You might try the Ford on-line inventory search (zip code 22192) Look for Cowles Ford in Woodbridge, VA. In the three years that the FEH has been out....I bet Cowles has sold 150 or more.......and they have no motivation to trade the ones they have.
My 2006 FEH actually came in trade from a rural Pennsylvannia dealer who couldn't sell it for several months. Cowles told me they scooped up several from the initial '05 and '06 allotments to all the rural dealers who never really served the Hybrid market.
May I update this posting with some very encouraging news.
Frustrated at not finding the local Stuart Florida Mercury Dealership in the hybrid business, I sent a note to Ford President Alan Mulally. He not only replied but issued some instructions that resulted in my being able to test drive a Mariner Hybrid this morning. Glad I pursued this, because the car was better than expectations and a tribute to the Ford design and engineering team. I will be a Mariner Hybrid owner as soon as delivery is possible.
Dealer is Maroone, Mike, and the delivery situation is as you have quoted.
I'd pass along one technical note that I discovered yesterday, and which the dealers do not all seem to be aware of, which is that the Nav System in the 2008 vehicles is the new Ford Motor Co touchscreen system ( that is in the new Lincoln's as well ) and is certainly resolves the complaints regarding the original system. You can find the Operators Guide for it by rooting around the Ford.com website.
On 10/29 I bought an Escape Hybrid from North County Ford in Vista, CA. I contacted their Costco auto buying program contact because I saw on Forddirect.com that they had the exact model I wanted in stock. The local Costco price is $500 over invoice. I called and found out that the one I had my eye on had just been sold. However, the saleman stated that if I was willing to go with something he had in stock, he would sell to me for invoice. I agreed and picked up a 2008 Escape Hybrid (Oxford White) with the following features: 1) Premium Hybrid Package 2) 6 Disc CD/MP3 player 3) Integrated side step bars. The sale price was $26,363.68. The factory invoice was dated 9/25/07. Great buying experience as the salesman was very friendly. It was a stark contrast to just a couple of months ago when I walked into Kearny Mesa Ford in San Diego and saw that they had only one Hybrid in stock and they had added a "market adjustment" right next to the sticker that added several thousand to the asking price.
I ordered my 2008 Escape Hybrid from Hawthorne Ford in Belmont, North Carolina in early June. Delivery was scheduled for mid-August, but it had not arrived by mid-October. They could not give me a VIN number, or any information at all about when it would be scheduled to be manufactured. In fact, they could not even say if I would ever get the car. I demanded and received a refund of my $1,000 non-refundable deposit and cancelled the order.
With such high demand why doesn't Ford increase their manufacturing schedule?
Because "Ford has a better idea"------They are waiting until there is a flood of hybrids placed on the market by other manufacturers, (which will be pretty soon), then there won't be such a demand for the hybrid Escape, and they won't need to increase production.
For Ford it's too much bother and makes too much sense to increase production when demand is high. They will float along like they have for the past year and sell off assets. It's easier that way. And besides, their mgt employees are tired from negotiating contracts with the Unions. They don't have time to bother with things that could make them profitable, especially no brainer ideas like producing more of a product whose current demand far exceeds its supply.
I'm sure you've heard of the farmers saying of "making hay while the sun is shinnin". Well, Fords idea is to take a snooze while the sun is shinnin. Like I said, it's easier that way.
I hear that some cities like New York are going to start using Escpae Hybrids as Taxis instead of gas guzzling gas-only models. It may be that Ford is working on satisfying that demand, which would be substantial, and not able to meet individual demands of single vehicle customers. Only a thought since I don't have any specific information, but surely if it was true they would let dealers know.
No one has added anything to this thread in a couple of weeks, but I'll add my experience anyway. Rich Ford in Albuquerque had 6 FEH's as of last Friday when I purchased mine (Z plan). I searched online inventory in NM and CO, and only a few dealers had any at all (of those, most have one or two).
I placed my order for a FEH last week. I was told my an associate in their Internet Sales Dept. that Ford had ran out of a battery component. This resulted in them ending production prematurely this year. He went on to say that they were not scheduled to resume production on 2008 FEH's until January '09. Car salesmen being car salesmen, I am not sure how accurate that is, but it sounds plausible. He checked the number of FEH's in FL, GA and AL to see if he could find one with the features I wanted....there was less than 70 FEH's total in all three states and only 17 in the state of FL. Good Luck.
