2018 Ford Transit Connect Titanium Passenger Wagon

[Debspaniel]

Has anyone on here actually picked up a 2018 Ford Transit Connect Titanium Passenger Wagon that was special ordered? I ordered mine in July, I was told it would be built in Spain in August and to expect a delivery date in September. Well the vehicle was finally manufactured on Oct 2 and then I was told it shipped to US on Oct 17th. Then the update from dealer was it had arrived in port at New Jersey on the 28th of October. The last two weeks I have no heard anything new from dealer. Today I finally got a Vin number and was told that the vehicle is now awaiting a train ride to Detroit. I live in Michigan. They are not certain when that may happen. Perhaps I will have the vehicle in a couple more months. To say I am upset is an understatement! I contacted Ford Customer Service and got the same song and dance. There are 2018 FTCTP wagons on dealer lots in Michigan. My Husband called to confirm this today at two separate dealers. What would you do? I am thinking I might contact the Michigan State Atty Generals office really soon.

 

Thanks,

Debspaniel

[DonShockley]

Not specific to 2018 wagons, but several users on the forums have done special orders. About 6 months from order to delivery seems to be fairly typical. I don't recall hearing of anything shorter than 4 months which is where you are now. Of course, that's just my potentially faulty memory. You would need to do a search to see specifics from prior buyers. And a lot of the delay seems to be dependant on when the order is placed in relation to certain parts of the annual production cycle. I seem to recall somebody mentioning that custom orders are only built at certain times.

[Beta Don]

I would imagine much of the problem is that these are made in Spain, so factory delays are harder for the dealer to 'see' and then they have a long boat ride, probably a significant delay at US Customs  (Ford and customs have been going round and round about TC's since the very first one was imported)   Then you need a train ride and eventually your dealer will have to schedule you a slot for him to do the pre delivery and then the delivery  -  They cover the cars with self sticking plastic to keep the wheel dust from the railroad cars from getting stuck in the paint which will then make your car look like it's rusting.  With all the above, it's got to be next to impossible for anyone to tell you when you will actually get your car.  It's a much easier project when you order a car made in the USA

 

Another large part of the problem though, is the misnomer called "Ford Customer Service".  I have never owned any vehicle that the dealers know less about than Ford's Transit Connects and the really sad part is, nobody at any of the dealerships I've dealt with wants to be bothered to learn anything about them either

 

Don

Edited November 21, 2017 by Beta Don

[windguy]

@ Debspaniel  - welcome to the forum and congrats your soon to be delivered TC.

 

I special ordered my 2015 TC and all I can say is that you need extreme patience when it comes to waiting for delivery.

What DonS posted is fairly accurate. There is very little visibility on the timing of your delivery with lots of variables that you will never be privy too. I don't know the 2018 production schedule, but below was my timeline for a west coast delivery. I think contacting the Attorney General's office for this situation is a bit heavy. Throw a log on the fire, sip some eggnog and chill. It will happen soon enough.

 

07/14/14 - ordered placed into Ford's system

09/02/14 - production started for model year 2015

10/17/14 - got VIN number

11/09/14 - dealer told me the van was produced and shipped from Valencia, Spain factory.

01/05/15 - van arrived at the LA area dispatch

01/09/15 - van arrived at the dealer

 

[Tom899]

Hi Debspanial,

I also live in Michigan, and ordered a 2018 Titanium wagon. I have a Ford Edge lease that expires on March 23rd 2018, so I left a 6-month cushion by ordering in September.

My salesman before I ordered said, be prepared for a 6-month wait, and if it comes in earlier that will be a bonus and we will hold it if you like. Even though Ford thought 2018's might be built in mass in August, that might not have happened, but for sure the plant is running in full production now. The reason I say this, I know another fellow that ordered a 2018 back in May when you could first order one, his was built in October like yours.

Here's where I am as of yesterday. As you can see, mine was ordered on 9/16 and built on 11/19. I have a hard time believing it will take another 4-months to get here, but, we will see.

