Ford is cutting production of the electric F-150 Lightning pickup. Although sales increased by 55 percent last year, they're growing more slowly than the company anticipated.
A friend of my parents desperately wanted one of the new Broncos, and they were just selling out everywhere, so they decided to work with the small local dealership and order one direct from Ford.
So they picked out every last detail, placed the deposit, and waited.
It was like 5 or 6 months then they finally got the call to come down, it was ready.
Well when they got there, the fucking piece of shit dealer tells them that he’s increasing the price by 10k.
They ask why and what happened to the price they agreed on, and the guy tells them that basically these kinds of customer orders are the only way he can get more broncos from Ford, but he knows he can get more for this one so he’s going back on their agreement. So they can either agree to the higher price right now, or go home empty handed and he will still sell it within the week.
I don’t know how they walked out of that place not in handcuffs, because I’d have assaulted the guy.
They get home and call up Ford and Ford basically said, “Sorry you had to go through that, but we have no control over our dealers, so they can do that and neither you nor we have any recourse or any way around it.”
Basically that story alone meant to me that A. I’ll never drive a Ford, and 2. I will badmouth that little locally owned dealership any time anyone I know is considering using them, and I hope they go under.
The thing is, Ford can control that shit, they just have no desire or motivation to do so. Contrast that story with Subaru. Post pandemic when car prices were insane and demand was through the roof, Subaru of America mandated that all their dealers were not too MSRP on any new Subaru vehicles. If they found any dealership price gouging, they got one warning, then SoA pulled their fucking license to sell the brand.
I’ve never walked out of my Subaru dealership feeling like I needed antibiotics. Very upfront about everything from sales to service to trade-ins. The “Subaru Love” is in part that they have basic decency in a business transaction.
So, so, so many other dealers were just filled with snakes in a sales pit hibernaculum. I had to help my mother-in-law turn in a lease early at a Toyota dealer and I fought off three different varieties of shady in an hour. The same dealership had gotten my late father-in-law into a lease before prices went nuts and then tried to screw her on the higher residual value in 2023.
On my 4th Subaru, just installed a big-ass CarPlay head unit to keep my ‘17 Outback rolling a while longer. Not the best car ever engineered, and it’s drinking a bit of oil in its age, but it’s been very reliable, capable, and comfortable as my daily driver. The Solterra seems unimpressive on paper, but I’d happily consider whatever EV options they have when it’s time to pasture this ride.
This.
A friend of my parents desperately wanted one of the new Broncos, and they were just selling out everywhere, so they decided to work with the small local dealership and order one direct from Ford.
So they picked out every last detail, placed the deposit, and waited.
It was like 5 or 6 months then they finally got the call to come down, it was ready.
Well when they got there, the fucking piece of shit dealer tells them that he’s increasing the price by 10k.
They ask why and what happened to the price they agreed on, and the guy tells them that basically these kinds of customer orders are the only way he can get more broncos from Ford, but he knows he can get more for this one so he’s going back on their agreement. So they can either agree to the higher price right now, or go home empty handed and he will still sell it within the week.
I don’t know how they walked out of that place not in handcuffs, because I’d have assaulted the guy.
They get home and call up Ford and Ford basically said, “Sorry you had to go through that, but we have no control over our dealers, so they can do that and neither you nor we have any recourse or any way around it.”
Basically that story alone meant to me that A. I’ll never drive a Ford, and 2. I will badmouth that little locally owned dealership any time anyone I know is considering using them, and I hope they go under.
The thing is, Ford can control that shit, they just have no desire or motivation to do so. Contrast that story with Subaru. Post pandemic when car prices were insane and demand was through the roof, Subaru of America mandated that all their dealers were not too MSRP on any new Subaru vehicles. If they found any dealership price gouging, they got one warning, then SoA pulled their fucking license to sell the brand.
What’s the name of the dealer
Steve.
That bastard
It’s always fucking Steve
If they pulled that shit on me I would roll up with a fucking news truck
Good luck. Something that happens 100x/day isn’t news.
The dealerships were supposed to protect the consumer from the auto manufacturers. Who would’ve guessed they wound up being the bad guys? /s
Edit: whoops, digging up an old comment!
I’ve never walked out of my Subaru dealership feeling like I needed antibiotics. Very upfront about everything from sales to service to trade-ins. The “Subaru Love” is in part that they have basic decency in a business transaction.
So, so, so many other dealers were just filled with snakes in a sales pit hibernaculum. I had to help my mother-in-law turn in a lease early at a Toyota dealer and I fought off three different varieties of shady in an hour. The same dealership had gotten my late father-in-law into a lease before prices went nuts and then tried to screw her on the higher residual value in 2023.
On my 4th Subaru, just installed a big-ass CarPlay head unit to keep my ‘17 Outback rolling a while longer. Not the best car ever engineered, and it’s drinking a bit of oil in its age, but it’s been very reliable, capable, and comfortable as my daily driver. The Solterra seems unimpressive on paper, but I’d happily consider whatever EV options they have when it’s time to pasture this ride.