I certainly hope they are producing them now. I finally was told there is a VIN number for my vehicle about two weeks ago. I ordered my FEH June 21st and thanks to the advice of this website, after my patience ran out I emailed one of the suggested Ford kingpens. Within a week, I had a VIN and I don't think it was coincidence. I hope the wait is worth it and is it crazy to think that I'll get it this year?
Now that you have a VIN, and have waited an extended period of time, ask your dealer (politely) to contact their Ford Factory Rep so he (the Fac Rep) might check on the status and assist in expediting delivery because of the delay you have experienced.
I've been in the market for an FEH for a while. While searching different locales for FEHs on forddirect.com, I've noticed a definite increase in availability lately, despite seemingly brisk sales. Looks good for a future purchase...
While searching, I ran across this little gem: check out zip 90210 (link below) on forddirect.com (make sure you look at ALL the dealers)...
Thanks for the advice. I spoke to my salesman today and he said it should be built December 5th, and shipped out December 10th-12th. All I want for Christmas is my FEH.
I can't believe how difficult it is just to buy a car? Even with an open checkbook, it is like slogging through quicksand. I had one salesman that decided I just wasn't interested enough to pursue a DX because I told him I got better numbers somewhere else. Another salesman only addressed my husband even though it was made clear that the car would be mine. I was beginning to think that I could go to school and build my own vehicle before I would ever be able to get my hands on one from FORD. I have found a terrific dealer who is doing everything possible to get me an 08. How wonderful life would be if FORD did the same. I am on the brink of ordering, but the 4 to 5 month horror stories are turning me off. Any words of encouragement? By the time the 08 may get here, I might just as well wait for the 09's. I hate being on the hook for that long. I sit and wait and what consequences does FORD en-cure for the delay? The whole process is making my head hurt!
I ordered my '08 4WD FEH on June 30th and I am still waiting for my New Jersey delivery. I received a VIN # on Nov. 16th, was told it would go into production on Dec. 3rd & to expect delivery the week of Dec. 10th or Dec. 17.
My salesman is a fleet sales mgr. (connected through a friend who buys 6+ commercial vans per year) & although I rec'd. an X-Plan price I never thought that I would have to wait this long.
After pressure from myself & my friend, my salesman told me that he had the dealership owner intervene with a Ford rep. to specify what few FEH's of the next order batch they wanted first. This is the only reason that I expect delivery before year end.
By the way, this dealership is high volume supplying all of the NYC taxi as well as NJ Public Service Elec/Gas fleets so it shouldn't be hard to bump up a personal vehicle in place of a corporate one.
My advice is to complain & pressure your dealer as much as possible. This is definitely a case of the squeaky wheel getting the oil.
I'm Interested in extended test to Tahoe this winter. Does anyone know of a local agency which rents 4WD FEHs? The usual rent-a-car websites are too generic and none list hybrid Escapes. Also, if you have personal experience hauling a load of people up the mountains in an FEH, I'd like to hear about how well it does.
Because they are in high demand, I doubt rental companies will have the FEH. You could rent a V6 Escape and get a idea of about 90% of the characteristics of the FEH.
I believe Hertz offers Escape Hybrids for rent, and I believe at least one of the other national car rental companies offers them as well now. Other than that, you could talk to a local dealership and see if they would rent you one off their lot. As far as hauling a load of people up a mountain, this Thanksgiving I drove my 2006 4WD Hybrid Escape up to Boone, NC with four people and luggage, and got somewhere around 27-29 MPG - or about 330 miles using between 12 and 12.5 gallons of gas. Good luck!
I used the forddirect.com website to search dealerships and inventory in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a lot of inventory locally. I then requested quotes from dealers on specific VINs. Quite a few dealerships responded by email or phone. One suggested "only a few hundred below MSRP". Several offered cars at or below invoice (i.e., about 6% below MSRP). Two more bits of advice: when searching inventories, you will see that there are differences in base MSRP of more than $1000 (i.e., $27015; $28015, $28080 before options) for the same '08 4WD. I deduce there have been at least two price hikes in the last few months. There are still a few cheaper/"older" (September 07 build date) cars on the lot and I put dibs on one, saving $1k. Second tip: rumor suggests Ford may offer additional incentives during the week after XMas. I don't know if dealerships are willing to ship, but I was quoted less than $1000 to transport a car from CA to IL last month.
