Ford to start shipping vehicles without non-essential chips.

22OBX

This article just dropped on Automotive News Today. Possible good news for everyone. I can do without a non essential chip for a year.
Ford executives told dealers the company would provide the missing parts for dealers to install within one year.

March 12, 2022
Michael Martinez

LAS VEGAS -- Ford Motor Co., attempting to ease inventory constraints, plans to ship and sell partially built vehicles that are awaiting semiconductors or related components that control non-safety critical features, executives told dealers in a meeting Saturday, according to three people present.

The plan is a revision of an idea floated in July where Ford considered shipping partially-built vehicles to dealers to sit on their lots until parts became available. Now, according to the people, the partially-built vehicles Ford will send dealers will be both drivable and sellable.

Ford said it would send the necessary chips within one year for dealers to install in the sold products, the people said.

It was not immediately clear when it would start shipping and selling the partially-built vehicles or what models would be included in the plan.

A Ford spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the plan.

The automaker has been attempting to find ways to ease the glut of unfinished vehicles piling up on lots around its manufacturing plants. Most recently, what appeared to be hundreds if not thousands of Broncos were piling up in Michigan. Ford said the backlog was chip-related and that it planned to ship those vehicles within three months, pending parts availability.

The ongoing chip shortage has forced a number of automakers to remove certain features to accelerate deliveries to customers.

General Motors late last year said it would remove popular features like heated seats from much of its lineup, later saying customers who ordered vehicles missing that feature could have it added at a later date.

Solid post. The devil will be in the details like always

22OBX

This article just dropped on Automotive News Today. Possible good news for everyone. I can do without a non essential chip for a year.
Ford executives told dealers the company would provide the missing parts for dealers to install within one year.

March 12, 2022
Michael Martinez

LAS VEGAS -- Ford Motor Co., attempting to ease inventory constraints, plans to ship and sell partially built vehicles that are awaiting semiconductors or related components that control non-safety critical features, executives told dealers in a meeting Saturday, according to three people present.

The plan is a revision of an idea floated in July where Ford considered shipping partially-built vehicles to dealers to sit on their lots until parts became available. Now, according to the people, the partially-built vehicles Ford will send dealers will be both drivable and sellable.

Ford said it would send the necessary chips within one year for dealers to install in the sold products, the people said.

It was not immediately clear when it would start shipping and selling the partially-built vehicles or what models would be included in the plan.

A Ford spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the plan.

The automaker has been attempting to find ways to ease the glut of unfinished vehicles piling up on lots around its manufacturing plants. Most recently, what appeared to be hundreds if not thousands of Broncos were piling up in Michigan. Ford said the backlog was chip-related and that it planned to ship those vehicles within three months, pending parts availability.

The ongoing chip shortage has forced a number of automakers to remove certain features to accelerate deliveries to customers.

General Motors late last year said it would remove popular features like heated seats from much of its lineup, later saying customers who ordered vehicles missing that feature could have it added at a later date.

If you can attach the article. I am to lazy to sign up for that publication. :LOL:

TK1215

22OBX

This article just dropped on Automotive News Today. Possible good news for everyone. I can do without a non essential chip for a year.
Ford executives told dealers the company would provide the missing parts for dealers to install within one year.

March 12, 2022
Michael Martinez

LAS VEGAS -- Ford Motor Co., attempting to ease inventory constraints, plans to ship and sell partially built vehicles that are awaiting semiconductors or related components that control non-safety critical features, executives told dealers in a meeting Saturday, according to three people present.

The plan is a revision of an idea floated in July where Ford considered shipping partially-built vehicles to dealers to sit on their lots until parts became available. Now, according to the people, the partially-built vehicles Ford will send dealers will be both drivable and sellable.

Ford said it would send the necessary chips within one year for dealers to install in the sold products, the people said.

It was not immediately clear when it would start shipping and selling the partially-built vehicles or what models would be included in the plan.

A Ford spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the plan.

The automaker has been attempting to find ways to ease the glut of unfinished vehicles piling up on lots around its manufacturing plants. Most recently, what appeared to be hundreds if not thousands of Broncos were piling up in Michigan. Ford said the backlog was chip-related and that it planned to ship those vehicles within three months, pending parts availability.

The ongoing chip shortage has forced a number of automakers to remove certain features to accelerate deliveries to customers.

General Motors late last year said it would remove popular features like heated seats from much of its lineup, later saying customers who ordered vehicles missing that feature could have it added at a later date.

If you can attach the article. I am to lazy to sign up for that publication. :LOL:

I posted all of it. You need a subscription to read it.

https://www.autonews.com/nada/ford-...hips-controlling-non-safety-critical-features

Creative idea. Unique way of moving units. I’m sure there are plenty of people who wouldn’t mind possession of a vehicle that has built-in features that are temporarily non-functional. Take the heated seats as an example that GM is removing. I’d rather that component installed and temporarily unavailable as opposed to not installed at all, with the option of adding it later (cost), just to get the vehicle sooner.

If one of them is the tow package I'll add it back in a heartbeat.

I’m not completely comfortable with this idea. I want to see a list of features that will be affected and the steps required to install these chips. I’m good If they are plug & play via easily accessible areas of the truck. But I’m not going to be happy if they have to tear the dash apart multiple times.

TechnicalDisaster

I’m not completely comfortable with this idea. I want to see a list of features that will be affected and the steps required to install these chips. I’m good If they are plug & play via easily accessible areas of the truck. But I’m not going to be happy if they have to tear the dash apart and solder chips to boards.

I'm pretty sure it would be easily accessible pnp chips. I can't see Ford paying labor costs to dealers for extensive teardowns to install chips. And there would be quite a bit of customer outrage if they found out their brand new truck would have to be in the dealer for several days as well as being torn apart.

