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Strange Dealership Experience

grog

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I ordered a 2021 Lariat PB back in October and put down a deposit. After getting a VIN from the dealership I started tracking it with Ford's order tracking website. This morning I was excited to learn my truck showed up at the dealer yesterday. Thought it was strange that I hadn't heard anything from the dealer yet so I texted my salesman's manager (my usual POC). No reply after about 3 hours but my salesman and his manager are off today and the dealership is only 10 minutes away so I drive over there.

There's my truck, front and center in the parking lot. Window sheet matches my build line for line. There's a good deal of mud on the side panels but I can't tell if its from transport or being driven. I check the rear axle and suspension for rust (there's a big thread on this forum about rust), looks reasonable. Another salesman notices me and introduces himself. I tell him I believe this is my truck and am ready to drive it home. We walk into the dealership and after talking to a few other salesman and checking the computer system for a couple of confused minutes we eventually confirm that yep, that's my truck. I'm offered a test drive and make note of the odometer when I get in - 18.7 miles. Maybe not unreasonable if the truck was selected for some kind of QC by Ford.

Later as I'm sitting down to start the paperwork I straight up ask the salesman I'm talking to if the truck was being test driven earlier. He says no. I'm still skeptical and worried because this dealership does unsupervised test drives. Eventually we determine that I can't buy the truck today because the original salesman / his manager need to be there. We schedule it for tomorrow first thing in the morning.

Am I being paranoid or is this a pretty typical new F150 buying experience? What's an expected right-off-the-transport, not-even-detailed-yet odometer reading? Part of the reason I buy new via special order is I know 99.99+% of the vehicles driving history and I have no problem waiting a long time for that peace of mind (over 11 months on another vehicle).
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KBKEITH

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Mine arrived late on a Friday and I picked it up the next day early in the morning. It was the very first 2021 that my dealer received. My truck had 11 miles on the ODO. My truck was a hot topic among the team at the dealership for obvious reasons. I would not be surprised at all if some of them took it for a short drive.
 

dog_tired

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I had 10 miles on mine. Another member of this forum had over a 100 miles on his when he took delivery. So, it's hard to say.
 

NoSnow

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Hard to tell but if your gut tells you someone took it for a test drive then you are probably reading the situation correct. Not a lot of miles so I would not worry about it. I would be more upset that they didn't notify you that it was in.
 

KBKEITH

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Hard to tell but if your gut tells you someone took it for a test drive then you are probably reading the situation correct. Not a lot of miles so I would not worry about it. I would be more upset that they didn't notify you that it was in.
I agree; however, I think it was also just bad coincidence that his salesman and manager were not at work and also perhaps were not aware the day of delivery.
 

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grog

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Thanks for the replies. I think a test drive or two is acceptable to me in this case. I will see what the odometer says tomorrow and make up my mind then.

This is quite a contrast to my recent experience with a big internet Chevy dealer and delivery to the Corvette museum, but it's not really surprising. That must have spoiled me.
 

Granger Ford

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Ford does pull some trucks off of the line for QC checks however it will have a sticker on one of the drivers side windows or on the windshield drivers side stating that fact...

Most trucks come in with 3 to 10 miles on them, front the transport... I have seen them up to 40 miles on them with a QC sticker on them...
 

discothan

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I didn't order the f150 I bought, but it had 11 miles on it. The salesperson did tell me that it was driven around by service tech that morning. 11 miles is no big deal.
 

pigpen23

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why would you care about 18.7 miles on it??
 

cogatti

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I ordered a 2021 Lariat PB back in October and put down a deposit. After getting a VIN from the dealership I started tracking it with Ford's order tracking website. This morning I was excited to learn my truck showed up at the dealer yesterday. Thought it was strange that I hadn't heard anything from the dealer yet so I texted my salesman's manager (my usual POC). No reply after about 3 hours but my salesman and his manager are off today and the dealership is only 10 minutes away so I drive over there.

There's my truck, front and center in the parking lot. Window sheet matches my build line for line. There's a good deal of mud on the side panels but I can't tell if its from transport or being driven. I check the rear axle and suspension for rust (there's a big thread on this forum about rust), looks reasonable. Another salesman notices me and introduces himself. I tell him I believe this is my truck and am ready to drive it home. We walk into the dealership and after talking to a few other salesman and checking the computer system for a couple of confused minutes we eventually confirm that yep, that's my truck. I'm offered a test drive and make note of the odometer when I get in - 18.7 miles. Maybe not unreasonable if the truck was selected for some kind of QC by Ford.

