Ford is telling dealers that it won't be able to fulfill every one of its orders for 2021-model-year vehicles. According to a letter sent to dealers, the brand will begin offering thousands of dollars in incentives to customers on its 2022 models as part of a series of efforts to keep customers happy amid production delays.
The company is calling the offer its "22 Model Year Transition Customer Satisfaction Private Offer Program." As a Ford Private Offer, you won't see it advertised like other deals. The compensation involves a complex mix of discounts on 9 Ford models, some of which involve 0% financing and rebates worth up to $3,500.
In its letter to dealers, Ford says "we will not have enough allocation/commodities to build all of the 21MY unscheduled verified retail orders that are currently in the order bank." While the company doesn't cite a specific number of affected car orders, it does add "we anticipate several key vehicle lines to be impacted."
| Ford Model | Purchase Discount | Lease Discount |
| Bronco Sport | $1,500 | $1,750 |
| EcoSport | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Edge | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Escape | $2,000 | $1,750 |
| Explorer | $1,750 | $2,250 |
| F-150 | $3,500 | $1,500 |
| Mustang Mach-E | $750 | $750 |
| Ranger | $1,750 | $1,750 |
| Transit Van | $1,500 | None |
The decision comes after months of Ford encouraging customers to wait for cars from the factory with a $1,000 order discount. Now, the brand appears to be having trouble delivering on those promises. For those unwilling to wait, the company recently introduced a special $2,000 bonus on in-stock cars & trucks.
If you have a qualifying order and are willing to wait, it could pay off. We've listed a breakdown of the discounts above. Note these vary depending on the model and whether you plan to buy or lease. Interestingly, the 2022 F-150 pickup happens to be the only model with a financing deal of 0% APR for 72 months.
A closer look finds that some vehicles may be better to lease than buy. For example, the 2022 Explorer offers a 28% advantage in savings. In some cases, the opposite is true. Ford's discount for buying the latest version of the F-150 is worth more than twice that of its best incentive for leasing.
Sadly, a handful of vehicles are excluded from this set of offers. That list includes the Mustang, all-new Bronco, and F-150 Tremor. If you think you may be eligible, this could mean having to make a tough choice: wait or buy now. Or, as Ford may very well fear the most, cancel and switch brands.
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