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Car supplies are at all-time lows. The shutdown of assembly plants in 2020 over COVID-19 concerns, and the more recent microchip shortage means that cars and trucks are at a premium. And in the midst of all of this Ford has launched a number of important vehicles like the Bronco, Mustang Mach-E, new Explorer, and F-150. 

Buyers are ready to receive their shiny new Ford

The new silver all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning performance pickup truck is revealed at a livestream event at Ford World Headquarters
The Ford F-150 Lightning | Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Now with online ordering, there are customers that have put down deposits and are ready to receive their shiny new Ford. But there aren’t any to send out. What’s a company to do? Ford has decided to bribe buyers to hang in there with new car incentives. 

One thing Ford is doing is doubling existing discounts on certain vehicles to help to keep the prices at reasonable levels. That’s because with supplies so low dealers are charging more than MSRP. It is Ford’s way of keeping a lid on run-away prices.

Ford is implementing the “Retail Order Incentive Program” to entice buyers to stick with Ford

A blue 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands parked on the grass next to a hill in Area 51
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands | Ford Motor Company

But the other thing that Ford is doing is implementing the “Retail Order Incentive Program.” Since there are not a lot of vehicles to pack the dealership lots it is an incentive of $1,000 to close deals on non-existent Fords. Ford is offering it on the F-150 and Expedition. 

Surprisingly, Ford is not offering the new car incentive on Mustang Mach-E and Bronco models. Ford has been able to eke out Mustang Mach-E and Bronco Sport models. But the Bronco is still in the wings. Its launch keeps getting pushed back. 

Dealers are almost begging for used cars to have something to show at their dealerships. Prices are through the roof, with models like the Bronco Sport seeing $10,000 markups. Then there have been issues like the one in New Jersey.

Ford had to pay New Jersey Mach-E buyers $5,000

A red 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E drives down a snow-lined road.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Ford

Ford had to pay Mustang Mach-E buyers $5,000. This happened because Ford did not include a local plug-in rebate. And with all of this swirling around it is hard to say when it will start to ease up.

In the meantime, the Ford new car incentives will run through July 6. So Ford expects this to drag on at least another month. If you ordered something between April 1 and now, the new car incentives are retroactive to then. 

Additionally, Ford is giving dealers a $250 bonus for closing orders on its 2021 models. So Ford is spreading the cabbage around to keep all factions happy. What Ford will do after July 6 is anybody’s guess. If the shortage of vehicles continues, expect it to offer similar incentives until this crunch is over.

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Thom Taylor

Thom Taylor is a celebrated automotive journalist. He was awarded the Top 100 Most Influential People in Hot Rodding from Hot Rod Magazine, and was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame and the National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame. He’s a member of SEMA and the NHRA.

Thom has authored a number of books, including Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and several guides for drawing vehicles like a pro, which pull from his distinguished ventures as an automotive illustrator.

Thom joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2019, and focuses his coverage on new vehicle releases, design, and the latest features and tech in the industry. His tenure of 25 years writing about the industry gives him a unique context for the auto news he covers, whether it’s part of the Rusty Monday series or the latest news from Chevy. Thom has built two complete cars from the ground up and driven vintage roadsters at the Indy 500.