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So much for a 'custom' build?!

Zengineer

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I think if the "shortage of everything" hadn't come along the trend would likely be more customization available. The systems available to manage the supply chain are very sophisticated but are only as good as the reliability of the information they are based on.

If I make plastic parts for Ford and my contract says they will give me 4 weeks visibility on demand and I need 2 weeks lead time, and that all happens as planned then everything is beautiful. But if a chip issue or labor issue causes Ford to continually revise their plan inside that 4 week window and my resin supplier has a production issue it falls apart very quickly. Sporadic COVID shutdowns in other countries are still happening, labor shortages, weird weather, transportation shortages, inflation, general uncertainty delaying investment, travel restrictions for technical support...it's 3 times more jacked up than I've seen in 37 years as a supplier.

Every car maker wants to offer full customization and super fast turn around to set them apart from the competition. It's been on every car, truck and bus makers list for 4 decades. Easier said than done.
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texski

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I'm sure it's "than some" instead of "than most." No one comes on just to talk about how their truck is working as expected, or that their purchase went normally (except all us cheerleaders in the Granger thread).
Umm No, HRT, I meant MOST. Not that I need to justify my choice of words, but I see Ford is falling in JD Powers Initial Quality as well as Customer Satisfaction. I see droves that won't even be able to participate in surveys because they would not tolerate the way that Ford has unilaterally forced choices on customers. I see Ford committing an abundance of self-inflicted wounds that leaves buyers abused and without recourse. I see Ford pissing away $Millions in the failed Rivian EV and relying on F150 buyers to settle with deleted features and pay higher prices. I see Ford moving their sales model to benefit their corporation, not the consumer, by prioritizing Custom Retail Orders and strictly limiting the kind and quantity of vehicles that dealers can put on their lots. I see Ford's continuous failure to communicate with those who have placed orders, whether that be accurate scheduling details, what specifically a feature "Removal" means, where a vehicle is after it has left the line but not yet at the dealer. And heaven forbid you have a question like, What does the Max Tow Package include and how does it specifically differ from other tow packages.

Or Lightning buyers being forced to sign an addendum saying that they will not resale their truck within 1 year. So if you loose your job and you can't make payments, or the realized profit is so great you would be stupid not to sell, you cannot because the Manufacturer who has already received payment in full, doesn't want you to compete with them?! But if you have a Maverick or Bronco, feel free to resale whenever you want. Or BS like FoMoCo will not allow you to purchase your leased Lightning because THEY want to control battery recycling.

And don't even get me started on the Chip Shortage! Industry insiders are now saying that the "shortage" issue has been resolved for a while now. Vehicle manufacturers can have all the chips they want, their orders could be moved to the front of the line, but they don't want to pay the premium to switch back to legacy formatting. Industry Journalist are reporting that some of these Feature Removals are not actually tied to shortages but Profits. Ford is just testing the market to see which features they can delete so as to increase profits ... like my stinking Active Motion massage seats!

Of course there are many potential buyers who have been soured by Adjusted Market gouging, or orders that arrived but were sold out from under them. All at a time when dealerships are reporting profit margins not seen in a lifetime.

So, I don't need an editor or grammar coach. When I say most, I mean Most. Kudos to Gander and all of those hardworking, ethical salesmen and dealerships. They are playing the best hand FoMoCo has dealt them and us. But in over 40 years of owning a Ford vehicle, I have never seen such a blatant disregard of respect and service towards Ford customers. I still have paint on the differential of my 1997 F150, and yet the rust that was present on my 2022 is considered "cosmetic." The driveshaft on my 22 has a sticker that says Discard if Dropped ... because it was designed so closely to failure tolerances it would withstand a lateral force 1/2 of its own weight?

And it may take a while for Most to recognize the downgrade in material quality of our "premium" new trucks. Or it may be a while for owners to complain about their truck that won't start after sitting for 3 days, or the 12" screen that just shuts off at highway speed 3 times on a 4.5 hour trip, cancelling all cruise settings. And it may take a while for owners to recognize that this PVD "chrome-like" coating, whether on upgraded wheels or gear shift, scratches easily because it is soft. Or the Applique that is releasing from the tailgate after a few months. It may take a while for owners to notice that the plastic cover hear the antenna is puckering. Some owners may think it normal for an integrated brake controller may need to be recalled, or normal that a wiring harness that is out of spec because it is too short was installed on their truck. It may take a while for owners to recognize that there are some situations, where at low speeds and heavy acceleration, the Adaptive Steering while overcompensate ... while traffic is quickly approaching. Some of those owners may not have anything to compare this to, and may not even recognize this fault. Some owners may not have a need to let the spare down and see what a crappy, no-name brand Ford accountants put under there.

Some may not have had the Ford Experience, where they try to engage a Customer Service Agent (Marketing). After many exchanges and deflections, you are told, I have passed your information on to the appropriate people. And NOTHING happens.

We all understand issues like Ukrainian wiring harnesses and Russian components. It's the controllables, like answering simple questions like, Where is my truck and when will it be here? Instead of being rescheduled for 7 times, tell the buyer why their order cannot be built, what parts have not arrived. Or, the Max Tow package includes larger brakes, heavier springs, solid sway bar, transmission cooler, and the other packages have regular brakes, tubular sway bar, no trans cooler. Instead of firing 500 engineers, maybe they should have tasked them with the conversion from legacy chips to current modules. Maybe they could have found a way to put led lighting back into the cup holders, charging compartment, door panels and LICENSE PLATE. And maybe they could NOT collect all of the data from our trucks and Ford Pass, and sell it to Third Party vendors. So again, HRM, my choice of Most was purposeful. And the use of #FireFarley is quite appropriate.
 

GEN14OWNER

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Don't even get me started on THIS thread!

I wanted (NEEDED) a Regular Cab Short Bed 4x4 for the 122" wheelbase and I got every option available with a FEW minor exceptions (Block Heater, Power Tailgate & sliding rear window) but I would have LOVED to get some of the others.

But what was my alternative?
NOBODY offers a RCSB but FORD!
 

Phil0110

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No I'm not really disappointed, because I know that can change smth
 

mcnasty

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I''ve snooped an seen some threads where people did this. I really wanted to add the 4A transfer case to my XL and may do so in the future if I can cement the details on how to do so.
@thechester did you ever add 4A to your rig, or nail down the details of what it entails?

I'd probably get my dealer service dept to do it, but want to understand it a little more before giving them a call.
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