I have tried all Ford dealerships in the greater DFW area and no one has a Hybrid Escape on their lot. I refuse to order one without a test drive, so it looks like I will end up buying something else. Texas has a state program to pay people up to $3500 for an old vehicle when a hybrid is purchased. It seems stupid of Ford to not have their Escape Hybrid on lots in Texas.
I just picked up my '08 4wd FEH two days ago in NJ and my sales rep said that Ford was now raising the price by $1200 due to a cost increase by their supplier of the hybrid battery. The price from my June order was honored but he said any future sales would incur the higher price. I bet this explains price differential in production runs.
It made my head hurt, too. But the process of buying a car is made a little easier by ordering. I ordered mine June 21st and just picked it up Friday, December 21st. Exactly six months after ordering it. Lost the incentives that were available when I ordered it, but still saved $1100 as the base price went up while I was waiting.
i got my fwd in july and now have 4644 miles on it and love it. my mileage for this period is 37 mph and the lowest i have gotten was 32.7. i drive mostly in the country and i am a conservatve driver usually at posted speed limit. chuck
I ordered my 2008 Hybrid the middle of October from a dealer in the Tampa Bay Florida area. Got a "Build Date" the first week in December of 12/10/07. Was told this may be a Christmas gift. Called today and it is statused "Waiting Materials". This notation was before December 22 and since they are closed until Wednesday (Jan. 2nd.) I can forget about a nice Christmas gift. The "materials" it is waiting for is the Lithium Ion batteries. So some of the rumors are correct - I'd say that the batteries are not keeping up with the demand.
Ford uses a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack fabricated by Sanyo. They have always been rumored as the component that holds up production. Sorry you have to wait...but it should be worth it.
I monitor several webpages on behalf of Ford and I hope you don't mind if I post a response here. Ford's capacity to build Escape and Mariner hybrids is constrained by our battery supplier. There are currently no domestic (U.S.) sources for high voltage batteries although that will change as other companies push forward into the market for high voltage batteries.
The demand for hybrids in general in the last half of 2007 has put a lot of pressure on several battery suppliers in Japan. Improving the supply capacity is a long term process which involves a lot of capital investment. Battery manufacturers are understandably cautious about these kinds of expenditures. However, we're working to resolve the issue of hybrid batteries' availability long before the introduction of the Fusion Hybrid later this year.
In response to several large cities demanding that taxi fleets be replaced with more fuel efficient vehicles, we produced a lot of Hybrids which made it into taxi fleets around the country. Although the east and west coasts had received a slightly larger proportion of FEH production, new vehicle orders are being processed in the order placed.
With that said, we are producing 2008 Escape Hybrids as fast as possible. The situation is not ideal for Ford or the consumer but we truly appreciate our customers' patience and loyalty. If you have a vehicle on order, please contact your dealership regarding the status of your order. If you're interested in more information please visit fordvehicles.com or your local dealership.
With apologies to the FEH community, as readership of the MMH Forum is close to zero: For Fomocona,
Having owned a new 2008 MMH for a week and a half now, please pass along to all at Ford that the vehicle does everything it is supposed to and was delivered with zero discrepancies. Fuel efficiency here in South Florida meets or exceeds the published values.
Only comment that I can offer at this early stage of ownership is that the tech writer who authored the navigation system booklet ought to look at what others are doing in that area. GPS based nav systems have a lot of features and capability, and need appropriate descriptive information and graphics to enable the user.
I have recently become intrigued by the FEH, but would like to test drive one before making a commitment. How do I go about finding one in the Seattle area? Does any car rental agency carry them?
I'm going to order a FEH (4WD, loaded with most everything except the chrome) and was wondering how long I should plan on waiting for it. I'm in no rush, but do want to avoid hitting the model change-over interval, if at all possible. This will be my first-ever Ford (last 5 cars were custom-ordered Saturns), so feel free to offer your US$0.02 worth.
It's called market capitalism. Incentives are only needed to drive sales that would not otherwise materlialize. Hybrids don't need any incentives. In fact, some dealers near me are adding a $3000 'market premium' to the sticker because they are confident that somebody will pay more than sticker to get one.
I placed my order for a FEH 08 back in July and was given a 12 week wait estimate.
