Twitter exchange ongoing with @mrlevine

[Southern Girl]

What did the other dealers do to not be able to order vehicles to sell.

This sounds like a really immature way to lose a debate.

Dealers in my area are now selling Broncos for $90k. Yes, you read that right. They laugh with glee when they tell you all the calls they are getting on it and how many auction guys will buy it for $25k over MSRP. They are cocky and arrogant about it and laugh at customers who attempt to negotiate.

THAT, my friend, is what they have done.

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[SoK66]

I retired from Ford and can say unequivocally this is the biggest trainwreck I have ever witnessed. Were I still working I'd come to work with a bag over my head. Geez, Jim Faley, ANYBODY, get in there and start kicking some tails. With each passing mess the rep of the Ford brand and the Bronco nameplate gets another ding. Were I a "civilian" seeing this mess I'd be heading for the nearest Jeep dealer with my money and avoiding Ford and their Bronco like an STD. .

 

[MaverickMan]

Anybody else notice F stock climbing this week

 

[CPL_Rabbit]

Another media outlet to notify would be Jalopnik.
Ford Wants To Suck More People Into 84-Month Loans

I sent it into their tips mailbox ( [email protected] ) yesterday. Hoping to see something tomorrow, since theDrive has opened the gates.

 

[Drex]

About a year ago or so, I noticed they had changed their promises from reservations in order, to 2021 reservation orders in order. I commented on it at the time that it seemed an odd change that left them open to wiggle their way out of the commitments. I still went with Granger because, until the most recent allocation changes, Ford still maintained (and they actually still maintain online, it just isn't going to happen with the allocation numbers we have seen so far) that they would build all reservation orders before stock, gave me a maximum wait of about 2/3 of the way through 2022, or saving about a thousand bucks a month for each of my extra months waited, along with the peace of mind about no shenanigans from a dealer. After orders were in though, Levine tweets and the language on the website changed again to reflect the all res/orders in order subject to allocations, and, critically; all res orders built before stock orders.

It logically follows that it might have been their plan, for at least a year, to go to allocations that ignored the reservationist's order, to front load the big dealers, perhaps to give them something to sell while the little dealers that are less important to Ford took the financial hit (like Ford cares if a mom and pop dealer dies) until the supply of vehicles was restored for the other models. Perhaps the inability to service the big boy dealers this year because of the roof and supply problems has pushed Ford into the next step of ignoring the second part of the backbone of the reservation system, the building of all reservations before stock. That would make sense if Ford believes they won't get other model vehicles built in 2022 to any appreciable amount, A triage of what dealers might survive the continuing drought of stock to sell. Perhaps not, I am not accusing Ford of doing such a thing, I have no idea as to their motivations, but it is a theory that fits the data. If I am right or close to it, Ford will not bend a bit on their apparent favorable treatment of certain dealers at the expense at others. Do not forget Levine's famous GFY Tweet, he admitted it was to, I guess...not reward dealers who took too many orders. He talks only of dealers, not that each of those orders was a reservation people made in good faith with the terms Ford set up. The end consumer does not figure into the equation at all, the noisy complaints are only important enough to deal with to the extent they hurt stock pricing. In this case, not at all.

 

[Al Cowlings]

Ford’s lesson will come in a few years, when they have failed to gain traction with the enthusiast community.

People who want a Bronco because it’s the latest hot thing will have moved to the next hot thing. Enthusiasts will still be driving Jeeps and Toyotas. And Broncos will be an also-ran product once the shine wears off.

 

[JaxGtc]

We have a clear view of the problems because we have been watching every little fact and piece of information. I would venture to say that 98% of the population has no clue there was a roof problem or is an allocation system problem. Maybe it is just the cost of doing business for Ford.

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