2013 Fusion Delays

[B25Nut]

This is from the Ford Fusion Club and is a letter sent to Ford dealers:

 

To: All U.S. Ford Dealers

 

From: Ken Czubay

 

Subject: 2013 Fusion launch Update

 

2013 Fusions have begun to arrive at dealerships across the country and reaction to the car has been overwhelmingly positive from media and customers alike. We have already shipped over 25,000 Fusions with more shipping every day.

 

As you are aware, a number of vehicles have been produced but have not been released from the plant. In order to ensure a high quality launch, additional quality assurance practices are being implemented. This is resulting in increased timing from production to dealer delivery. We know you are anxious to receive your Fusions. I want to assure you the team is working diligently to get the vehicles delivered to you as quickly as possible. We estimate all the cars will be enroute by the end of December.

 

There are three categories of vehicles right now: 1) vehicles at Hermosillo 2) vehicles moving from Hermosillo to Flat Rock Assembly so we can accelerate the quality assurance process and 3) vehicles enroute to your dealership.

 

Many of you are seeing Fusions with ETA dates in "Vehicle Visibility" that have passed. Estimated Dealer Delivery dates (ETA's) update only when a vehicle moves from one place to another. We understand this can cause frustration as you try to plan for the vehicle arrivals. We are working on systems improvements that will provide a more accurate estimate of dealer ETA's.

 

We do not have the ability to offer priority shipping or specific release dates for vehicles at the plant or headed to Flat Rock. We are processing and shipping them as quickly as possible. For vehicles that have been built and released without being held, our Vehicle Visibility system will provide a delivery ETA. If a vehicle shows a "TBD" for a delivery date, it is likely at Flat Rock or at Hermosillo.

 

The Fusions delayed in the system will not negatively impact your future months' allocation. We have, and will, exclude "availability" from the allocation formula until inventory is stabilized across the country.

 

One Team. One Plan. One Goal. One Ford.

 

Thank you for your support and business!

 

Ken Czubay

Vice President

Marketing, Sales and Service"

[jeff_h]

Thanks - this is also posted in Blue Oval Forums

[coach81]

"Stabilized" :runaway:

[Ric]

My ETA has been updated from 11-19 to 11-17. Hope this means it's still on it's way to the dealer.

[darrel.e.wise]

HEY, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, JUST TELL US THE TRUTH.

 

The American public is a very forgiving unit, but one thing they can't stand is lies and cover-ups. Ford is so busy promoting the 2013 Fusion on the internet and now with TV advertising they "forgot" to tell us that they have a problem. They have shipped 25,000 Fusions which is great but there are 20,000 sitting on the lot in Hermasillo that have a Stop Ship order on them, my special order included. It was built on October 4, 2012. I was told by a Ford Social Media Rep (Facebook) each week for 4 weeks that it was just awaiting transport and not a quality issue. I finally called customer service and got the information about the stop ship order, except he couldn't tell me what it was for. He claimed he didn't know.

 

From Ford's VP of Marketing "As you are aware, a number of vehicles have been produced but have not been released from the plant. In order to ensure a high quality launch, additional quality assurance practices are being implemented. This is resulting in increased timing from production to dealer delivery. We know you are anxious to receive your Fusions. I want to assure you the team is working diligently to get the vehicles delivered to you as quickly as possible. We estimate all the cars will be enroute by the end of December." I laud Ford for not shipping an inferior product but come on, 45% of the inventory is defective. I was told by a dealer here that they were repairing 1000 a week. If you do the math, 20000 divded by 1000 equals 20 weeks. By my calendar, that will be the end of March, not December. They would have to correct 2800 a week to make that goal.

 

Now they are shipping cars to Flat Rock "accellerate the qualilty assurance process". Call me naive, but I admit I don't understand large corporate decisions. Doesn't most of the dealerships have body shops with trained mechanics that can dissassemble and reassemble a car? If it is a headlight issue, as I have heard, couldn't they just ship headlight units to the dealers and have them fix the problem as they prep the cars for delivery. That probably wouldn't take more than an additional day. You would have thousands of locations fixing the problem and get it done a lot faster, and make your customers a lot happier.

 

That is my whole point. Why is Ford keeping everyone in the dark? Just come out and tell us "we screwed up, and built some inferior cars and will get them all fixed as soon as possible." As you can see, the letter to the dealers was filled with corporate doublespeak. And if you go to the Fusion site on Facebook, you would think everything is rosy and the cars are flying out the door and off the lots. They are even offering an additional $1000 incentive to purchase a fusion although it must be from dealer stock. Unfortunately the dealers have no stock. They are waiting for product too. How about offering $1000 to the folks who have already bought a new Fusion by ordering them, and have had to wait an excessive amount of time for their car to arrive? Which brings me to my next question which I can't get answered. In what order are the repairs being made? Are the ones that were first off the line the first to be fixed? Are the dealers cars being fixed before the special ordrers or are the already sold special orders being fixed first? I even have a case number from Customer Service and they didn't call me back within the time frame they said they would. Still waiting for the call back.