Finally in December after getting tired of pestering my local dealership, I followed the advice of a poster in this form and emailed Mark Fields and Allan Mullaly at Ford with the hope of speeding things up.
At first things looked promising. The sales manager at the dealership had been contacted by the regional rep, who in turn had been contacted by the executive office. I was told my order was being expedited.
It's now the middle of January and I just finished speaking with my dealership. They tell me they hope to get a build date this month which would mean delivery by March.
Are you kidding? How was that expedited? If I had placed my order in December I could understand it, but I had placed it in July.
I read posts here from people waiting 4-6 months. Am I going to be the first to wait 8 months? Did anyone else have to wait that long?
What options/extras did you order? I ask because I'm wondering if one or more of them might be in short supply, causing the subsequent delay in getting a build date.
My condolences about the delay ... I feel fortunate in that my factory order in May 2008 only took three months ... and I too ordered from my Ford dealer (west of Calgary, AB).
The funny part (well, not really) is that the day before we ordered they had a 2008 FEH for sale on the lot. When I went to the dealer the next morning with the intention of buying it, it had already been sold.
It seems odd that had I have been there an hour earlier I likely would have drove one off the lot.
Just saw a post in another forum by someone in Ottawa, Ontario who reported ordering their FEH on August 31st and took delivery on January 17th. Does seem like Canadian orders are taking longer than average. Good luck.
Thanks for the info. I asked the sales manager for an explanation and it sounds like there's a certain number of FEHs available to a given region. Canada in general receives a much lower proportion than even California.
Why am I only getting 30-31 mpg? I don't get it. Is there a trick to driving a hybrid? Do you have a four wheel drive and you're getting 37mpg? Seriously?
I've had my car for almost a month now, (3100 miles on it) driving in central Florida, and using the econ button. The best mileage I've gotten was when I took it to the mountains & was coasting downhill a lot. Then I got 31.9 mpg at the best. Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled with the gas mileage, but I'm looking for improvement.
Have owned my Kiwi Green Hybrid for the better part of a month and love it! 35 MPG combined driving, great on the highway, nice comfortable quiet ride. Only waited 2 weeks to get the vehicle I wanted with the added packages. Price was below MSRP and an easy no pressure sale.
Folks, I am new to this forum, only started looking for either a FEH or MMH a week ago. Had a 02 Mazda Tribute for two years and really liked the car, wife gave it up to our daughter in Texas. She wants the hybrid - bad - and I'm probably going to go along since the last 2 car buying decisions have been mine.
I've seen on the message board a lot of frustration about ordering delays, which I may not want to go thru. Also, there are several dealer locally that seem to have inventory, but the trucks all have the full boat of accessories, and my guess is that all (or at least most) of the ones shipped to dealers are like that to maximize dealer and FMC profits, since they're not making money on these, or are just barely.
So my question is, if I want to get one of these (either type) by April, can I trust the system to work on a special order, or do you think I'll be forced to just get the best deal I can locally. There are about 8 showing up as available in the DC/MD area.
Also, what types of incentives or discount buying services, like Costco, are available that the dealers will take?
If you are getting the Escape Hybrid because you want an economical SUV,you will just have to wait,but if the point is just to get good MPG...get a regular Civic or such and your gas economy will be even better. My daughter bought a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and while it's very nice....it cost so much( $38K) that it will take 10 years to recover the money it cost in gas savings.
The Sterling, VA dealer is asking a US$3000 "premium" over list price on any FEH bought off the lot, effectively stealing the tax incentive value for buying a FEH.
I checked into the Costco buying program too. No dice on the FEH. The web site asked me if I still wanted to be referred to a dealer, even though there would be zero price advantage. Out of curiosity more than anything else, I clicked on Yes. It referred me to the Ford dealer in Tysons Corner, VA. The guy contacted me and assured me that if I order a FEH (which is my personal preference), they would not add any such $3000 "premium" to the price tag.
The Ford dealer in Leesburg, VA also promised not to add the "premium", so I'll probably end up ordering from the folks in Leesburg but have the service done closer to home at the Sterling, VA dealer.
