2015 Honda Fit Delivery Delay
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 35
From: Canada
I was told my fit was manufactured on dec 4th and was due to arrive at the dealer between jan 9-15. The car arrived jan 10th and I'll be picking it up this week. No complaints about communication from the dealer or delivery time.
Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 466
From: Arizona
As a Honda salesman, let me take a second to stick up for the supply chain. As dealers, we don't know exactly when a car is going to arrive, whether it be Accord, Fit, Civic, etc.
Honda gives us an Allocation date. For example, as of today, my dealership has a Milano Red Fit EX CVT allocated to us which was assigned to our dealership on 12/23. It was supposed to be built 12/26 and its ETA is somewhere between 1/15-1/19. That car could arrive in February, or it could be here Monday.
There really isn't a way of knowing when the car will arrive until it's here. They don't tell the dealership that a specific car has left the plant. Is that bad communication? Maybe. But keep in mind how many cars these plants make in a day. It's just too much to relay EVERY SINGLE STATUS UPDATE.
If a salesman told you a timeframe for a car to arrive, chances are it's pretty accurate. What do we gain in lying to you about when we get to sell you the car??
Salesmen are just as eager to sell a unit as the owner is to buy the car. Believe me. What gets really annoying is when our prospects constantly ask "when will it be here??".
Sorry to rant a little bit, but the public seems to think every salesman and dealership is in business only to screw people. I'm in the business to make an honest living and for the dealership to profit. I don't enjoy taking people's money unfairly.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled anticipation
Honda gives us an Allocation date. For example, as of today, my dealership has a Milano Red Fit EX CVT allocated to us which was assigned to our dealership on 12/23. It was supposed to be built 12/26 and its ETA is somewhere between 1/15-1/19. That car could arrive in February, or it could be here Monday.
There really isn't a way of knowing when the car will arrive until it's here. They don't tell the dealership that a specific car has left the plant. Is that bad communication? Maybe. But keep in mind how many cars these plants make in a day. It's just too much to relay EVERY SINGLE STATUS UPDATE.
If a salesman told you a timeframe for a car to arrive, chances are it's pretty accurate. What do we gain in lying to you about when we get to sell you the car??
Salesmen are just as eager to sell a unit as the owner is to buy the car. Believe me. What gets really annoying is when our prospects constantly ask "when will it be here??".
Sorry to rant a little bit, but the public seems to think every salesman and dealership is in business only to screw people. I'm in the business to make an honest living and for the dealership to profit. I don't enjoy taking people's money unfairly.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled anticipation
Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 22
From: Oregon
Invoice?!?! I'm wondering if paint issues are holding up production at the factory. I see 2015 Fits in one majority color. Modern Steel Metallic. They are everywhere. I have yet to see red, white pearl, yellow or the purple. Well, the dealer had one purple but it was a CVT.
Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,545
From: SoCal, CA
Remember that when you put down a deposit you're putting the hook in your own mouth. You're now obligated to buy from that dealer, but the dealer isn't obligated to provide your car on any schedule.
In fact, some dealers have been known to sell "your" car to someone else who walked in from the street. Why not make the sale when they know you'll still be on the hook? If you catch them they'll just say "Gee, sorry, but the lot boy made a mistake and we accidentally sold it." You have no recourse.
Better to be a bit more patient and buy the car on your terms. Dealers are more attentive when the money is in your pocket.
In fact, some dealers have been known to sell "your" car to someone else who walked in from the street. Why not make the sale when they know you'll still be on the hook? If you catch them they'll just say "Gee, sorry, but the lot boy made a mistake and we accidentally sold it." You have no recourse.
Better to be a bit more patient and buy the car on your terms. Dealers are more attentive when the money is in your pocket.
New Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4
From: Canada
I just picked up my new White EX last night. The dealer told me there's another lady in town (Montreal, Canada) that has been waiting since August for a red one... I bought the white one on Moday and picked it up yesterday. They said I was lucky they had it in stock but I chalked that all up to him trying to be a car salesman.
Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 65
From: Houston
Three things, I find hard understanding:
1. I see a lot of Fit owners mentioning the Fit is worth the wait - i agree it is really a good car and eventually makes you forget the initial trouble. But in many cases buyers are banking on the fact that a car should be available at least a week after the dealers given date. One might be renting a car in the meanwhile - is the wait worth paying a month or two months of rental car fees ~ $1000 or more, while waiting for a delayed Fit delivery?
(due to delivery delays well beyond the promised date and with no fault of the buyer who at times compromises for the color/trim level)?
2. In today's age where its so easy to track small packages being shipped internationally, I dont understand why is it difficult to get exact location of newly made car in transit?
3. Dealers employ scare tactics that if you dont pay deposit, we will not guarantee the next car which comes in is reserved for you. I agree even after taking deposits some cheesy dealers sell your deserved car to someone else knowing you are on the hook already, but what about the other way round - just because you have not paid the deposit you keep missing out on new cars as they are sold the moment they come in?
