October 24, 2014 KEY ORDERING DEADLINES APPROACH Early balance-out information is being announced for some 2015 models and it is important to remember that all order cutoff dates are subject to change, sometimes without advance notice from the manufacturer.
To secure a vehicle with desired specifications and to help avoid missing an accelerated deadline, please submit your final orders as early as possible, or no later than 12:00 noon, two business days prior to the scheduled manufacturer due date.
The following are upcoming manufacturer ordering deadlines:
. 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country – 11/14/14 (see below) . 2015 Subaru Forester - 1/2/15 . 2015 Toyota Yaris Liftback - 1/12/15 . 2015 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana (FGO government and FBC bid assistance order types only) - 1/29/15 NEW
CHRYSLER MINIVAN PLANT DOWN FOR THREE MONTHS Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant, which produces the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, will shut down on February 13, 2015 and reopen on May 25, 2015.
To ensure vehicle production prior to the shutdown, these models must be ordered by November 14, 2014. Minivan orders placed on November 17, 2014 or later will be built after production resumes on May 25, 2015.
Please contact your ARI representative if you have any questions or need assistance with your selectors.
MANUFACTURERS ANNOUNCES SAFETY RECALLS Chrysler Group and General Motors each have announced new safety calls this week involving models ranging from the 2004 to the 2014 model year.
Chrysler is recalling certain 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country and Jeep Wrangler models equipped with Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM). In these vehicles, the TPM control module may have been incorrectly installed during the manufacturing process. This may result in a false illumination of the TPM warning lamp and/or a false “Low Tire Pressure” warning message. Incorrect tire pressure monitoring could allow the vehicle operator to drive the vehicle without knowing of a low pressure condition, possibly leading to tire failure. To remedy this condition, dealers must turn off the TPM control module gain mode.
The next recall involves certain 2011-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vans. Affected vehicles may have a CNG high pressure regulator that leaks natural gas into the atmosphere. This could cause an explosion or a fire if an ignition source is present. As a remedy, dealers will need to replace the CNG high pressure regulator.
GM is also announcing a safety recall for certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles that may have been manufactured with a faulty secondary hood latch. These latches may prematurely corrode at the latch pivot causing the striker to get stuck out of position, preventing the latch from being properly engaged. If the secondary hood latch fails and the primary latch is not engaged, it is possible that the vehicle’s hood may open unexpectedly while the vehicle is being driven. Dealers will need to replace the striker with a new part that has superior corrosion protection.
Lastly, GM is recalling certain Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado 1500, Silverado Classic 1500; and GMC Canyon, Sierra 1500 and Sierra Classic 1500 vehicles ranging from the 2004 through 2009 model year for faulty brake parts that cause brake failure. Dealers are to inspect the manufacture date of the rear brake shoes and, if necessary, replace them.
Undelivered vehicles affected by safety recalls must be repaired prior to delivery. For in-service vehicles, the manufacturer will notify owners of record instructing them to make a service appointment with their dealership. All repairs related to manufacturer recalls are performed at no charge to the customer.
FIND ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS ONLINE For help in planning your fleet purchases and production tracking, you can access vital news from all the major vehicle manufacturers as it becomes available at http://connect.arifleet.com. This webpage also offers current industry news including fleet sustainability information and driver safety tips. You can also find a monthly fuel cost report and announcements from ARI.
KEY PRODUCTION DELAYS RED indicates new or revised information. For a complete listing of the latest lead times, downtime and production delays, please visit www.arifleet.com/publications/lead_times_delays/
Make Model The following key options and/or model configurations are subject to scheduling and production delays: Chev. Impala (GWS) Silver Topaz exterior color Chev. Silverado LD Multiple options delayed. Please click the link above. Chev. Silverado HD (GTY) Wide track rear axle (C*36**3 models) (PYS) 20” polished aluminum wheels Dodge Durango (DFK) 8-speed automatic transmission (WH3) 20” aluminum wheels Ford F-150 Multiple options delayed. Please click the link above. Ford F-Super Duty (85S) Spray-in bedliner F-450/550 models Ford Taurus (999) 2.0L engine Ford Transit (68B) Remote start Ram, 3500 Chassis Cab, Grand Production delayed – please contact your ARI or Jeep Cherokee Chrysler representative for more info Ram 1500 (PGZ) Black Forest Green Pearl exterior color (WPZ) 22” forged aluminum wheels Ram 3500/4500/5500 (XAA) Parksense rear park assist system
UPCOMING FINAL ORDER DUE DATES Final order due dates and production startup dates may change without notice. Please submit orders by no later than 12:00 noon two (2) business days prior to the manufacturer due date.
Make/Model 2015 Final 2016 Startup / Orders Due **Deliveries Begin 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country 11/14/14* TBD 2015 Forester 1/2/15 TBD 2015 Yaris Liftback 1/12/15 April 2015 2015 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana (FGO 1/29/15 NEW TBD government and FBC bid assistance order types only) * The Windsor Assembly Plant, which builds Grand Caravan and Town & Country, will shut down on 2/13/15 and will reopen on 5/25/15. To ensure production prior to the shutdown, orders must be placed by 11/14/14. Minivan orders placed on 11/17/14 or later will be built after 5/25/15.
POOL VEHICLES Pool vehicles are re-invoiced to reflect any manufacturer volume incentives or other contractual discounts that may apply at the time of acquisition. Please contact your ARI representative for pricing assistance. For detailed vehicle specifications, please visit www.arifleet.com/publications/pool_vehicles/.
Year Make Model Location Invoice Ref. # Price 14 BMW 535XI 4WD Marlow Heights, MD $53,635 140345 14 Cadi. ATS Kansas City, MO $29,494 61100 14 Ford F-250 Super Cab Kansas City, MO $34,327 Multiple 14 Ford F-250 Regular Cab San Jose, CA $36,177 B42026 14 Ford F-250 Regular Cab San Jose, CA $36,097 B51925 14 Ram 2500 Regular Cab Escanaba, MI TBD 174747 14 Ram 5500 Crew Cab Richmond, VA $43,713 15505 14 Ram 5500 Crew Cab Richmond, VA $46,905 Multiple 14 VW Jetta Osceola, IN $21,893 62439