I don't want to take delivery until mid-April, so I'll take my chances and order a FEH in early March. If it takes a long time to build (battery shortage, taxi fleet priority or whatever), so be it. I'd rather get exactly what I want. I'm a patient person. Every car I've ever bought except one has been custom ordered. Heck, back in 1986, I ordered a Chrysler unaware that two weeks later, UAW would be on strike and ended up waiting 3 months for the car. The only thing that even slightly concerns me about ordering a FEH is the model year change-over period when assembly lines traditionally shut down for whatever retooling is necessary to build the next year's editions. I have no idea when that is for the FEH, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
Comments
My 2006 FEH actually came in trade from a rural Pennsylvannia dealer who couldn't sell it for several months. Cowles told me they scooped up several from the initial '05 and '06 allotments to all the rural dealers who never really served the Hybrid market.
Frustrated at not finding the local Stuart Florida Mercury Dealership in the hybrid business, I sent a note to Ford President Alan Mulally. He not only replied but issued some instructions that resulted in my being able to test drive a Mariner Hybrid this morning. Glad I pursued this, because the car was better than expectations and a tribute to the Ford design and engineering team. I will be a Mariner Hybrid owner as soon as delivery is possible.
John Dixson
What dealership are you ordering from ? & What is the wait time for delivery ?
I'm in Palm Beach Gardens the Ford & Mercury dealerships are telling me 8-12 weeks !
I'd pass along one technical note that I discovered yesterday, and which the dealers do not all seem to be aware of, which is that the Nav System in the 2008 vehicles is the new Ford Motor Co touchscreen system ( that is in the new Lincoln's as well ) and is certainly resolves the complaints regarding the original system. You can find the Operators Guide for it by rooting around the Ford.com website.
Thanks,
John
With such high demand why doesn't Ford increase their manufacturing schedule?
For Ford it's too much bother and makes too much sense to increase production when demand is high. They will float along like they have for the past year and sell off assets. It's easier that way. And besides, their mgt employees are tired from negotiating contracts with the Unions. They don't have time to bother with things that could make them profitable, especially no brainer ideas like producing more of a product whose current demand far exceeds its supply.
I'm sure you've heard of the farmers saying of "making hay while the sun is shinnin". Well, Fords idea is to take a snooze while the sun is shinnin. Like I said, it's easier that way.
I heard at a dealer just today,that most of the hybrids go to the East and West coasts.
While searching, I ran across this little gem: check out zip 90210 (link below) on forddirect.com (make sure you look at ALL the dealers)...
http://www56.forddirect.fordvehicles.com/IncomingPage.jsp?lang=en&sUserInterface- Branding=1&sModel=2008Escape_Hybrid&makeTransition=ToFilter&sZip=90210&sReferrin- gSite=1
I have found a terrific dealer who is doing everything possible to get me an 08. How wonderful life would be if FORD did the same. I am on the brink of ordering, but the 4 to 5 month horror stories are turning me off. Any words of encouragement? By the time the 08 may get here, I might just as well wait for the 09's. I hate being on the hook for that long. I sit and wait and what consequences does FORD en-cure for the delay?
The whole process is making my head hurt!
My salesman is a fleet sales mgr. (connected through a friend who buys 6+ commercial vans per year) & although I rec'd. an X-Plan price I never thought that I would have to wait this long.
After pressure from myself & my friend, my salesman told me that he had the dealership owner intervene with a Ford rep. to specify what few FEH's of the next order batch they wanted first. This is the only reason that I expect delivery before year end.
By the way, this dealership is high volume supplying all of the NYC taxi as well as NJ Public Service Elec/Gas fleets so it shouldn't be hard to bump up a personal vehicle in place of a corporate one.
My advice is to complain & pressure your dealer as much as possible. This is definitely a case of the squeaky wheel getting the oil.
I am very happy now, and love my new FEH!
Merry Christmas all--There is a Santa Claus!
chuck
The demand for hybrids in general in the last half of 2007 has put a lot of pressure on several battery suppliers in Japan. Improving the supply capacity is a long term process which involves a lot of capital investment. Battery manufacturers are understandably cautious about these kinds of expenditures. However, we're working to resolve the issue of hybrid batteries' availability long before the introduction of the Fusion Hybrid later this year.
In response to several large cities demanding that taxi fleets be replaced with more fuel efficient vehicles, we produced a lot of Hybrids which made it into taxi fleets around the country. Although the east and west coasts had received a slightly larger proportion of FEH production, new vehicle orders are being processed in the order placed.
