A new "how long will it take" order thread...

[theothergoose]

Since the last post in this forum was in January I thought I'd put a new one on here. Pretty lonely in this section...

Since I'm not a big fan of dealer-traded vehicles (not "factory fresh", anal about proper break-in, etc), I ordered a '07 Magnetic Gray last Tuesday (4/24). My dealer has lead me to believe that they have a car coming through the pipeline, but haven't given me a VIN. It's one of those situations where the car's been manufactured and was going to another dealer, but my delaer traded for this car/intercepted it before it was transported to the other dealer. I can only assume that the car's at least in "A-status".

Is the Prius different than other more conventional Toyota's regarding order timelines? Any guesses as to when I might see "my car" here in Ohio?

[ilusnforc]

How much truth there is to anything a car dealer says is questionable at best, keeping that in mind I seem to remember my sales manager saying something about the VIN should be available somewhere around the time it goes in transit from Japan or when it hits the docks in California. If you don't have a VIN available yet, I wouldn't be expecting much. However, I placed an order for a loaded package #8 Magnetic Grey '06 at the end of Feb '06 and it arrived at the beginning of May '06, a full month or two sooner than I was told it would arrive (the release of the new Magnetic Grey color was scheduled for May '06) so I was extremely surprised at how fast they got a car I was expecting to be near impossible to get. Toyota has really upped the production of the Prius lately, so I wouldn't think you'll have to wait long. And to answer your other question, I think the ordering, delivery and timeline may be different than other "conventional" Toyota's because the Prius is manufactured in Japan and imported. Your distance from California may also affect your delivery time (maybe by a few days).

[theothergoose]

Jeeze, I hope mine gets here more quickly than that... my dealer suggested "a few weeks".

[Darken]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheOtherGoose @ Apr 29 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]432150[/snapback]</div>

Jeeze, I hope mine gets here more quickly than that... my dealer suggested "a few weeks".
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If in fact the car is 'in the pipeline' I would be inclined to believe that, otherwise its not realistic. I was told 6 to 8 weeks when we looked at ordering our Seaside Pearl in March. In the end we ended up ordering it from another nearby dealer to get it done prior to the tax rebate cut. It wasn't coming from too far away and since the break in on a prius is not like other pure gas cars, I didn't share the worry you had with doing this.

Good luck with your new prius!

[theothergoose]

I agree. The assumption is that "my" car is already in the pipeline. It's my understanding that as long as the Monroney sticker hasn't been printed at Toyota, dealers can swap/redirect a car without delaying shipment from the distribution point. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

I assume stickers are printed here in the states - maybe at the port? At the regional distribution center? I can only guess...

However it turns out, PriusChat is a great way to learn about the car (thank you) and talk with some nice folks.

[theothergoose]

Learned another Toyota system term - I feel so hip. Apparently when a car is in the final stage of the pipeline, it's in "F (freight) Status". Should be taking delivery in another week or so.

Always nice to know the lingo when talking to a dealer. Just passing along this little tidbit.

[theothergoose]

Dealer called yesterday - my car arrived. Picking it up this afternoon.

Timeline:

Ordered 4/24 (car already at port, I think), in-transit car diverted/traded with another dealer (my guess), arrival at dealer in Ohio 5/15.

Just adding to the info pile...

[inventor00]

Congrats! and Enjoy!