Do you still avoid paying deposit and take the risk, when you come in again there will be a car available then? (there are very few dealers who would reserve a car without deposit)
1. I see a lot of Fit owners mentioning the Fit is worth the wait - i agree it is really a good car and eventually makes you forget the initial trouble. But in many cases buyers are banking on the fact that a car should be available at least a week after the dealers given date. One might be renting a car in the meanwhile - is the wait worth paying a month or two months of rental car fees ~ $1000 or more, while waiting for a delayed Fit delivery?
(due to delivery delays well beyond the promised date and with no fault of the buyer who at times compromises for the color/trim level)?
2. In today's age where its so easy to track small packages being shipped internationally, I dont understand why is it difficult to get exact location of newly made car in transit?
3. Dealers employ scare tactics that if you dont pay deposit, we will not guarantee the next car which comes in is reserved for you. I agree even after taking deposits some cheesy dealers sell your deserved car to someone else knowing you are on the hook already, but what about the other way round - just because you have not paid the deposit you keep missing out on new cars as they are sold the moment they come in?
Do you still avoid paying deposit and take the risk, when you come in again there will be a car available then? (there are very few dealers who would reserve a car without deposit)
Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,241
From: Shokan, NY
Three things, I find hard understanding:
1. I see a lot of Fit owners mentioning the Fit is worth the wait - i agree it is really a good car and eventually makes you forget the initial trouble. But in many cases buyers are banking on the fact that a car should be available at least a week after the dealers given date. One might be renting a car in the meanwhile - is the wait worth paying a month or two months of rental car fees ~ $1000 or more, while waiting for a delayed Fit delivery?
(due to delivery delays well beyond the promised date and with no fault of the buyer who at times compromises for the color/trim level)?
2. In today's age where its so easy to track small packages being shipped internationally, I dont understand why is it difficult to get exact location of newly made car in transit?
3. Dealers employ scare tactics that if you dont pay deposit, we will not guarantee the next car which comes in is reserved for you. I agree even after taking deposits some cheesy dealers sell your deserved car to someone else knowing you are on the hook already, but what about the other way round - just because you have not paid the deposit you keep missing out on new cars as they are sold the moment they come in?
Do you still avoid paying deposit and take the risk, when you come in again there will be a car available then? (there are very few dealers who would reserve a car without deposit)
1. I see a lot of Fit owners mentioning the Fit is worth the wait - i agree it is really a good car and eventually makes you forget the initial trouble. But in many cases buyers are banking on the fact that a car should be available at least a week after the dealers given date. One might be renting a car in the meanwhile - is the wait worth paying a month or two months of rental car fees ~ $1000 or more, while waiting for a delayed Fit delivery?
(due to delivery delays well beyond the promised date and with no fault of the buyer who at times compromises for the color/trim level)?
2. In today's age where its so easy to track small packages being shipped internationally, I dont understand why is it difficult to get exact location of newly made car in transit?
3. Dealers employ scare tactics that if you dont pay deposit, we will not guarantee the next car which comes in is reserved for you. I agree even after taking deposits some cheesy dealers sell your deserved car to someone else knowing you are on the hook already, but what about the other way round - just because you have not paid the deposit you keep missing out on new cars as they are sold the moment they come in?
Do you still avoid paying deposit and take the risk, when you come in again there will be a car available then? (there are very few dealers who would reserve a car without deposit)
As far as giving an accurate delivery date, I remember way back having the same problem, for whatever reason. I can track an iPhone step by step from china, but a car from Mexico - impossible.
New Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6
From: The Villages, FL
We ordered our yellow EX CVT 6 weeks ago. It finally came in this week. It was very frustrating that Honda doesn't seem able to track where a car is in transit. UPS and FedEx can tell you in almost real time where a $5 package was last scanned and Honda has no idea where a $20k car is at? I was very close to giving up on Honda but glad I waited.
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 101
From: Florida
We ordered our yellow EX CVT 6 weeks ago. It finally came in this week. It was very frustrating that Honda doesn't seem able to track where a car is in transit. UPS and FedEx can tell you in almost real time where a $5 package was last scanned and Honda has no idea where a $20k car is at? I was very close to giving up on Honda but glad I waited.
A car on the other hand gets documented at the factory once as it is loaded to a rail car or truck and then may not get documented again for another week or more until it gets to it's intended destination, which is usually just a staging area. It then could sit there for quite a while if a logistics backlog is in effect. No dealer is kept in the loop about how long a car is going to take to get to them because nobody really knows day to day.
Cars are freight and there is tons of competition for freight transport space from oil to lumber to grain to garbage to scrap materials and everything in-between. All this comparing a 2 pound package being scanned by lasers several times a day to a 2000+ pound package is dumb. It's apples and oranges. You're only showing your ignorance by trying to equate the two. If you want cars tracked daily in a similar way then you better be prepared to pay a whole lot more for your car.
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 72
From: Portland, Oregon
As a Honda salesman, let me take a second to stick up for the supply chain. As dealers, we don't know exactly when a car is going to arrive, whether it be Accord, Fit, Civic, etc.