 

Sorry for the rant, but I needed to get that off my chest.

 

DEAR FORD, I AM A FRUSTRATED CUSTOMER, JUST GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS.

Edited November 8, 2012 by darrel.e.wise

[coach81]

Very valid points

[RedneckRoyalty]

Trust me, you would rather they keep them on their lots and fix the problems than just ship them out the door...

[terryb]

I'm hoping that my order is being built without the problem. Maybe I dodged the bullet. Well, it could be true ;-).

 

TerryB

[darrel.e.wise]

To RedneckRoyallty

Did I say ship my car now? I praised Ford for not shipping inferior product. I just want them to tell their customers the truth about the delays, not just "its awaiting transport check back next week", which is what I was told for 4 straight weeks.

[coach81]

Trust me, you would rather they keep them on their lots and fix the problems than just ship them out the door...

 

Agree to that...

 

I'm hoping that my order is being built without the problem. Maybe I dodged the bullet. Well, it could be true ;-).

 

TerryB

 

Keep the dream alive!!!!

 

 

To RedneckRoyallty

Did I say ship my car now? I praised Ford for not shipping inferior product. I just want them to tell their customers the truth about the delays, not just "its awaiting transport check back next week", which is what I was told for 4 straight weeks.

 

4 weeks.. wow..(not sarcastic wow, seriously WOW)

Edited November 10, 2012 by coach81

[DeeCee]

Found accees to PDF version of 2013 Fusion Hybrid Owners Manual on this site, http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/retail/default.asp?pageid=&gutsid=&kevin=rules . On the Motorcraft web page under the Non-subscription Resources, select Owner Guides and then select year and vehicle choices and highlight Owner Manual and then click on the View Content button. Thought it would be beneficial to review the manual while waiting for deliver fiasco to get resolved. Found it kind of ironic that trying to get to the owners manual on the Ford.com website resulted in a notification that the 2013 Fusion Hybrid manual is not yet available but there it was on the Ford Motorcraft site.

[akat711]

My 2 cents. I placed a deposit on fusion hybrid 8 weeks ago. The car showed up on the computer has having been built and simply awaiting delivery. I was told it would arrive in 2-3 weeks. 8 weeks later, I still have no word on the car, what is wrong, when it will be delivered, etc. Ford is definitely covering up something big. I will be jumping ship and asking for my deposit back because this is unheard of for a company to spend so much on advertising a car that is not even available for unknown reasons. I am extremely disappointed with Ford. I would caution anyone looking into the fusion hybrid, something is seriously wrong with the car if Ford is keeping this silent, holding back a car that would be a #1 seller, and keeping the dealerships completely in the dark. Just reaffirming the belief regarding American cars.

[RedneckRoyalty]

Found accees to PDF version of 2013 Fusion Hybrid Owners Manual on this site, http://www.motorcraf...id=&kevin=rules . On the Motorcraft web page under the Non-subscription Resources, select Owner Guides and then select year and vehicle choices and highlight Owner Manual and then click on the View Content button. Thought it would be beneficial to review the manual while waiting for deliver fiasco to get resolved. Found it kind of ironic that trying to get to the owners manual on the Ford.com website resulted in a notification that the 2013 Fusion Hybrid manual is not yet available but there it was on the Ford Motorcraft site.

 

DeeCee - YOU ROCK!!!! I have been checking ford.com EVERY DAY looking for this! Thanks!

[bankyedwards]

once you get your VIN # you can also register on ford owner http://support.ford.com/#reload and you can see all kinds of info for your car including the manual which is long and mostly pointless.

 

and akat711 whoever told you a special order would be in 2-3 weeks was lieing thier ass off for a sale. currently the fusions including hybrids are expected 10-12 weeks from order as are several ford models. very few are faster than that. and 8-10 is currently the fastest.

 

http://www.donlen.com/production-cars-ford.aspx

[DeeCee]

Yes, but after registering at the support.ford site all you get is the basic Fusion manual, not the hybrid manual. The Ford Motorcraft site gave me the Hybrid manual.

[darrel.e.wise]

This is getting rediculous. I just got off the phone with Customer Service and my Fusion which was built on October 4, 2012 is STILL SITTING ON THE LOT IN MEXICO AWAITING INSPECTION AND/OR REPAIRS. OVER 5 WEEKS and I still can't get a straight answer other than "undergoing quality assurance processes". At least if it was on the way to Flat Rock I might have a glimmer of hope that they are doing something. I learned my lesson. This is the first and very last special order I will ever do.

