✅ 1/30/2023 Lightning Build Week Group (MY2023)

[davehu]

My lightning was built in the same week and on the same day as yours, which I've posted about above.

I thought it had shipped to me as I was getting updates via VinView, but it appears that it was shipped to the Flat Rock location either for a new battery pack and/or for other quality control issues, fixes, or updates. It was released to the carrier again last week but no movement since, and it still shows as in production in the tracker, so it may need additional work according to other forum members.

What does your truck show as in the online tracker?

just that it's in production

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[kenj89087]

Still no update on mine either. The dealer is also in the dark. I have a second Lightening reservation that I made several months after this one. At this rate, I wonder if they'll hit their own 2023 production targets which had been to catch up to all preorders. I guess that one will be a 2024 unit. The lack of any customer communication from Ford continues to astound me.

 

[davehu]

Interesting. Do you have a window sticker you can download? Mine shows that my truck was 769 of 851 schedule for that week.

My additional assumption is that when they made the decision on the stop production they froze the tracker. My truck went all the way through, moved to the lot, and is fully connected to the network and satellite trackable, according to my dealership, but the online tracker hasn't moved. It'd be interesting to see what other members' trackers show, and where they are in build order for the week.

just noticed that you had posted that yours was #759 out of 851 for the week. Mine was #803

 

[davehu]

still nothing. still showing in production on 2/5. this is getting beyond frustration as I seeing people with a build date the week after mine are actually shipped. I've been real patience up to this point but it's wearing thin.

 

[UpWithFilm]

still nothing. still showing in production on 2/5. this is getting beyond frustration as I seeing people with a build date the week after mine are actually shipped. I've been real patience up to this point but it's wearing thin.

Did you ever have your dealership sign you up for VinView updates?

Mine was definitely shuttled back and forth between 2 plants (likely getting the battery replaced). It left the Dearborn plant for the second time on 3/13 but the online tracker didn’t update as “built” until 3/31. It’s supposed to get to my dealership by 4/18 but I suppose that depends on the carrier.

So check with your dealership or Ford customer service and see if it’s been moving around at all.

 

[davehu]

Did you ever have your dealership sign you up for VinView updates?

Mine was definitely shuttled back and forth between 2 plants (likely getting the battery replaced). It left the Dearborn plant for the second time on 3/13 but the online tracker didn’t update as “built” until 3/31. It’s supposed to get to my dealership by 4/18 but I suppose that depends on the carrier.

So check with your dealership or Ford customer service and see if it’s been moving around at all.

hummm I have read everything in this forum for the last 6 months and I have never heard of "vinview". will talk to my dealer Monday... thanks! dh.

 

[UpWithFilm]

hummm I have read everything in this forum for the last 6 months and I have never heard of "vinview". will talk to my dealer Monday... thanks! dh.

I've actually mentioned it before in this thread, see our responses to each other on March 27.

 

[TaxmanHog]

The sad reality is that a lot of the held inventory will be slower to leave the plant even if they are not affected by the battery issues, it's a matter of getting all the older trucks out of the back row of the holding lot and onto a train car or convoy trailer.

 

[davehu]

thanks to both for responses. I see now lots of references to vinview but didn't realize it was anything different than what I was seeing. will definitely talk to my dealer tomorrow.

As for moving things around on the lot.... hadn't thought of that, At this point I'd drive all the way to dearborn and volunteer as a "car mover/driver" !

 

[UpWithFilm]

My truck was delivered to the dealership last night at 8:00pm! Even received the email from Ford to complete my purchase. Waiting for the dealership to call me and give me the happy news this morning so I can maybe go visit.

Now I just have to sell my current car and figure out financing.

 

[davehu]

My truck was delivered to the dealership last night at 8:00pm! Even received the email from Ford to complete my purchase. Waiting for the dealership to call me and give me the happy news this morning so I can maybe go visit.

Now I just have to sell my current car and figure out financing.

