When should I order?

[MikeAZ]

If I want the car delivered by mid March?

My advice:

Don't order. When you are ready to purchase, search for the car you want with a priority list of options that you must have and others that are acceptable. Buy the closest match to your list. Don't limit yourself to local dealers. You will save yourself much anxiety.

This is the fourth vehicle I've ordered through Ford - only one (an Aerostar) made it through scheduling and delivery in a "normal" six week cycle. I had to wait an extra three weeks on a Windstar (tooling change year) due to a shortage of driver side power seats. My '79 Mercury Capri (new tooling) was held up for 7 months while issues with the TC3 turbo charger were worked out. The '15 Mustang took forever to schedule (ordered 5/24, scheduled 10/16 but had a regional rep intervention for a priority "01" change or I might still be waiting), was built as scheduled, but sat in the Flat Rock parking lot for 2.5 weeks with no holds or QC checks before finding a train.

If you must order, please make sure that you use a large dealership and confirm that (1) they have historically sold a huge amount of Mustangs, (2) they have many allocations for Mustangs, and (3) they will place your order as priority 10. If you use a small dealership or one that is currently lacking allocations for some reason (low/poor sales or punishment for a dealership rule infraction) you might not get scheduled for several weeks or months. If they don't place your order as a priority 10, any order they take after yours can be placed with a better priority and "bump" your place in line at that dealership.

Take this advice as you will, but I'm done placing "custom orders" with Ford. If I can't find what I want somewhere on a lot in the US when I need it, I'll either go without or buy something else. Life's too short to play the "allocation" and "transport" lottery games.

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[JimmyTwoTimes]

My advice:

Don't order. When you are ready to purchase, search for the car you want with a priority list of options that you must have and others that are acceptable. Buy the closest match to your list. Don't limit yourself to local dealers. You will save yourself much anxiety.

Completely disagree. Unless you're going for a really really popular option set, you're likely to be unable to find one with the options you're looking for on lots.

For example: Here's my list of absolute, must have, can't-do-without options:

Premium GT
Deep Impact Blue
Automatic Transmission
50th Anniversary Appearance Package
Navigation

Good luck finding that on a lot anywhere. When I searched for it anywhere in the country a month and a half ago, I found exactly one, in Columbus, Ohio. Which was promptly sold. And had the 3.55 gears that I really really don't want and was trying to talk myself into being able to live with.

(And, yes, those are absolute requirements for me. I can't drive a manual transmission; I can't imagine driving a Mustang without a corralled pony grille; and half the reason I'm buying a new car rather than just sticking with the old one -- aside from it coming out of warranty soon -- is that I want factory navigation).

 

[Nanashii]

I am on the opposite side. Wanted a Premium without the Navigation and ACC. Good luck finding that on a lot as well. Dealers think Premium trim and assume every buyer will want it fully loaded.

 

[MikeAZ]

Completely disagree. Unless you're going for a really really popular option set, you're likely to be unable to find one with the options you're looking for on lots...

Understood - if you must have a specific build ordering is the only way to get it.

However, once you order it is a passive process and you cannot influence the outcome. You have no control over allocations, order priorities, parts shortages, transportation delays, etc. Once delivered, you have only one choice to make - accept it or reject it. If there are unacceptable issues with the car (damaged in transport, unrepairable or unacceptably repairable manufacturing defects) you have to start the process all over again.

You may have to compromise in buying a car off the lot, but it becomes a proactive process that you control. You don't have to worry about or wait for the car to be built and delivered.

 

[Tahoe15]

If I want the car delivered by mid March?

I placed my order 11/21 got a priority 19(which I didn't even know until last week)
Received a vin on Dec. 4th, Cotus only says "in order processing"
Contacted dealer yesterday they say it is scheduled for the week of 1/16.

My advice is to order now.

 

[thehunterooo]

I am on the opposite side. Wanted a Premium without the Navigation and ACC. Good luck finding that on a lot as well. Dealers think Premium trim and assume every buyer will want it fully loaded.

+1, I am not sure why dealer orders were made so quickly haha, some of the configurations are crazy. For example I have also been interested in a yellow GT as well, and the dealer i ordered my OC from just got a yellow GT in, it had the auto, recaro seats and 3.55 but it also has every other single option as well, over 10k more than my own configuration. All customer orders (at least the ones made before the car was even being produced) should have been filled first, now some of these dealers have six V6's sitting around collecting dust haha. My every stang at my local dealer are premiums, if the V6's came in premium as well I'm sure they would be as well

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