Ford To Ship Trucks Without Chips (Controlling Non-Safety Critical Features)

[Madeinchina]

My fear is once Ford would prioritize building new vehicles that are not yet sold with all features over catching up on missing features for vehicles that have already been sold. From an industrial organization standpoint it is not optimal in this scenario to give top priority to past customers over future near term customers. After all it is easier to PR your way out of a group of unsatisfied customers by chalking it up to a litany of excuses than is to PR your way out of angry investors due to poor current performance.

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[mikes]

My fear is once Ford would prioritize building new vehicles that are not yet sold with all features over catching up on missing features for vehicles that have already been sold. From an industrial organization standpoint it is not optimal in this scenario to give top priority to past customers over future near term customers. After all it is easier to PR your way out of a group of unsatisfied customers by chalking it up to a litany of excuses than is to PR your way out of angry investors due to poor current performance.

100% this will happen, it is economics. They will wait till they have an overage of chips/modules before shipped trucks get them. it makes no sense to put them in the already shipped trucks and keep building partially finished ones on the assembly line to just have to do the same with them. this is one of the biggest issues with this fix. if they dont get enough chips/modules in the 1 year time frame, they will kick the can down the street. then you have a truck that all the features dont work and you have to get rid of it for some reason and the only thing you can do is trade it in to the dealer, i would not take that headache on as a 2nd owner

 

[Wvmtneer]

I would like to see a list of which chips/features would be installed/activated at a later date.

I ordered a 501a lariat powerboost on Saturday. The dealer said co-pilot assist 2.0 (adaptive cruise control, built in navigation, and some other safety features) is a commodity and could not be entered for an order. They dropped 2.0 and my order was processed. They did not mention anything about shipping with missing chips, although who knows when my order will be delivered.

 

[xtraman122]

Here’s the article someone shared with the paywall removed if anyone wants to read the full thing.

https://archive.ph/2022.03.13-15120...late-may-100000-units-lost-suppliers-struggle

 

[mikes]

my understanding is f150 is not on the list but under consideration

 

[kcolburn]

This may be for non-ordered vehicles. I share your build week of 1/10. The Ford website no longer shows an ETA for my truck, which was 04/26.

I'm in the same boat -- Ordered 502A Lariat on 11/1/21, first ETA 2/28/22, pushed to 5/6/22, now Ford isn't showing ANY date, and in fact yesterday required viewers to "Acknowledge" FORD's delays(!) before showing the vehicle info! What part of "chip shortage" did Ford NOT know about in November 2021?? This trend is not encouraging, and certainly doesn't inspire confidence in the company.

 

[Buyer2021]

What part of "chip shortage" did Ford NOT know about in November 2021??

Methinks that no vehicle manufacturer had a crystal ball in November 2021 that revealed the actual availability of specific chips in following months.

Nor do they have that today, there's just too many variables in-play that are beyond their control; for example, the CNN (and others) news release today that a city in China that's the location of multiple major chip-manufacturing facilities, and a major shipping port, has just entered a total lockdown due to (yes, again) covid.

I understand your frustrations, they're shared by many including myself awaiting my own ordered F150 production and having been notified of multiple re-schedules of my production week, but methinks that placing the blame wholly at Ford's feet is misguided. Just sayin' ...

_________________

Personally, if Ford can deliver a safe and functional F150 to me quicker without some convenience feature I ordered being operational, I'll be glad to have it; nope, not super-happy about the compromise involved, and I'll certainly be aggressively tracking / pursuing the eventual 'fulfillment' of my complete expectations, but I'd rather have a basically functional vehicle in-hand sooner than later. I'll deal with the rest of it as it comes.

YMMV, that's each individual's prerogative.

 

[TheFixer]

I just picked up a 22 Lariat with the 501A package from a dealer lot with most of the 502A options added on except the higher tech stuff, adaptable cruise and such. My guess it was ordered that way to remove the tech stuff due to chip shortage.

But for everyone complaining about getting a truck with options delayed till after purchase, you better rethink your decision. Things are getting worse, and with inflation, 2023 will be more expensive. And if China goes into Taiwan, there will be no chips at all.

 

[MallCrawler]

if China goes into Taiwan, there will be no chips at all.

Came here to say this. If they only knew just how bad things really are.

 

[RossRR]

Just an FYI for folks bumping up against the 'paywall' on the AutoNews articles linked in previous posts:

If you click the "print" icon visible at the top of each article you can see and print the entire article (at least this works on my Windows PC with MS Edge browser; I am not an AutoNews subscriber).

Thanks, that worked for me on my Apple Safari browser, too.

 

[Morgans Tremor]

This may be for non-ordered vehicles. I share your build week of 1/10. The Ford website no longer shows an ETA for my truck, which was 04/26. I'm hoping this means there is some type of movement. I have no idea which features require chips...so I cannot comment on what deficiencies I would accept upon delivery. However, I would expect some sort of compensation from Ford.

I am in the same boat. Ordered a Tremor that was in Production in January then informed my truck was placed on Chip Hold. Bad enough that the truck will be a 1/2 year or older b the time I receive it. Trying not to be outraged by the situation.

 

[Mtnman1]

I'm in the same boat -- Ordered 502A Lariat on 11/1/21, first ETA 2/28/22, pushed to 5/6/22, now Ford isn't showing ANY date, and in fact yesterday required viewers to "Acknowledge" FORD's delays(!) before showing the vehicle info! What part of "chip shortage" did Ford NOT know about in November 2021?? This trend is not encouraging, and certainly doesn't inspire confidence in the company.

November 2021 has nothing to due with today. Folks need to realize that it is a moving target.

Where I work, we had zero issues with suppliers. None. Then 2-3 weeks ago we couldnt get a bunch of components. What we did finally source is at 500% more cost. This week, its a whole different set of issues. Who knows what next week will bring. Our lead time for new orders went from 2 days to 6 months in a matter of 2 weeks. We also raised prices 12% to recoup costs.

And to expect details given to customers? What exactly are we gonna tell them beyond supply issues? Everyday is a new problem. We have no idea what we can get or not on a daily basis.

 

[SuperClyde]

November 2021 has nothing to due with today. Folks need to realize that it is a moving target.

Where I work, we had zero issues with suppliers. None. Then 2-3 weeks ago we couldnt get a bunch of components. What we did finally source is at 500% more cost. This week, its a whole different set of issues. Who knows what next week will bring. Our lead time for new orders went from 2 days to 6 months in a matter of 2 weeks. We also raised prices 12% to recoup costs.

And to expect details given to customers? What exactly are we gonna tell them beyond supply issues? Everyday is a new problem. We have no idea what we can get or not on a daily basis.

But, but, but... I WANT MY TRUCK YESTERDAY!

 

[PungoteagueDave]

Tesla regularly delivers cars with missing features and a due list. Things like USB ports and software upgrades. I've been waiting for the optional FSD features that I paid for, since Sept 2019.

wonder if you sell the vehicle do you get reimbursed the feature you paid for and never got?

nope, but the rumblings of class action lawsuits have begun. I only paid $3k for "future" FSD in Sept 2019, but it was later increased to $10k, and is now a $12k option, for just software that remains vapor. The BlueCruise delay carping around here is absolutely legit, but those of us with '21 F-150's still waiting for the promised software have nothing on Tesla owners who were promised a six month wait in 2019 when I bought my MX.

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