So i have a few questions, I am also looking for general advice. I am 23 years old and never bought a new car or had a loan on one so I don't really know how it all works. I own a comanche and two cherokees and I love all of the trucks jeep has made so when I heard about the new one I knew that I had to have one once they are available. My question is I have been reading around on the forum and seen stuff about order banks and I have no idea what those are. I would like to know everything I need to get on a list or however it works to get one of the trucks when they come out cause I am sure they will be on backorder almost immediately, i went to my local jeep dealer to try and get more information and it seems i knew more than the guy working there so that was a dead end. Also any steps financially I should start taking now to be better prepared once the time has come. I am a die hard jeep fan and would hate to miss out on this opportunity. Thanks guys.
I would ask the sales manager or the general manager of the dealership to help you. You can also shop for a different dealership. I'd get on a Jeep forum, like JK-forum.com, and ask if anyone there can recommend a dealership and/or salesman in your area. Every time I've ever bought a new vehicle I knew a great deal more than the salesman, but that's ok. You can find one that can help you get what you want. I've found great salespeople without too much trouble, usually by approaching the sales manager or general manager. I'd establish the relationship immediately, then maintain contact until the order banks are open. What that means is that Jeep will accept orders from individuals through dealerships. Keep us posted on your progress with this. I've driven as far as 3.5 hours away just to work with a good dealership to get what I wanted. There might be someone in on this very board near you who can help you.
Order banks aren't for pre-order, they open a few weeks before the line starts producing vehicles. Check some of the JK forums to get familiar with the process, especially the "waiting room" threads. There will be a projected Order Bank opening date, and if you want in early, then you keep checking in with your dealer and see if he can open an order, once he can place and order, then everyone is open to take a crack at it. Then you figure out the features you want (early orders can be interesting while people figure out what is available and what code is required for new features, feature pricing usually shows up on the forums a week or two before the order banks open, though some prices still aren't known until the new feature is enter in and a price spits out), then the dealer submits the order, and then you'll get some estimated dates. First you'll get a VON (Vehicle Order Number) while it's being pre-staged confirming your order is being turned into reality, then the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) once it's accepted and in Queue, which is when you know your Jeep is going to become a reality. Sometimes you get both at the same time shortly after ordering, sometimes you get the VON and then it takes a bit of time for the VIN to be assigned, and you can start properly tracking its progress using the MOTS/VOTS systems or better yet through an insider. Here's a list of some of the tracking codes from one of the other forums; Order Status Codes Unscheduled BA - new order that hasn't been checked/approved BB - fleet order only - review by Bid Department BD - special equipment processing BE - edit error - coding error which must be corrected before the order can be considered for scheduling BG - order has passed edit but cannot be considered for scheduling BG F - finance hold - automatic cancellation after 15 days BG B - model or option hold / build out hold BG L - material restriction hold BG M - material hold (fleet) BX - good order, available for scheduling ZA - cancelled order Scheduled C - tentative schedule D - firm schedule: serial number is assigned. D1 - gateline: plant has sequenced the unit for production, estimated ship date assigned D2 - gateline: framing and build imminent, usually within 3-6 days Note: Once a vehicle reaches scheduled (C or D) status, it cannot be cancelled by the dealer. Orders can sit in D-status for up to 60 days. Build E - framing F - paint G - trim Built I - unit is pending final inspection J - vehicle has passed final inspection, but has not been released to carrier JB - shipped to body vendor JE - shipped to emissions JJ - consigned body vendor JS - shipped to storage KZ - released by plant and invoiced Note: Vehicles must reach KZ-status before an invoice can be generated. Traffic Codes KZ L - released but not shipped KZ M - first rail departure KZ N - first rail arrival KZ O - delayed/received KZ OA - plant hold, quality audit KZ OB - zone or dealer hold, sales hold, vehicle prep hold, tax hold, finance hold, dealer refusal, diversion hold, vehicle diverted, derailment hold KZ OC - carrier delay hold, rail car shortage, bad load, insufficient load, inclement weather, need shipping order, manifest error, strike-bound hold, emission or safety hold. KZ OD - mechanical failure, glass damage, vehicle lacking parts, vehicle in repair, storage hold KZ OE - misdropped or misshipped vehicle KZ OF - shipped air freight, stolen vehicle recovered, show vehicle, test info code, vessel sailed KZ OG - damaged vehicle, stolen vehicle, abandon to carrier, vehicle scrapped, donate vehicle, repair and auction KZ OH - all other carrier codes that currently post an "O" delay code that are not included above KZ R - vehicle within a few days of arrival to dealer KZ T - second rail departure KZ U - second rail arrival KZ X - delivered to dealer KZ Y1 - major damage - must not be sold as new KZ Y2 - major damage - vehicle sold at auction NB: However, something to take note of, is that even if you're the 10th person to order in N.Am. you might end up being the 3,000 person to take delivery depending on colour choice, and features, and depending on what model they decide to start with (make a bunch of Sports first or a bunch of Rubis first, etc) also anything even slightly unusual delays things. Baja kicked the JK back about 3 month because it was late availability, and sometimes things like Saddle interior, etc either are delayed until other order are filled or might be suspended for a period like in 2015. First thing to do though is figure out the dealer you trust to order through, since your initial build might get rejected or there may be roadblocks so you wan someone you can trust will order what you want, and then do what it takes to get it without you pestering them, which is annoying for both parties. Also you want a dealer you feel comfortable with supporting your new addition to the family, and also look into the discounts for membership to things like 'Tread Lightly' etc. that get a few percent off of invoice, etc. There likely won't be dealer incentives on JTs until the end of the 2019s (JLs end of 2018s), but usually the existing on-going programs still apply which the season/temporary ones don't. BTW, don't pester the dealerships, until you get an indication from the forums that the JT's are about to be available for order. In all likelyhood the JTs are more than a year away from even being able to be ordered, but check into the forums to see, there will be a lot of noise a as the date firms up.
