Toyota rebates, etc.

lensovet said:

If they have such a mster list, why don't they actually manufacture the cars that people "order", rather than some "popular" options that they have made up?

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Toyota DO build to order. The problem is with Toyota USA (Probably a franchise) who make bulk orders to Toyota Japan. MRT USA decideds what people will want and place the orders in advance. In theory you should then be able to get what you want quicker on the assumtion you have a standard build. This really only works where there is a limited choice of colours and packages.

My MR2 and my Prius were both built to order, the order going through MRT Germany. In both cases delivery tiemwas 4 -5 months as neither is a common car. If I wanted anAvensis, Yaris or Carrola, delivery time on a build to spec would have been about 0 to 30 days depending on exactly what I ordered as these are built and imported in all specs by the thousands.

I have been tracking my prius via its VIN number since 3 weeks after the order. Ive seen it go into queue for production, Production, port and now transportation. The next step will be landing at the harbout in 2 weeks or so, then in transit in Germany. Delivery (to dealer) is expected week 39 and to me week 39/40.

Toyota maintains a database of people who have placed an order with a dealer. This is to give them an idea of how many orders there are. They use this database to send encouraging letters and cheap, worthless, promotional items.

However, it's up to the dealer to send your name in to Toyota. People who got onto the database before the first price increase got a coupon for a rebate of the increase, and those same people got a new coupon covering the additional price increase of the 2005. It was Toyota's way of acknowledging those who ordered before the magnitude of the supply shortfall was widely understood.

People who ordered after that first price increase got nothing, on the grounds that by then everyone knew they'd have to wait a long time and prices could go up during that long wait.

And people whose dealers didn't put their names on the database are just out of luck. One fellow ordered just days before the deadline, but his dealer messed up and didn't get his name in until a few days after, and he lost out on the rebate.

BTW, I got exactly the car I ordered, but only because my dealer was really good, and exchanged allocations with another dealer. They can do that if they can find another dealer that wants to, but some dealers may not want to bother. (And I paid MSRP.)

Re: production list?

clfaust said:

I ordered my Prius the first of last month. How do you track its production? I'd love to know what status mine is at.

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You can't track it. I bet you don't even have a VIN for it. There probably isn't even an "it." You are on your dealer's waiting list, you've told him your preference of pkg and color, but he probably doesn't even know yet what will be coming in.

If you have a VIN for your car, then you could track it. Ask your dealer for the VIN. He won't know it because he has not actually ordered you a specific car.

When the cars hit the port (or possibly when they're put on the boat (?) ) the dealer will have VINs and specific pkg and color information. Then he can match that info with the customers on his list, and then he can call you and tell you he has the car you want coming. Or maybe he'll tell you that he has "almost" the car you want, and are you willing to pay extra for it.

have you locked in a price? Most dealers are honest and upright. But a few will play fast and loose with you.