I just bought a new 2022 F-150 Lariat from Granger Ford in Iowa. I know most of the posts on this forum about Granger are about positive experiences, but mine was negative, in a couple different ways.

First, I ordered the long bed but ended up with the short one. Something happened between the first bid they gave me, which correctly showed the long bed, and the subsequent bids after revisions, which all showed the short bed. The Ford-generated bid sheets are a confusing jumble of proprietary acronyms and numbers that use completely different lingo than the Ford configurator**, so I never noticed that a small "157" had been replaced by a "145", for some unknown reason. I didn't know what to look for anyway. Few would.

The long bed was a big deal for me, but I took delivery of the shorter one after initially concluding that the mistake was mine. It wasn't until I got home and took a deeper look that I found their original bid sheet to me correctly had "157", proving that the mistake was not mine. It was certainly an honest mistake, but a big one; I really wanted the longer bed.

So I sent them proof of their error, asking if they could give me some kind of concession if I ordered a 2023. Their response was firm and immediate:

• No, they would not do anything about the mistake, or even acknowledge it;
• I should not have taken delivery of the truck, but since I did so, the problem is now mine and they owe me nothing;
• I should just order a new 2023 from them with the longer bed.

NOT cool. I had just waited six months, sent them full payment, and flown one-way to Des Moines intending to excitedly drive our flawless new truck 1,000 miles home. To refuse the truck at that moment would've meant spending $6K more on a 2023, waiting more months, eating the cost of the flight to Des Moines and purchasing expensive same-day flights back home. Asserting that's what we should've done is completely unreasonable.

Companies make mistakes, I have no problem with that, but when it's a mistake that'll cost me $6,000 and several months to correct, plus a second trip to Des Moines, I'd expect the company to at least try to do something to make things right with their customer.

I'm sure Granger does great when everything goes smoothly, no hiccups. But if things go wrong with your Granger order, even if it's their fault, then buyer beware.

** On the Ford configurator it uses the term "Box", where you choose either 5 1/2 or 6 1/2. Nowhere does the configurator use the term "wheelbase". If the bid sheet used the same term "Box" and the measurement in feet, same as the Ford site, I probably would've caught it. But it doesn't, it switches to the term "wheelbase" where it says "145 INCH WHEELBASE". Maybe to a truck guy on a truck forum it's obvious that a 145-inch, 12.08-foot "WHEELBASE" is equivalent to a 5 1/2 foot "Box", but it wasn't to me. This is my first-ever truck, and I did the best I could to interpret all the confusing changes in lingo, but I missed that big one. And... so did they.

 

I would suggest you pay more attention next time, taking possesion of it was your final mistake.

 

What kind of concession would've made you happy? Mistakes absolutely do happen, but if you had any questions, you should've been communicating with the sales rep to verify. Personally if I were in your shoes, I would've been checking and double checking with them if the bed size was that big of a deal.

 

A. Confused as youve mentioned a few times how important it was to have a long bed but YOU ACCEPTED and paid for a short bed?
B. They made a mistake, to remedy the mistake they should have re-ordered you the correct truck and maybe compensated for the time lost or maybe offered to find you a truck that matched your build and honor price?

Im confused, you flew there without seeing a final window sticker, pictures, or anything? Did you ever get a window sticker? I built a 2022 went over every detail, found a mistake early on, addressed it, and then went on with the order...i even got emailed a window sticker...ended up not buying it but had plenty of opportunity to NOT buy it.

Seems really odd to spend $50k+ on a new truck, not go over every inch of it during the process, not look at the window sticker, not see pictures or confirm with the dealer, then fly up to get it and seeing its the wrong truck and still buy it, only to drive it home and have buyer remorse?

Granger salesman got your build wrong, they should have fixed that in some way shape or form, you deleted their mistake by accepting and paying for the truck.

Im not poor, but i pay pretty close attention to $50k+ purchases as well as not buy things that expensive despite not wanting them.

 

I did check and double-check, sending them lists of discrepancies between the Ford configurator and their bid sheets, to which they responded, and then again requesting that they carefully compare the bid sheets to the actual truck when it arrived at their dealership.

