Waiting for a 2023 Ford Maverick? U-Haul Just Beat You to It
If you’re on the waiting list for Ford’s hot Maverick pickup, you may be wondering what’s taking so long. Ford is cranking them out as fast as it can, but how it’s honoring that waiting list may or may not surprise you. That’s because it looks like U-Haul is not having any trouble getting its Maverick trucks, much to the annoyance of many on the list.
Is U-Haul getting Maverick trucks before those on the waiting list?
At least at U-Hauls in Miami, Florida. That’s where various posters at the Maverick Truck Club forum have spotted them. Surprised that fleet orders are being filled ahead of those on the waiting list?
Different sources say somewhere between 10 months and 13, is what waiting times are. One poster on the same forum says he placed his order the day after orders opened. Some ordering in early May of 2021 only now are getting notified their trucks are being assembled now.
Ford says that orders have overwhelmed schedulers, putting completion dates much further out than anticipated. But different forums have concluded that there is a reason why U-Haul got its trucks recently. They post that it appears trucks optioned closer to fleet truck specs are getting built first.
Do Maverick fleet orders jump ahead?
Mostly this is because fleet orders are large chunks of vehicles assembled exactly the same way. But another reason could be that the higher-optioned Maverick trucks need more microchips. So instead of building those trucks only to have to park them until microchips arrive, it is going ahead with production of those needing less.
Automakers have never had to bob and weave with production as they have over the last two-plus years. Assembly lines shutting down are still common, as are race tracks and parking lots filled with unfinished trucks. So while there is some finger-pointing going on, from strictly a production standpoint, the fleet-spec truck first scenario makes sense.
What should infuriate buyers more are the dealers selling Maverick trucks above MSRP. Though not justified, we can see how this happens with Z06 Corvettes. But Maverick pickups?
Go rent a U-Haul Maverick for a test drive
The good news is that all vehicle production is slowly getting back to normal. That, combined with inflation, is slowing down sales right now. In turn, prices are already moving down for used cars and should level out prices for new cars. No more premiums over the sticker price.
For those Maverick buyers on a waiting list, for 20 bucks, at least in Miami, you can rent a new Maverick from U-Haul and get yourself a casual test drive to make sure you’re getting the truck you really want. It is a fleet truck, but there should be enough there to ease the waiting period you still have ahead of you.