Later as I'm sitting down to start the paperwork I straight up ask the salesman I'm talking to if the truck was being test driven earlier. He says no. I'm still skeptical and worried because this dealership does unsupervised test drives. Eventually we determine that I can't buy the truck today because the original salesman / his manager need to be there. We schedule it for tomorrow first thing in the morning.

Am I being paranoid or is this a pretty typical new F150 buying experience? What's an expected right-off-the-transport, not-even-detailed-yet odometer reading? Part of the reason I buy new via special order is I know 99.99+% of the vehicles driving history and I have no problem waiting a long time for that peace of mind (over 11 months on another vehicle).
I think your about to buy a "used" truck......that was totally unacceptable what they did!
 

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Wishiwas

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18 miles is easy to account for. I might bat an eye if there were like 100 miles on it, but even then, what can you do. The truck is still brand spanking new.
Just enjoy it! Not like someone smoked in it for something. New car smell is still present. :)
 

mxc27

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I don't think I'd worry too much about it. If you knew it had been test driven you could negotiate a little extra discount.

Back in 2015 I went to lease a stock model of the C-Max at my local dealership (never going back to that dealer, for many reasons). It had been test driven and had around 150km, I managed to get a $1,800 dealer discount because of that. I signed the paperwork and left, expecting to pick it up 3 days later.

I had to show up to the dealership the next day to bring my proof of insurance, and I see my new car in the showroom with 4 kids playing in it. Not marked as sold and used as a showroom model. I went to the sales manager and told him to shove it and refund my deposit, long story short they made my first 3 monthly payments because of that.
 

Wishiwas

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I don't think I'd worry too much about it. If you knew it had been test driven you could negotiate a little extra discount.

Back in 2015 I went to lease a stock model of the C-Max at my local dealership (never going back to that dealer, for many reasons). It had been test driven and had around 150km, I managed to get a $1,800 dealer discount because of that. I signed the paperwork and left, expecting to pick it up 3 days later.

I had to show up to the dealership the next day to bring my proof of insurance, and I see my new car in the showroom with 4 kids playing in it. Not marked as sold and used as a showroom model. I went to the sales manager and told him to shove it and refund my deposit, long story short they made my first 3 monthly payments because of that.
I was going to suggest .25¢ per a mile. That's what they charge for their lease.
 

TXAGENT

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I ordered a 2021 Lariat PB back in October and put down a deposit. After getting a VIN from the dealership I started tracking it with Ford's order tracking website. This morning I was excited to learn my truck showed up at the dealer yesterday. Thought it was strange that I hadn't heard anything from the dealer yet so I texted my salesman's manager (my usual POC). No reply after about 3 hours but my salesman and his manager are off today and the dealership is only 10 minutes away so I drive over there.

There's my truck, front and center in the parking lot. Window sheet matches my build line for line. There's a good deal of mud on the side panels but I can't tell if its from transport or being driven. I check the rear axle and suspension for rust (there's a big thread on this forum about rust), looks reasonable. Another salesman notices me and introduces himself. I tell him I believe this is my truck and am ready to drive it home. We walk into the dealership and after talking to a few other salesman and checking the computer system for a couple of confused minutes we eventually confirm that yep, that's my truck. I'm offered a test drive and make note of the odometer when I get in - 18.7 miles. Maybe not unreasonable if the truck was selected for some kind of QC by Ford.

Later as I'm sitting down to start the paperwork I straight up ask the salesman I'm talking to if the truck was being test driven earlier. He says no. I'm still skeptical and worried because this dealership does unsupervised test drives. Eventually we determine that I can't buy the truck today because the original salesman / his manager need to be there. We schedule it for tomorrow first thing in the morning.

Am I being paranoid or is this a pretty typical new F150 buying experience? What's an expected right-off-the-transport, not-even-detailed-yet odometer reading? Part of the reason I buy new via special order is I know 99.99+% of the vehicles driving history and I have no problem waiting a long time for that peace of mind (over 11 months on another vehicle).
Mine arrived Tuesday, dealer called me before it was off transport. Mine had 5 miles on it. Salesman did all the paperwork, never went to the finance guy or anyone else. I loved that.

Ford F-150 Strange Dealership Experience 1601522B-2885-4D53-8A27-56B59B7231FD
 

Jim Bandy

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Congrad's and truck looks great - question any underbody rust?
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