]

Hyundai Venue starts at $19k which is the only other CUV on the US market that is similar in size to EcoSport. But it is a much newer and appealing design. 

 

[jpd80]

6 hours ago, bzcat said:

I was suprised by the 11k EcoSport inventory. It's kind of hard to see the value of that little turd when Maverick starts at $20k.

Ecosport Inventory 

January………….8,000

February…………4,500

March…………….5,200

April……..………10,900

 

Ford was getting the inventory levels down but then the must have received more shipments from India.

Maybe use them as service day courtesy vehicles and don’t ask for them back…….

Edited April 15, 2022 by jpd80