Frustated with Ford

[airspeed1]

My son's 2011 Mustang GT was hit in a parking lot and the right front fender and suspension were damaged. All the body damage has been repaired but I am now being told that the right front strut will have to replaced. I was prepared for that, but I was not prepared to hear that the strut is on back order and it might be three weeks before we can expect to get the part. This type of stuff is exactly what we were hoping to avoid by buying a good old American made car.

It seems like if they can sell us the car, the should have parts for the car. Anyone know a Ford parts vendor with pull?

Jerry

[rodneym]

What can you do?
Companies are running very lean these days.
Maybe if they borrowed money like GM and Chrysler...

[brettco]

Three weeks is really nothing for a bodyshop to wait on parts. Be glad its not a VW. We just had a dodge hemi pick-up for 3 months waiting on a roof. We had the truck longer than the owners owned it!

[Rick Parker]

When this type of thing happens it is generally because all of the current stock is being allocated to vehicle production. We recently had a Body Control Module on National Backorder (none in any of the US warehouses) for a 2011 Equinox that went bad shortly after the customer took delivery, His Equinox would die without warning, while the OTHER one that his wife bought (yes they bought 2), was driving was running great.

Another customer had a lifted Ford F250 in the body shop for over four (4) months while we waited for an upper control arm from the Suspension lift vendor. I was told the Lift Vendor Company was relocating and had frozen all shipments until they were in the new facility.
Apply enough pressure and situations can be resolved, strings pulled etc.

[Tim Brewer]

What about aftermarket?

[jshel1]

Wow Jerry,

I have heard of build to order and low inventory-low overhead as a means to stay well in the black, but I bet there are at least ten front-end collisions involving 2011 mustangs across the US on a daily basis. Contact Sam Pack.

[Bill Bess]

Patience my friend! it's just a car and a car part. There is probably a good reason for the "back order". Perhaps they can't get the part across the US/Mexican boader, or the parts plant is withholding shipment because Ford owes them money, or maybe the Ford dealer parts man is on vacation.
I'm joking of course, somtimes certain low use and low inventory items take a special order. and a lot of time.

Have a beer and relax.....heck if I misplace a screwdriver and can't find it I just sit down, relax and think about for awhile and then go take a nap.
Bill

[Paul F]

This is typical of all industries at the moment. Besides the normal tight inventory control, everybody pulled production way back during the downturn and are in no hurry to get production ramped up. One of our products is backlogged 3 YEARS! Imagine what that does to loss of revenue.

[airspeed1]

Patience is a virtue I could work on a bit. I know this will get resolved...eventually.

Jerry

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Being a DIEHARD Ford fan I take exception with you post TITLE......Is it "REALLY" Fords fault, or perhaps an aftermarket supplier?? Just curious......LOL....>Good luck!!<

[jonas1022]

I have had worse issues with supply for a Chevy pickup that I owned. It went down the tubes even further when they wrecked the truck in the repair garage after repairing the engine. I was "able" to wait another two months for a new fleetside panel and suspension bracket. I blamed GM, but then suffered similar issues with a Mercedes. I lived in Suttgart Germany at the time and the Mercedes supply house was just down the road a couple clicks...

Take it as a fact of life and move on. It's just a car, and car parts.

I wish you well on getting anywhere with applying pressure.

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by airspeed1

Patience is a virtue I could work on a bit. I know this will get resolved...eventually.

Jerry

Well Jerry,I think heard your cries for help.

They just announced they are pumping $ 600 million into a Kentucky plant and adding 1,800 jobs.

[PANAVIA]

- nobody is able to stock things anymore. it all is Ordered by the seler, then ordered from the vendor, then ordered from the manufacturer.

Steve

[airspeed1]

Problem solved. John, I took your advice and called Sam Pack Ford. They told me that if I ordered the part on an emergency basis and paid a bit for shipping I could have it by tomorrow. I called the body shop and explained how I was going to get the part. Two hours later they called to say they had found the part and it was already in their shop and being installed.

John...they would not have done any searching if I had not called Sam Pack parts dept. and found the part myself. Thanks for the suggestion!

Jerry

[Jon Miller]

"My son's 2011 Mustang GT".......Just stop right there and give thanks.

You have raised the boy right. I wish I had a 2011 Mustang GT. My kid's got a '74 MGB, but then again he is only 12, he paid for it himself, and it was made on the same island as the Cobra body.

-Jon

[airspeed1]

Jon...true...very true.

Jerry

[Johnnyquest]

2011, nuff said.