Good luck to both of us with our orders. 4 to 6 months seems normal, and at times a bit frustrating. Hang in there!

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by BSUPC

[Tom899]

Another update today, it shipped, 11/21/17. 

[swps]

Keep us updated on the progress.

[Tom899]

If you are talking to me, I will certainly keep this thread updated on progress of my 2018, here's the latest... There have been no updates since November 21st

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by BSUPC
Removed photo per Tom899's request

[zalienz]

Hi Debspaniel,

 

What Don said is spot on. I special ordered my 2017 in May 2016 and didn't receive it until end of September 2016. It's frustrating when you configure your vehicle just the way you want it and have to wait so long. But I can say I'm really happy with my TC and it was worth the wait. Don't expect any special deals on the price,  they know they have you at special order, and you'll pretty much pay what they are asking. Good Luck!

[Fifty150]

7 hours ago, zalienz said:

Don't expect any special deals on the price,  they know they have you at special order, and you'll pretty much pay what they are asking. Good Luck!

 

 

 

As opposed to visiting a dealership, where you can pick up something loaded with every option, and negotiate the price.

 

Maybe different for every location and dealership.  But every car dealer is in business to move cars off their lot.  

[Beta Don]

10 hours ago, Fifty150 said:

Maybe different for every location and dealership.  But every car dealer is in business to move cars off their lot.  

I agree  -  Things vary tremendously from dealer to dealer, state to state.  Some sell only a few cars at a high mark-up and others sell dozens every week for only a few hundred over cost. I've seldom ran cross my 'best deals' really close to home, but driving a few hundred miles to save thousands has always been an enjoyable trip

 

I actually hate to buy new and have only done so twice.  Once was when we were stationed overseas and we bought a car through AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Service).  We got a super deal ordering a brand new car about 6 months before we rotated back home and had it waiting at the dealers the day we got off the plane.  The other time was when we bought a brand new EV which had only been on the market for a couple months.  Other than those times, we always buy used, and usually with really low miles and lots of warranty left.  If you search long enough, you can usually find your color and most of the options you want.  I just love scrounging the Internet for super deals!

 

Our TC was like that.  Searched on-line for 3 or 4 months until we found exactly what we wanted from a dealer who was motivated to sell at our price  -  He came down more than 20% to get it moved off the lot and we bought it with only 12,000 miles on it for a little more than $12K off the sticker price.  Had never been owned by anyone other than the dealer, who titled it when it was about 18 months old to use as a service loaner vehicle.  We were specifically looking for a SWB with the removable rear seats and he had been trying to sell the one he had for more than 2 years  -  "Seems nobody wants short wheelbase vans" the sales guy said

 

We had to drive 300 miles to go pick it up, but the $12K and change we saved by buying barely used sure made it worth the trip.  It's a 2014, but we still have another 6 or 7 months of the basic warranty left

 

I do admire the 'cost no object' order exactly what you want and wait for it people, but I've never been  tempted enough to join their club.  We just bought a 'new' French door stainless fridge from Lowes a couple months ago  -  5 months old (they have a manufactured on date stamped on them) and we  paid exactly half price.  It's a hard habit to break!   

 

Don

[Tom899]

I'm a 35 year Ford Motor Company employee, but now retired since 2014. I still get A-plan, which is below invoice price, so brand new has always made sense for my situation. I always order with most all options. The 2018's already have incentives. Mine should be here next month or February since it's been shipped and in transit since Nov 21st. Hoping for more incentives yet after Jan. 1st.

[G B L]

Most of the vehicles I get are not new.  The TC was an exception due to the fact very few Gen 2's when I purchased mine.. My vehicles are run to the end most of the time. The deal at the beginning is less important than a well built durable and easy to repair vehicle.