[jeff_h]

This is the first and very last special order I will ever do.

 

Placing a retail order definitely takes patience. I've placed 3 of them in the past, and they took 8, 11, and 5 1/2 weeks. So now I'm on order #4 but knowing up-front that my model line isn't scheduled to start until the first of the year, so this will be the longest wait but one that I knew about in advance. However you've been blindsided with the delay, which I also had with my 11 week order that was supposed to be 6-8 weeks... yep it sucks at times.

[DeeCee]

Got the following Email from my dealer today:

 

"There are 20,000 vehicles involved with various problems most of them are bumper parts and door hinges. Rather than release them and do recalls, Ford has shipped 10,000 of them to Dearborn and keeping 10,000 in Hermosillo to take care of the problems. Our rep said they are releasing them at a rate of 1,000 per week. The update on Saturday shows that yours is still in Hermosillo. That is the extent of our knowledge about the situation. I wish we knew more but we don’t."

[akat711]

Just to clarify my earlier post, the fusion hybrid i put a deposit on 8 weeks ago was not a special order. Before I went to the dealer to put down my deposit, I found the window sticker for my car on Ford site and it had a VIN indicating that the car had already been built and was simply awaiting shipment (also confirmed by the dealer). To reiterate this was 8 weeks ago. I don't mind waiting, if I could get an actual date or if someone would simply offer the truth as to what is wrong with the car and why it is being held up. A car this well marketed and with so much on the line (potentially outselling the camry) would not be held up for a small issue. Given Ford's silence, it seems to me more like a major problem that could result in class action suits and recalls if not corrected. Hence, continue as if there is no real problem, hide the truth, continue spamming tv and radio with ads like everything is fine. I have patience for maybe one more week, then out of sheer disappointment and fear for the quality of the car I am jumping ship to something else. Ford is not doing themselves any favors by their silence only serving to instill more consumer concerns and forget about competing in sales with camry if this is Ford's great rollout of the next big thing. Obviously, i am frustrated and disappointed and it doesnt help that my communications with Ford and the dealership only serve to further this frustration and disappointment. I am tired of Ford's amateurish business dealings (just keep them in the dark), you are multinational company, step up and take responsibility for your mistakes and keep your consumers informed, it is not enough to just fix your screw ups and pretend that there was nothing wrong.

[xozzie1x]

I ordered my Fusion on August 26 - I was told the build date was Oct 23. I have the VIn Number and even a copy of the window sticker. Every week I"m told to come back for an update, and every week I was told to try next week. I wish Ford was a little more vocal and open about these delays. Not that I'm an impatient person, but I've been renting a car since August, and this inability to give any time of reasonable updates is not only unfair, but expensive. The even more frustrating part is that the dealership down the street from my office has these cars - in stock - just about the same as the one I special ordered.

 

What's keeping me from walking down the street and driving home a new car today!?!?

[B25Nut]

(I ordered my Fusion on August 26 - I was told the build date was Oct 23. I have the VIn Number and even a copy of the window sticker. Every week I"m told to come back for an update, and every week I was told to try next week. I wish Ford was a little more vocal and open about these delays. Not that I'm an impatient person, but I've been renting a car since August, and this inability to give any time of reasonable updates is not only unfair, but expensive. The even more frustrating part is that the dealership down the street from my office has these cars - in stock - just about the same as the one I special ordered.

 

What's keeping me from walking down the street and driving home a new car today!?!?)

----------------------

 

I placed my order in September with my local dealer and was told last week they wouldn't have it until the middle of December. The same day a dealer 210 miles away said I could pick up a Hybrid with the exact same options. My local dealer understood completely when I called them back to cancel (which was hard for me to do). If you can get the car you want, do it now!

 

----------------------------

"There are 20,000 vehicles involved with various problems most of them are bumper parts and door hinges. Rather than release them and do recalls, Ford has shipped 10,000 of them to Dearborn and keeping 10,000 in Hermosillo to take care of the problems. Our rep said they are releasing them at a rate of 1,000 per week. The update on Saturday shows that yours is still in Hermosillo. That is the extent of our knowledge about the situation. I wish we knew more but we don’t."

 

Yesterday, I noticed two areas where the build quality wasn't 100%: the top left corner of my driver's door is recessed about 1/8" from where it should be and the bottom part of the left front bumper doesn't match up exactly with the upper part at the wheel well. It sticks out about 1/8". Both are things you really have to look at to notice and they may be the issues the above e-mail is addressing. I'm going to live with them without complaint.