The problem is that the mistaken switch of bed size was subtle amidst a confusing large sheet full of information, so it was simply missed, by them as well.

I’m not so bugged that the mistake was made and that it was missed by all, as I am in how they responded when I pointed it out.

As to what would’ve made me happy… something? Anything? An acknowledgement of the problem at a minimum, but given the impact of this kind of mistake, since I was willing to order another truck I’d expect some kind of concession on the price of a new one.

 

Sorry for what happened to you. In discussing an order with them for my son, we determined early on based on "how" they responded to emails, that we did not want to order thru them. Plus, the mandatory non refundable deposit was a no go also, when other dealers had no such policy.

Good luck!.

 

As I said in another response just now, I did go over the bid sheets carefully, multiple times, exchanging lists of discrepancies, and still missed that subtle change, as did they.

i’m not so bugged that a subtle change was missed, that I am in their lack of even acknowledgement of the problem, let alone any attempt to make things right.

 

I get that, and im not picking on you...i dont plan on buying a truck from them just based on location.

You originally said, "Something happened between the first bid they gave me, which correctly showed the long bed, and the subsequent bids after revisions, which all showed the short bed. The Ford-generated bid sheets are a confusing jumble of proprietary acronyms and numbers, so I never noticed that a small "157" had been replaced by a "145", for some unknown reason. I didn't know what to look for anyway. Few would."

The Order Preview for my 2022 from Koons said "F150 4x4 SUPERCREW -145" and then right under it says "145 inch Wheelbase."

So your order preview from Granger reflected a long bed but the actual build sheet from Ford showed a short bed? Do you have copies of both you could post?

My only issue with your complaint is that you flew up there without seeing a window sticker or a pic of the truck and then you accepted and bought the truck.

The bad part is that business is so good for all these dealers, they dont seem to care...if you had passed on the truck (assuming you got a % below invoice for ordering) they would just resell it for MSRP. Once you accepted and paid for the truck, again, my opinion is you accepted the mistake and took the truck...the time for negotiating was prior to you giving them money

 

On the Ford configurator it uses the term "Box", where you choose between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2. Nowhere does the Ford site use the term "wheelbase" or even the term you used, "Bed". If the bid sheet used the same term "Box", and the measurement in feet, same as the Ford site, I probably would've caught it. But it doesn't, it switches to the term "wheelbase" where it says "145 INCH WHEELBASE".

Now maybe to a truck guy on a truck forum it's obvious that a 145-inch / 12.08-foot "WHEELBASE" is equivalent to a 5 1/2 foot "Box", but it wasn't to me. This is my first-ever truck, and I did the best I could to interpret all the confusing changes in lingo, but I missed that big one. And... so did they.

Again, mistakes happen, and I was/am willing to order another truck with the longer bed. But the fact is that they changed the bed size between bid sheets, for some unknown reason that neither I nor they caught. And again the problem isn't that a mistake was made--mistakes happen--it was their unprofessional response.

 

Understood. I was asking because i never "finished" my purchase. I did get a pre-order sheet from Koons with an order number and all my options and such where it clearly stated SCREW Short bed as i mentioned above. I did not receive anything after that other then a confirmation of my Order which i ensured the Order Numbers matched. I did however get a VIN and Window sticker once it got to that stage where i could clearly review all my base and options clearly listed. Because I never got a acronym/number build sheet that you keep mentioning (be nice if you uploaded it so we can see), I cant comment on that.

Again, my opinion, mistakes DO happen, the time to correct mistakes are before the purchase...still find it odd that you accepted the truck, gave them money, drove it 1,000 miles home, then asked for reconciliation or a new truck? I would have reviewed the window sticker, looked at the pictures i made the dealer send me, and then complained PRIOR to flying or buying anything, but the fact remains, they probably wouldve said, "sucks for you, we will sell it on our lot for MSRP" and you would have still come here to provide your review (which you should).

I do appreciate the review and im sure other will as well.

I would post up the email communications back and forth as well as the build sheets for proof so others can see and take notice.