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The first shipments of the new Ford Ranger are on their way to Australia, however new arrival estimates have been published online after dealers were advised of production delays.
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Ford Australia has advised the 2023 Ford Ranger is due in local showrooms from July and the 2023 Ford Performance Ranger Raptor is due from August – both about a month later than originally planned.
The new delivery estimates have appeared overnight on the Ford Australia website, about three weeks after dealers were advised about production delays out of the Thailand factory.
Late last month, Drive reported that dealers were advised to expect delays, but at that stage the true impact was yet to be determined.
The Ford Australia dealer bulletin issued in late April said in part: “Next Gen Ranger Q2 (April to June) production has been negatively impacted as a result of some major cities in China now being under COVID lockdown.
The Ford dealer bulletin continued: “For context, the China COVID lockdown has affected 91 suppliers and 393 unique parts utilised on Next Gen Ranger.”
The Ford dealer bulletin was also notable for coining the term “re-calendarised,” which is assumed to mean “re-scheduled.”
Last week, Ford released photos of a send-off ceremony showing the first shipment of new Ford Rangers to leave the Thailand factory.
Meanwhile, Drive has contacted Ford Australia for a comment regarding exorbitant dealer delivery fees currently being charged by some Ford showrooms.
Customers have shared on social media their invoices showing dealer delivery fees ranging from $2500 to $6000 – with some dealers charging more than $4000 for paint protection.
The majority of Ford Australia dealers appear to be charging between $1200 and $1800 for dealer delivery – on top of the full retail price for the vehicle itself.
The shortage of stock has shone a spotlight on dubious dealer delivery charges across the Australian automotive sector. Prior to the pandemic – when there was an over-supply of new motor vehicles – dealer delivery fees had evaporated or were all but wiped out.
But dealer delivery fees – in addition to unusually high dealer delivery fees – have returned now there is more demand than there is supply of new motor vehicles.
Dealers who charge over the odds for delivery fees have defended their actions using the forces of supply and demand as a justification.
However, dealers who have maintained their regular dealer delivery fees – even though some may be tempted to charge more – said they understand the long term damage caused by excessive and opportunistic fees.
One major multi-brand car dealer, who claims to not overcharge on delivery fees, told Drive: “You can skin a sheep once, but you can shear it a hundreds times.”
In the US, Ford discourages its dealer network from overcharging, by restricting vehicle allocations to dealers who attempt to charge excessive fees.
Drive has sought comment from Ford Australia about its local position on dealer delivery fees but is yet to receive a response.
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