With that said, we are producing 2008 Escape Hybrids as fast as possible. The situation is not ideal for Ford or the consumer but we truly appreciate our customers' patience and loyalty. If you have a vehicle on order, please contact your dealership regarding the status of your order. If you're interested in more information please visit fordvehicles.com or your local dealership.
For Fomocona,
Having owned a new 2008 MMH for a week and a half now, please pass along to all at Ford that the vehicle does everything it is supposed to and was delivered with zero discrepancies. Fuel efficiency here in South Florida meets or exceeds the published values.
Only comment that I can offer at this early stage of ownership is that the tech writer who authored the navigation system booklet ought to look at what others are doing in that area. GPS based nav systems have a lot of features and capability, and need appropriate descriptive information and graphics to enable the user.
Thanks,
John Dixson
Finally in December after getting tired of pestering my local dealership, I followed the advice of a poster in this form and emailed Mark Fields and Allan Mullaly at Ford with the hope of speeding things up.
At first things looked promising. The sales manager at the dealership had been contacted by the regional rep, who in turn had been contacted by the executive office. I was told my order was being expedited.
It's now the middle of January and I just finished speaking with my dealership. They tell me they hope to get a build date this month which would mean delivery by March.
Are you kidding? How was that expedited? If I had placed my order in December I could understand it, but I had placed it in July.
I read posts here from people waiting 4-6 months. Am I going to be the first to wait 8 months? Did anyone else have to wait that long?
The order was placed in Canada which does include some options in the base package not included in the USA.
Of course I'd love to just buy one off the lot in the US (I'd save time and money), but Ford doesn't allow that...
Stephen
2008 FEH 4WD
It seems odd that had I have been there an hour earlier I likely would have drove one off the lot.
Since then, none have ever been on the lot since.
Not exactly fair, but I guess it makes sense.
I've had my car for almost a month now, (3100 miles on it) driving in central Florida, and using the econ button. The best mileage I've gotten was when I took it to the mountains & was coasting downhill a lot. Then I got 31.9 mpg at the best. Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled with the gas mileage, but I'm looking for improvement.
Any advice?
Sill wondering how you are doing so good on gas mileage.
I am new to this forum, only started looking for either a FEH or MMH a week ago. Had a 02 Mazda Tribute for two years and really liked the car, wife gave it up to our daughter in Texas. She wants the hybrid - bad - and I'm probably going to go along since the last 2 car buying decisions have been mine.
I've seen on the message board a lot of frustration about ordering delays, which I may not want to go thru. Also, there are several dealer locally that seem to have inventory, but the trucks all have the full boat of accessories, and my guess is that all (or at least most) of the ones shipped to dealers are like that to maximize dealer and FMC profits, since they're not making money on these, or are just barely.
So my question is, if I want to get one of these (either type) by April, can I trust the system to work on a special order, or do you think I'll be forced to just get the best deal I can locally. There are about 8 showing up as available in the DC/MD area.
Also, what types of incentives or discount buying services, like Costco, are available that the dealers will take?
Cheers,
My daughter bought a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and while it's very nice....it cost so much( $38K) that it will take 10 years to recover the money it cost in gas savings.
I checked into the Costco buying program too. No dice on the FEH. The web site asked me if I still wanted to be referred to a dealer, even though there would be zero price advantage. Out of curiosity more than anything else, I clicked on Yes. It referred me to the Ford dealer in Tysons Corner, VA. The guy contacted me and assured me that if I order a FEH (which is my personal preference), they would not add any such $3000 "premium" to the price tag.
The Ford dealer in Leesburg, VA also promised not to add the "premium", so I'll probably end up ordering from the folks in Leesburg but have the service done closer to home at the Sterling, VA dealer.
I don't want to take delivery until mid-April, so I'll take my chances and order a FEH in early March. If it takes a long time to build (battery shortage, taxi fleet priority or whatever), so be it. I'd rather get exactly what I want. I'm a patient person. Every car I've ever bought except one has been custom ordered. Heck, back in 1986, I ordered a Chrysler unaware that two weeks later, UAW would be on strike and ended up waiting 3 months for the car. The only thing that even slightly concerns me about ordering a FEH is the model year change-over period when assembly lines traditionally shut down for whatever retooling is necessary to build the next year's editions. I have no idea when that is for the FEH, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.