[ZTWsquared]

(07-11-2011, 10:46 PM)oldeguy Wrote: I've ordered a new 2012 Focus, but the dealer can't seem to find a car at the trim level I want, and the colour I want. So, I'm wondering how long does it take to order a car from the factory, build it and finally get it?

The dealer has already committed his Focus orders for delivery 3 months from now and chances are he can't change the number of vehicles he has on order. To be clear - it takes about 3 months for an ordered vehicle to be delivered, but the dealer places orders on a monthly basis. The days of consumers specifying a vehicle and then the factory making it to that spec are long gone ... the way it works now is that the dealer has to make a commitment 3 months out for a specific number of Focus ... and once he is allocated that number he can configure them for inventory or for a customer.

So ... if one of the vehicles he has already ordered is what you want, then he can simply reassign it from being a vehicle for his inventory, to a sold vehicle destined for you. The delivery time will depend on the allocation period within which he made his commitment.

If one of the vehicles he has on order is close to what you want, within a certain time frame there are some things he can change without impacting the delivery date - but not all things. And the time frame may vary depending on what it is that needs to be changed ... ie: it's a lot easier changing the wheels required than changing from a hatch to a sedan.

If none of the vehicles he currently has on order is what you want or cannot be amended to match your requirements - then he might be able to factory order one for you. I say might because this assumes he he has the quantity of vehicles allocated to him. If it is a hot model, then all his allocation may already be assigned to customers - in which case he will not be able to factory order one for you, or if he can it might be many months in the future.

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