So, I'm guessing with the missing features for an undetermined time frame the prices will drop to reflect those parts missing?? Dash, control center, temp, lux, signals/tow, GOAT, 4x4?? not sure what else uses chips

ResidualGenius

So, I'm guessing with the missing features for an undetermined time frame the prices will drop to reflect those parts missing?? Dash, control center, temp, lux, signals/tow, GOAT, 4x4?? not sure what else uses chips

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.... wait.... you were serious ?

I literally just read this news to my wife, and she said ‘no way’ if we have to wait a year for heated seats. That would be a downgrade to both our existing vehicles while the Bronco w/lux is $20k more expensive than anything else we drive. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We can live without adaptive cruise control and auto start/stop, but not heated steering wheel and seats. Not in Nebraska winters.

I had a blend date of 1/15 and the tracker has shown In Production since 1/17. Last night, I noticed that my status changed to Built with a date of 3/10. It will interesting to see if it received the chip or will ship without it. I’ll be happy to receive it either way.

MarkPS

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.... wait.... you were serious ?

Thats most of the chip parts, so wonder what they think they can send without a chip?
FMC "sorry we know you ordered a adv4 x4 but that chip will be coming soon"

Now that they will be shipping do you think will we get an update as to built and shipped or we will just hear from the dealer?

Depends on what the chips are for.

Heated seats? I live in Texas, use them maybe once or twice a year, for about 10 seconds. Can do without.
Lane change assist? I look at my side mirrors before changing lanes, that's what they're for.
Ambient footwell lighting? It'll be a HUGE sacrifice, but I suppose I can learn to live without it. Oh, the pain....
Phone charging pad? Well, damn, guess I'll have revert back to the Stone Age and plug in a cord.

Air conditioning? Whoa, hold on now. No need to get crazy.

TechnicalDisaster

I’m not completely comfortable with this idea. I want to see a list of features that will be affected and the steps required to install these chips. I’m good If they are plug & play via easily accessible areas of the truck. But I’m not going to be happy if they have to tear the dash apart and solder chips to boards.

Dealers will not be soldering chips to circuit boards . They will leave out the module for the global window function to operate , the module that controls remote start , heated seats or a similar feature such as the memory seat position etc . Everybody says Ford is waiting on chips but in reality they are waiting on the completed plug & play modules that are sourced from suppliers . The suppliers such as where I work are the ones waiting on individual chips to go into the electronic modules/brains .

Be prepared for cracked panels , broken clips , rattles etc though .

Rydfree

Dealers will not be soldering chips to circuit boards . They will leave out the module for the global window function to operate , the module that controls remote start , heated seats or a similar feature such as the memory seat position etc . Everybody says Ford is waiting on chips but in reality they are waiting on the completed plug & play modules that are sourced from suppliers . The suppliers such as where I work are the ones waiting on individual chips to go into the electronic modules/brains .

Be prepared for cracked panels , broken clips , rattles etc though .

Ok, no soldering. But different suppliers means I will probably have to take the back to the dealer multiple times as different modules get shipped.

Most likely I won’t know for sure what will and will not be installed in my Bronco until delivery day and I will have decide to keep it with defects or let it go.

I currently have a perfectly working 2021 RAV4 Premium with all the bells and whistles and no missing chips. Paying $20k more for an incomplete lux package doesn’t make a lot of sense. Only thing I hate about the RAV4 is it’s the most boring vehicle I’ve ever owned.

This is a new addition to tracking your build on fords supplied tracker

Other makers are placing credits of like $50.00 on window stickers and telling you what chip modular is missing.

One of the largest Florida Ford dealers say it could be that PIA start stop which has several modular: brake, gas, heater or ac. Sounds like our special goods orders just got changed without our , through the dealer, approvals.I tried to see my built 3/5/22 tracker and getting a new message and will not allow me to track. Sounds like Ice Mountain 90 days or 360. Call marketing and said built and shipping date 3/31/22. BS or not BS,that is the question?

If I dont have the start stop modulars "pop" my dealer just will not tell me anything. However HORRAY NO START STOP to disconnect for $100. Just take off and correct my sticker, which is in the hands of my loan officer and has been approved for $25,000, close in 60 days? I can now change the loan to $24,900.

Now for what the courts could say if Ford does not fix all missing chips in 365 days from delivery. If it is the start stop systems PIA ,is that part of power train 5 year warrantee? Certainly it electronically controls the engine, but so does the start button, which is covered only three years. Lawyer just use delaying tactics.

So if we all reply to this forum and demand to get credit for the missing chip systems and a reduction in labor costs that Ford is not spending with UAW, a highly paid union , upon modification of our window stickers maybe we can thaw out Ice Mountain once and forever. I only order base MIC 4D. NO CRAP!

Keep in mind dealers make large profits on options and those HOLD BACKS!

Lastly, we were promised by our dealers that our confirmation order document would include what we have agreed to have special ordered. Once delivery of our special goods and we pay the agreed purchase order price, we have a contract only with that dealer. I The dealer may get title, but the lender who gave that dealer his floor plan financing is the secured creditor, if he claim bankruptcy, we may not even see our deposits returned, since they are not secured by any documents other that the terms and conditions of our second document the purchase order. Lawyers may call us VENDEES and SOL! Happy St Patty day. Go big Green!

TechnicalDisaster

I literally just read this news to my wife, and she said ‘no way’ if we have to wait a year for heated seats. That would be a downgrade to both our existing vehicles while the Bronco w/lux is $20k more expensive than anything else we drive. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We can live without adaptive cruise control and auto start/stop, but not heated steering wheel and seats. Not in Nebraska winters.

Even with spring and summer next in line on the season cycle? They could have your chips installed in the next 6 months, and you’d never even notice.