Congratulations! still nothing on mine. My dealer didn't know anything about signing up a customer for vinview. He said he'd check but I'm not expecting much. his view on my truck says the same thing as the public tracker.

Question: did you get a spray in bedliner?

 

[UpWithFilm]

Congratulations! still nothing on mine. My dealer didn't know anything about signing up a customer for vinview. He said he'd check but I'm not expecting much. his view on my truck says the same thing as the public tracker.

Question: did you get a spray in bedliner?

Thank you, and sorry you haven't heard anything. If it makes you feel better, VinView just about gave me a heart attack yesterday. I got a message stating "Update: Damage Identified (A9)...", which after calling Ford we think it might have been a delayed message relating back to it getting a new battery pack. That or, apparently, as they sit on the lot they throw warnings to Ford's internal system when the charge gets low notifying someone that it needs to be plugged in.

Also, the tracking website didn't update to "shipped" until this morning. And it actually skipped shipped altogether and went right to "final preparation".

No spray in bed liner. I don't know if it's still a constraint but at the time I ordered my dealership advised against it. They actually work with a local company in town to do Line-X spray ins, but I bought a bed mat and think I'll go with that for now. My build is as follows:

Avalanche XLT. Added Pro Power, Max Trailer Tow, and tailgate step only. No other additions (as of now).

 

[davehu]

.........
No spray in bed liner. I don't know if it's still a constraint but at the time I ordered my dealership advised against it. They actually work with a local company in town to do Line-X spray ins, but I bought a bed mat and think I'll go with that for now. My build is as follows:

Avalanche XLT. Added Pro Power, Max Trailer Tow, and tailgate step only. No other additions (as of now).

Ah hah! here were only 43 built between yours and mine. My dealer confirmed that my build was completed on 2/5 but was sent over to get in line for a spray in bedliner. According the reports the fire in the lot happened on 2/4, just as our trucks were going down the line. yours headed for the rail yard and mine got in line to get a bed-liner. very shortly after that they froze the online tracker and it appears vinview also as my dealer has no information after the indicator that it was built.

That explains why your getting yours now and I'm still waiting. So I wait

 

[TaxmanHog]

This is the common behaviour for convoy runs from Dearborn to nearby destinations, seen it many times the past year.

 

[kenj89087]

I've called Ford several times in the last couple of weeks. They say their systems are rarely updated but confirm that they only see what I see on the website "in production week of 1/30" but they also said it was in transit and due to the dealer on 4/8. I asked if they could contact their logistics to confirm which of these statuses was real and they said they couldn't do any kind of checking or escalation until the due date passed. A few days after 4/8 when neither I nor the dealer heard anything, I called back and they again suggested the truck both hadn't been built yet and also was in transit and now due to the dealer by Friday 4/21. They seemed unconcerned that their systems are so badly out of date and inaccurate. "I'm so sorry, sir there's nothing I can do"

I asked for zero down lease terms on this truck and was told Ford is offering $1994/ month for a 36 month lease with 12K miles/ year. So basically they're suggesting this $100K vehicle will lose 60-70% of its value in 3 years. And even if it doesn't, the lease doesn't allow me to buy the vehicle at the end. That kind of says a lot about what kind of company Ford is.

After 2 years of waiting, terrible communication from Ford, and general incompetence unrelated to the battery delay in February, I have lost all interest in this truck. It just doesn't make sense to reward a company like this with $100K order. So I will likely cancel the order this Friday even if it does show up. I will hold on to my beloved Dodge Ram Limited until their electric version comes out next year and upgrade to it. I think it will smoke the Lightening.

I've also engaged many times with Sunrun to get the charger shipped to me and installed. This has been a huge debacle with no end in sight.

I'd be curious to hear any comments to the above from others in a similar spot and also if you think I should even bother to buy and resell the Lightenings I have on order when they do show up instead of canceling them. I've heard the resale market is pretty soft.

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