[zalienz]

Everyone's situation is different. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy a great deal on a buy, especially a car, due to it's cost. Like G B L, I keep most of my cars a very long time. The TC replaced a 30 year old Toyota Pickup with 300K miles on it. I spent months deciding what was the right thing for me and came to the conclusion that getting what I wanted, even at a higher price was more important than a great deal, as the end game adds the value to the deal, and hopefully another 20+ plus years of enjoyment.

 

Like many of us, I spruced it up a bit after sale - tinted windows, racing stripes, Ranger partition, major B-Quiet (Dynamat competitor) sound insulation, juiced up the audio system. It has really made this scoot a quiet, cool  dream to drive with a high quality audio system. I may just keep this guy awhile.... 

 

Peace

[Debspaniel]

Hi I got an update from the regional salesman today on my order from July on a 2018 TCTWagon today. It is being held in port in NJ awaiting parts. They would not tell me if it was damaged in transport or if there was a recall etc. He told me he did not know because Ford does not want him to know so that no one can file a law suit. He does not have any idea when the hold might be over. Could be January or later.  I am over this! I have gotten a different story every time I have spoken with them. I needed the vehicle in October. There are 2018's available within 100 miles of me with the same options I chose. I am really tired of waiting for this new vehicle. Think I might go shopping this week here in Michigan.

[windguy]

42 minutes ago, Debspaniel said:

Hi I got an update from the regional salesman today on my order from July on a 2018 TCTWagon today. It is being held in port in NJ awaiting parts. They would not tell me if it was damaged in transport or if there was a recall etc. He told me he did not know because Ford does not want him to know so that no one can file a law suit. He does not have any idea when the hold might be over. Could be January or later.  I am over this! I have gotten a different story every time I have spoken with them. I needed the vehicle in October. There are 2018's available within 100 miles of me with the same options I chose. I am really tired of waiting for this new vehicle. Think I might go shopping this week here in Michigan.

 

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear of your woes. It's entirely possible they are waiting for parts but the story sounds very sketchy at best. Because it's a Titanium I would guess it arrives without any need for adjustments compared to a cargo model that needs to be converted from a wagon model. Seems like it would be early to have recall issues on a 2018 but I have no idea. For business I dealt with a Hyundai processing center for new vehicles coming off the ships and I was appalled at the patch up fixes they did to cars that got damaged either on the ship or getting to the storage lot, especially the body work and painting process. I don't consider that factory paint and a consumer should be notified as such, but that's another subject for another thread.

 

If you're going shopping, I would highly suggest you start by using one of the many car buying services available to get yourself a baseline price. If you're in a major city you should have dealerships that participate in these types of services. I used Costco's car buying service, which was excellent. They connected me with a dealer within 20 miles, but not my closest dealers. Pricing to me was slightly below dealer invoice on a special ordered van. There are other services through AAA, Truecar, etc. They will tell you over the phone or email your cost without even going to the dealer. You can take that pricing to another dealer that's not in the program and see if they will accept it. Best of luck. Please keep us updated.

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by windguy

[Fifty150]

On 12/15/2017 at 8:35 PM, zalienz said:

.

 

Like many of us, I spruced it up a bit after sale -

 

 

I've had it over a year now, and I'm still adding to it.  Come to think of it, I've owned the pickup for 10 years now, and I'm still adding to it.

[Tom899]

11 hours ago, Debspaniel said:

Hi I got an update from the regional salesman today on my order from July on a 2018 TCTWagon today. It is being held in port in NJ awaiting parts. They would not tell me if it was damaged in transport or if there was a recall etc. He told me he did not know because Ford does not want him to know so that no one can file a law suit. He does not have any idea when the hold might be over. Could be January or later.  I am over this! I have gotten a different story every time I have spoken with them. I needed the vehicle in October. There are 2018's available within 100 miles of me with the same options I chose. I am really tired of waiting for this new vehicle. Think I might go shopping this week here in Michigan.

Sorry to hear about your situation!