Honda gives us an Allocation date. For example, as of today, my dealership has a Milano Red Fit EX CVT allocated to us which was assigned to our dealership on 12/23. It was supposed to be built 12/26 and its ETA is somewhere between 1/15-1/19. That car could arrive in February, or it could be here Monday.
There really isn't a way of knowing when the car will arrive until it's here. They don't tell the dealership that a specific car has left the plant. Is that bad communication? Maybe. But keep in mind how many cars these plants make in a day. It's just too much to relay EVERY SINGLE STATUS UPDATE.
If a salesman told you a timeframe for a car to arrive, chances are it's pretty accurate. What do we gain in lying to you about when we get to sell you the car??
Salesmen are just as eager to sell a unit as the owner is to buy the car. Believe me. What gets really annoying is when our prospects constantly ask "when will it be here??".
Sorry to rant a little bit, but the public seems to think every salesman and dealership is in business only to screw people. I'm in the business to make an honest living and for the dealership to profit. I don't enjoy taking people's money unfairly.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled anticipation
Honda gives us an Allocation date. For example, as of today, my dealership has a Milano Red Fit EX CVT allocated to us which was assigned to our dealership on 12/23. It was supposed to be built 12/26 and its ETA is somewhere between 1/15-1/19. That car could arrive in February, or it could be here Monday.
There really isn't a way of knowing when the car will arrive until it's here. They don't tell the dealership that a specific car has left the plant. Is that bad communication? Maybe. But keep in mind how many cars these plants make in a day. It's just too much to relay EVERY SINGLE STATUS UPDATE.
If a salesman told you a timeframe for a car to arrive, chances are it's pretty accurate. What do we gain in lying to you about when we get to sell you the car??
Salesmen are just as eager to sell a unit as the owner is to buy the car. Believe me. What gets really annoying is when our prospects constantly ask "when will it be here??".
Sorry to rant a little bit, but the public seems to think every salesman and dealership is in business only to screw people. I'm in the business to make an honest living and for the dealership to profit. I don't enjoy taking people's money unfairly.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled anticipation
Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,241
From: Shokan, NY
Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 690
From: Tennessee
The continued difficulty in finding a Fit must be a regional thing. Back in June, when we were looking, you could hardly find one. The Memphis dealership on our list had a truck delivery the day we called, and all the Fit's were sold that day (ours was the PBP). I checked yesterday and every dealer in my state (Tennessee), that I had been following now has at least 20 Fit's on their lot. I even found 3 yellow Fits available.
If your looking for a Fit and can travel to Tennessee, you can find them near Memphis (West), Nashville (Central) and Knoxville/Johnson City (East).
If your looking for a Fit and can travel to Tennessee, you can find them near Memphis (West), Nashville (Central) and Knoxville/Johnson City (East).
Last edited by Vanguard; Jan 19, 2015 at 10:39 AM.
New Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1
From: Greensboro, NC
There seem to be plenty in North Carolina, as well, but maybe not 20. I'm trying to sell my 2013 red manual before shopping for an automatic, so I'm checking the websites for dealers in my area. Most seem to have 10 on the lot, at least. LX CVT's seem to be the most popular, which is what I want. I want a Modern Steel and that (and yellow) seems the hardest colors to find.
Is January a good time to buy? My husband thinks that lots of people buy in December and January is slow, so dealers will be more motivated? Does anyone know when the 16's will be out? Thanks. I've driven a Fit for almost 9 years, had a 2007 for almost 7 years before getting a 13, both manual.
Is January a good time to buy? My husband thinks that lots of people buy in December and January is slow, so dealers will be more motivated? Does anyone know when the 16's will be out? Thanks. I've driven a Fit for almost 9 years, had a 2007 for almost 7 years before getting a 13, both manual.
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,095
From: Hebron, In
The average Walmart has around 200,000 line items and they can tell me how many they have in stock at any given time. They can also tell me what a different store has in stock. When an item is out of stock, they can tell me to the day when it will be restocked. Yes, they miss occasionally, usually due to shrinkage, but usually they are right on.
How many dealers (stores) do they have as compared to Honda? If they can do this for a $1.00 imported item, then Honda could to the same for an $18,000 imported item if they wanted.
I can walk into the Honda parts department and ask for a $1.00 bolt. They will tell me exactly when it will be there and where it is being shipped from. Honda could give you updated tracking and shipping if they wanted to go through the effort.
How many dealers (stores) do they have as compared to Honda? If they can do this for a $1.00 imported item, then Honda could to the same for an $18,000 imported item if they wanted.
I can walk into the Honda parts department and ask for a $1.00 bolt. They will tell me exactly when it will be there and where it is being shipped from. Honda could give you updated tracking and shipping if they wanted to go through the effort.
Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 22
From: Toronto, ON
I think we should get a nice interest on our deposit while waiting for delivery! Like at the rate of depreciation of new car 
Personally, if I finally decide to get this model, I will wait until the year end to get a nice deal on price and financing. Also there is a chance that quality issues will be resolved by that time.
Personally, if I finally decide to get this model, I will wait until the year end to get a nice deal on price and financing. Also there is a chance that quality issues will be resolved by that time.
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