Deliveries of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E will be delayed for hundreds of customers in North America for additional quality review, work that will be completed in the U.S., the company confirmed to the Free Press on Saturday.
“As part of our commitment to delivering high-quality vehicles, we are conducting additional quality checks on several hundred Mustang Mach-E models built before dealer shipments started last month. We want to ensure they meet the quality our customers expect and deserve,” said Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg.
“We notified affected customers (several hundred in US and Canada) that they may receive their Mustang Mach-Es on different timing than previously discussed,” she said. “The team is working to expedite these vehicles, and we hope that customers receive them ahead of targeted dates, providing there are no COVID-19-related transportation delays.”
The vehicle is assembled in Mexico and available through pre-order only, not sold off dealer lots. A few Mach-E SUVs had been delivered as scheduled in late December, Bergg said.
Ford sent emails to affected customers Thursday evening, Bergg said. The delay is up to 8 weeks “but hopefully less.”
This is not tied to the industry semiconductor shortage, which has shuttered the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky as part of a global stress on the auto industry, Bergg said.
She declined to comment on how many have been delivered or what, specifically, is behind reviewed that’s causing delivery delay.
Critics have raved about the all-electric vehicle, which won North American utility of the year on Jan. 11.
Customers have posted questions in online Mach-E forums that are closed to the public, as well as Twitter.
In response to a North Texas Ford tweet congratulating a nurse and a high school teacher on getting their new Mustang Mach-E, a few people tweeted Ford CEO Jim Farley asking questions about a delay letter they received.
Clay Harris @wclaytonharris3 tweeted Farley, “Can you please let the thousands of us who don’t have our order know why there is a two-month delay in delivery as of last night? It’s just decent customer service to let us know why. I’m truly not trying to be rude, but requesting that that the CEO of Ford address the main issue.”
Anthony @TonyStark_3k tweeted, “Where’s the explanation of why my Mach-E went from estimated delivery of 1/19-1/25 to now 3/16-3/22? Ridiculous. I’ve been a minute 1 order since November 17, 2019. And lack of communication from Ford is nothing but disappointing. We want transparency, is that too much to ask?”
A person listed as @MACHEFAN tweeted, “How about delivery to other customers? Got an email today from Ford letting me know my MME First Edition will be delayed a month plus. This is after I was notified it already has been built and shipped. What is the story here Ford?? Lots of folks got the same email today.”
At macheforum.com, the moderator posted the Ford official statements and people who ordered vehicles responded.
One buyer wrote, “I was scheduled for a 19th delivery but just received an email stating it is pushed until the third week of Feb.”
The administrator included an image of a letter sent out and said it was an example:
“The estimated arrival date of your vehicle has been updated: To ensure your complete satisfaction, we will require additional time before your 2021 Mustang Mach-E California Rt. 1 is delivered to (noted out). Your vehicle’s previous estimated delivery range of February 5, 2021 and February 11, 2021 has been updated to between March 18, 2021 and March 24, 2021.”
Buyers posted their detailed notices mentioning Sunnyvale Ford in California and Don Hinds Ford in Fishers, Indiana.
One customer posted his order listing the VIN and other detail, noting the SUV has been delivered to Kansas City already. The buyer wrote, “A bit confused as I know it is in KC. Needless to say, I will be contacting my dealer tomorrow to see if they have any insight.”
Another buyer wrote, “Seems like everyone is receiving this email. I want to throw up right now.”
A lot of buyers posted a lot of detail about shipping and questions.
Another wrote, “I’m not particularly jazzed by this delay. My Mach-E is already on a train car according to my dealer and my email said end of March. Something’s up. Can’t just be transit related, we know Mach-Es are on the move. There’s no way it takes two months for Kansas City Southern to find a locomotive to hitch to the railcar that has my Mach-E already strapped down inside of it.”
Ford has no further information to add in response to the posts, Bergg said.
This current Mach-E delay is impacting North America only at this time, not global deliveries, she said.
‘Global disruption’
Karl Brauer, executive publisher of CarExpert.com, an ad-free shopping site, said news of the Mach-E delay is not surprising.
“It’s an unfortunate pattern that we’re seeing in vehicle releases over the past year,” he said. “And it’s difficult to know exactly what’s behind them, given the global disruption we’re all living with right now.”
F-150, Ford Bronco delays
This latest news involving the Mach-E is not the first challenge involving delivery of new Ford products. The 2021 Bronco delivery has been pushed from spring to summer because of supply chain disruption involving its tops, as first reported by the Free Press. And thousands of 2021 F-150s are stockpiled around Detroit Metro Airport and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City pending quality review, as first reported by the Free Press.
The iconic Bronco is built at the Michigan Assembly Plant and the Ford F-150 is built at Dearborn Truck and the Kansas City Assembly Plant.
Ford CEO Jim Farley and other executives have said they’re working to avoid quality concerns and release products when all reviews have been completed. The F-150 review involves adding in seatbelts and software updates, Ford has said.
More:UAW issues ‘very unusual’ memo for 2021 Ford F-150 production
More:Ford is repairing tons of new F-150s in Flat Rock — and UAW members aren’t doing the work
The company is working to avoid financial headaches caused by the bungled launches of its 2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor in 2019 in Chicago, which were first reported by the Free Press.
‘Improve product quality’
In February, after Farley was promoted to chief operating officer, he said in a speech, “First, we’re … making sure we’re doing everything we can to mitigate the risk with these fantastic new launches.”
Then after assuming the role of CEO in October, Farley told employees, “We have to improve product quality and make it a reason to choose Ford.”
Former CFO Tim Stone cited “operational challenges” with the Explorer launch and “higher warranty costs” for a disappointing 2019 earnings report.
Ford reports its 2020 annual earnings on Feb. 4.
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-222-6512 orphoward@freepress.com.Follow her on Twitter@phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.