The dealers that are listing the 2018 wagons in stock might not actually be there. The only 2018's that I found actually in stock are the cargo vans. I checked around yesterday some VIN's that are listed on some Michigan dealer web sites and they were actually still in transit just like yours and mine. If you have one in mind give me the VIN and I'll let you know where it is, I'm able to check. I'm going to wait for mine, I have until March. I understand you need it now.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Tom899

[Debspaniel]

Tom,

My husband just spoke with a dealer in Ohio. He says the 400+ TCTW in New Jersey are waiting for transmission. Apparently the transmissions blow up at 60 miles an hour. I do not know if this information is true but holy smokes we could be waiting a long, long time for parts and replacements.There is an 2018 on his lot in Ohio. This one has had the recall done.

 

Debspaniel

[Tom899]

10 hours ago, Debspaniel said:

Tom,

My husband just spoke with a dealer in Ohio. He says the 400+ TCTW in New Jersey are waiting for transmission. Apparently the transmissions blow up at 60 miles an hour. I do not know if this information is true but holy smokes we could be waiting a long, long time for parts and replacements.There is an 2018 on his lot in Ohio. This one has had the recall done.

 

Debspaniel

Wow! That doesn't sound good! I'll ask around to see what I can find out.

I would think they would still ship them to the dealers and let them perform the parts updates.

If you want to give me your VIN I can check daily for updates. I check on mine daily so one more VIN is no problem.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Tom899

[Beta Don]

if they're experiencing an epidemic of similar problems with many of them as they are imported, it would be much faster and cheaper for them to repair them all at one place and the quality control would be much better too  -  You newer know for sure what will happen when you farm our repairs or updates to the dealerships

 

In the early days, all TC's were imported as wagons and then many were stripped out and converted to make them into cargo vans as soon as they were imported  -  This was Ford's way of getting around the 'Chicken Tax' (Google the term if you want the details) but the US government cracked down on Ford's evasive tactic about the time the Gen 2's became available, so I don't believe newer Gen 2 cargo vans are still being imported as wagons and converted any longer

 

Don

[Tom899]

21 minutes ago, Beta Don said:

if they're experiencing an epidemic of similar problems with many of them as they are imported, it would be much faster and cheaper for them to repair them all at one place and the quality control would be much better too  -  You newer know for sure what will happen when you farm our repairs or updates to the dealerships

 

In the early days, all TC's were imported as wagons and then many were stripped out and converted to make them into cargo vans as soon as they were imported  -  This was Ford's way of getting around the 'Chicken Tax' (Google the term if you want the details) but the US government cracked down on Ford's evasive tactic about the time the Gen 2's became available, so I don't believe newer Gen 2 cargo vans are still being imported as wagons and converted any longer

 

Don

Yes, but it depends on what they are changing. I used to travel around to the factory's and ports for simple updates, all done in the parking lots. What they do is send some personnel from the research center (like me) with a tool kit. Much easier to do TSB's and recalls in the dealership under controlled conditions. If a transmission is involved for sure a dealership is best. The ports are not equipped for this. They are mostly just a storage ground area to wait for railway transit. It's best to catch this at the plant before shipping.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Tom899

[G B L]

Good Information Tom899. hopefully it is a small fix as compared to a bad run of planetary gear sets.

[Tom899]

So far, everything in the system looks normal. I checked a whole batch coming to Michigan including mine. They have made it to port in N.J. and are starting to move through the system. I can specifically check the whereabouts with a VIN if anyone is interested..

[Tom899]

On 12/23/2017 at 7:32 AM, Tom899 said:

So far, everything in the system looks normal. I checked a whole batch coming to Michigan including mine. They have made it to port in N.J. and are starting to move through the system. I can specifically check the whereabouts with a VIN if anyone is interested..

Mine is off the train and on a truck, about 10 miles away from the dealer. So, should be at the dealer today! This would make the total time from ordering 4 months 2 weeks.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Tom899