Deliveries of the new Ranger are about to begin, but Ford is warning some customers will be waiting until the new year to take delivery.
Customers who have ordered the related Everest may also experience long waits.
The longest waits are for the most expensive Ranger variants.
Ford says if you order a new Ranger Raptor today, it could take approximately nine months to arrive, though the company cautions the situation is changing regularly.
Wildtrak V6 models ordered today could take approximately eight months to arrive, and vehicles with the optional $1500 Wildtrak Premium Pack are particularly supply-constrained.
“We have also seen very strong demand for the Premium Pack on the Next-Gen Ranger Wildtrak, which will take some time to work through given semi-conductor supply constraints,” said a spokesperson for Ford Australia.
“If customers choose to remove the Premium Pack from their order, they will be able to take delivery of their Ranger sooner.”
The Premium Pack adds a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, matrix LED headlights, auxiliary switches and full LED tail lights.
First deliveries of the Ranger will begin in July, with deliveries of the Ranger Raptor and Everest to begin in August.
Ford says it has 19,000 orders for the Ranger and Everest, including 4000 for the Ranger Raptor and 2000 for the Everest.
The Everest isn’t immune from long wait times. Ford says you could be waiting up to seven months for the top-spec Platinum if you order today.
The company recommends customers talk to their dealer, as there’s still some stock available depending on the dealer, location and specifications.
It says customers after the Ranger Wildtrak V6 could instead look at the bi-turbo four-cylinder model if they want a vehicle sooner, or opt for a V6-equipped XLT or Sport.
Likewise, it says other Everest variants are currently more widely available than the Platinum.
It has been sending letters to customers advising of delays, with one letter shared on Ford Ranger Next Gen Owners Australia warning “it will be some months before we are at full supply capacity”.
“For models that are in particularly high demand, specifically the Ranger Wildtrak 3.0L V6, we will likely be seeing wait lists into 2023,” reads the letter, signed by Ford Australia president and CEO Andrew Birkic.
“This does vary depending on location and specifications, so your local Dealer is best placed to share the most up-to-date information on the arrival of your vehicle.”
The company says it’s “working around the clock”, air-freighting parts and accelerating accurate arrival forecasts given the strong demand for a new generation of what is usually Australia’s second best-selling vehicle.
The Blue Oval brand says it’s sending communications about wait times not only to customers waiting on the Ranger, but also its other products as it deals with supply chain issues caused by not only semi-conductor chip shortages but also COVID-19 lockdowns.
The company had previously said the Ranger and Ranger Raptor were arriving in June and July, respectively, but COVID-19 lockdowns in China had interrupted the supply of various components.
Ford said the Chinese COVID lockdown has affected 91 suppliers and 393 unique parts used on the Ranger.
Customers ordering a new Ranger may not only be waiting a while, they may also find a higher-than-expected delivery fee on their invoice.
The company has said it neither sets these fees nor recommends a fee amount, which has led its franchise dealers to charge as little as $903 and as much as $5995 – according to buyers on social media.
One prospective owner who contacted CarExpert said they were charged a $1895 delivery fee in December 2020 when they ordered their last Ranger, but their new Ranger order from the same dealership has a $3500 fee attached.
“While dealer delivery fees are set independently by dealers, we are keen to remind customers that we have more than 180 dealers nationwide and they are welcome to work with a dealer of their choice,” said a spokesperson for Ford Australia.
“We also have a new online configurator at ford.com.au, so customers can put in their postcode, configure their vehicle and get an estimated drive-away price, which includes an estimated dealer delivery charge.”
When pricing a Ranger on the Ford Australia website, a dealer delivery fee of $2140 is listed regardless of state or territory.
Dealer delivery is a catch-all cost that covers the time and labour involved in cleaning, inspecting, and handing over a car to the customer, given cars aren’t provided to dealers in a customer-ready state.
These charges vary from dealer to dealer and can be set by the dealer to inflate the drive-away price without affecting the recommended retail price set by the manufacturer.
Like the previous Ranger and Everest, the new-generation models were designed and engineered for the world by Ford’s Australian engineering division.
They use an updated version of the T6 architecture but take big strides when it comes to technology.
The new Ranger will also be the base for the next-generation Volkswagen Amarok, which will be revealed on July 7.
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