[jeff_h]

More info, compliments of chuckokie on Blue Oval Forums... a request to get permission for a AN-124 Condor (huge Russian cargo plane) to move equipment from Tucson to Detroit. The AN-124 would be needed to support the floor load of these heavy items, can't just load them onto any old Fedex plane.

 

So the issues you note about hinges and bumpers not aligning correctly would seem to coincide with faulty panel dies, correct?

 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC

OST-2012-0154 - Emergency Exemption - Tucson-Detroit

September 12, 2012

Application for an Emergency Exemption

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC respectfully requests an emergency exemption so as to permit Volga-Dnepr to operate one one-way cargo charter flight, utilizing Volga-Dnepr's AN-124-100 aircraft to transport cargo from Tucson, Arizona to Detroit, Michigan on around September 13, 2012 - September 14, 2012, on behalf of Active Aero Group Inc. for Ford Motor Company.

The oversized cargo to be transported by Volga-Dnepr consists of the automotive body panel dies each of the following dimensions/weights:

• Op 40 RH Bodyside Otr upper die half: 175" Long x 92" Wide x 33" High / 36,3321bs;
  
• Op 40 RH Bodyside Otr lower die half: 175" Long x 92" Wide x 39" High / 40,301 Ibs;
  
• Op 40 LH Bodyside Otr upper die half: 175" Long x 92" Wide x 33" High / 36,332 Ibs;
  
• Op 40 LH Bodyside Otr lower die half: 175" Long x 92" Wide x 39" High / 40,301 Ibs.
  

Due to the extreme urgency, Ford Motor Company cannot use surface transportation to ship the payload. The immediate movement of the dies is required to prevent Ford Motor Company and its Ford and Lincoln dealerships from loss of millions of dollars of revenue due to loss of production without this equipment.

Counsel: Volga-Dnepr, Artem Tarasenko, 832-585-8611

 

September 13, 2012

Additional Information

Concerning the nature of the emergency request; Ford POCs have stated the production line in Mexico has halted due to an engineering problem with the automobile dies used in the MKZ and Ford Fusion models. These dies have had to be removed from the plant in Mexico, transported via truck to Arizona for loading onto airlift for immediate delivery to a manufacturing facility in Michigan for retooling, and returned ASAP to Mexico to continue production. This halt in production is causing delays in delivery and sales, impacting Ford’s ability to get the vehicles out of the factory and to the public.

We have received “Non-Objections” from all the US Carriers concerning the transportation of the automotive dies in the attached request. The Charterer Active Aero Group on behalf of Ford Motor Company also obtained non-objection replies, as the Charterer had contacted the US Carriers prior to contacting Volga-Dnepr. This equipment is very heavy and creates a concentrated footprint during loading, jeopardizing damaging B-747 cargo floors. Possibility of trucking versus flying presents several problems; (1) Time line required is too slow for transit, (2) permit request for the long transit route would be lengthy and further add to the hardships previously stated, (3) This is of an urgent nature and cannot wait for trucks to move material over the road due to limitations of state by state permits for oversize loads. (4) Over size loads can only be moved during the day time hours and in some states along the route will not allow it to move during weekends.

Counsel: Volga-Dnepr, Colon Miller, 832-585-8611

 

 

Filed September 12, 2012 | Issued September 13, 2012

Notice of Action Taken

Exemption from 49 USC § 40109(g) to permit the applicant to operate one, one-way, all-cargo charter flight, using its AN-124-100 aircraft, carrying oversized cargo on behalf of Active Aero Group Inc. for Ford Motor Company between Tucson, Arizona and Detroit, Michigan, on or around September 13-14, 2012. The applicant states that the cargo to be transported consists of four defective automotive panel dies. The defective dies have resulted in a halt to production of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models at one of Ford’s plants. The applicant asserts that Ford needs the subject lift to transport defective dies to Detroit for retooling and return to production in order to avoid substantial delay in delivery and sales of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models; that timely shipment will prevent Ford and Ford/Lincoln dealerships from experiencing significant loss in revenue; that US carriers do not have the required availability to conduct the operation and the weight of the cargo could potentially damage B-747 cargo floors; and that surface transportation is not feasible because of the urgency of the shipment and the further delay that would result from additional individual state limitations on the movement of oversize cargo.

By: Susan Kurland

[terryb]

Went to my dealer today and we examined two non-hybrid fusions and did see what looked like the edge mismatches described above.

 

TerryB

[jeff_h]

Went to my dealer today and we examined two non-hybrid fusions and did see what looked like the edge mismatches described above

 

Did you notice the dates on the lower left of the window sticker?

[terryb]

 

 

Did you notice the dates on the lower left of the window sticker?

 

I didn't look at the date on the w/s yesterday but looked up the VIN and w/s shows 10/24.

 

TerryB