Why has my vehicle’s build date moved?

Your car is on order, and you have been given an estimated time of arrival but you’ve noticed that your build date has moved.

There is always a chance that your build date will be moved. There are loads of things that can affect the build date of a vehicle. Sometimes it will be moved back, but there is a chance that it can also be moved forward.

Either way, you’ll want to know why. At OSV we have a dedicated customer service team that are experts in the delivery process. So, we’ve written an article explaining what sort of things can affect delivery date, build date and reasons why your build date may have moved.

How will I know if my build date has moved?

It depends on your individual broker or dealership. Each company has a different way of doing things. There will be some brokers and car dealers will not keep you updated on the status of your vehicle. You might not even know your car has been delayed or is even going to arrive early until it either appears on your doorstep a week early, or doesn’t at all!

[vc_single_image image=”33246″ img_size=”article-image”]There will be others that have their own system of keeping you updated. For example, when you use OSV, you have access to our customer portal which allows you to check the status of your vehicle whenever you please. Every time the status is updated, you receive an email.

Of course, this won’t be the same for every company so it’s important to ask about the after-sales service before you order your car.

What affects build date?

Build date is one of the biggest factors in delaying the delivery of your vehicle. There are a few reasons as to why your build date could be moved and those are;

The volume of orders
Problems with parts
Factory closures

How does the volume of orders affect my build date?

When your car has been ordered, manufacturers will allocate a build week. The build week will depend on;

The number of orders received
The availability of parts
Any plans the manufacturer has for new models

The build date can be anything from four weeks to a year. So, it varies pretty dramatically.

If there is a high volume of orders, then naturally, it will slow down the production of your car.

How does availability of parts affect my build date?

[vc_single_image image=”35008″ img_size=”article-image”]This is pretty self-explanatory. If the car is missing parts, the car can’t be built. They will only start building a car when every part is in the factory. So, if the rubber over to the accelerator pedal is missing, they won’t build the car.

The shut downs vary between manufacturer and when they do reopen, they will naturally have a backlog of orders. Generally, however, this tends to be around August or September time. The factory will go through a full overhaul, think of it like a spring clean. But, this will affect the allocation of your build week and the actual building of your car.

However, your broker or car dealer should know this, and will take this into consideration when estimating a delivery time for you.

How does a recall affect delivery?

This doesn’t necessarily affect the build date. However, there are occasions when your car has been built but then recalled.

When this happens, the factory will release a bulletin to the franchised dealer about the issues that have arisen with parts. As you can imagine, there are very high standards when it comes to the quality of your car. The quality checks will happen several times throughout the journey of the car being built. So, if there is even a slight concern the car will be delayed. It will then be inspected and will go under a rigorous quality control check.

The delay that this can cause varies as a car dealer is not allowed to deliver a car if a recall has been notified. However, if you go through a trustworthy vehicle supplier then they should keep you updated until the recall has been resolved. [vc_single_image image=”35014″ img_size=”article-image”]

Will the build date affect the delivery date?

If your car is being delayed at the factory, then this may have a knock on effect on the delivery date, particularly if the delay is significant.

What affects delivery date?

There are a lot of things that affect delivery date, not just the build date. These include things such as;

Location
Shipping
Finance agreements
Issues with delivery, such as driver availability

Industrial action

Bad weather in the country it is being shipped from

The HMRC

So, there are a quite a few things that can delay your vehicle. However, as you can see, if your build date is pushed back then this can push the other steps of the process back. Thus, delaying the delivery of your vehicle. If you want to find out how each of these factors affect delivery date then you can read our article on what affects delivery date.

What do I do if my car is going back before my new car is delivered?

If you work with a reputable broker then they should have the resources and tools to keep you informed regularly. Therefore, you should be able to make alternative plans before you become car-less. In some cases, if there is an unusual issue which causes a significant delay, you can extend your existing lease. However, this is something you would have to discuss with the finance house. You will also have to see how long they will be willing to extend your lease for.

Alternatively, you can use the money that would have gone to your new car to pay for a hire car while you wait.

What do I do if my build date is delayed by a long time?

Sometimes there can be major problems with parts or production which result in the build date being delayed for a long time.

In most cases, the manufacturer will not compensate for this or provide a temporary vehicle. This is because it’s not commercially viable of them to do so. So, this is when you have to make a choice. Do you really need to have that exact car? Could there be comparable cars or models/brands that could be delivered to you in a quicker timeframe? If you use a trustworthy broker then they should, at this point, go over your alternative options.

However, if you have secured a really great deal and you don’t want to change your order, it might make more financial sense to wait for the delivery and organise a hire car while you wait.

Who is responsible for this?

Your supplier is the one who is responsible for updating you on your order, and to answer any questions you have. However, it is your decision as to whether you change your order or wait for your delayed car. Your supplier will outline the advantages and disadvantages of waiting, and will offer you advice on alternative solutions but ultimately it is your choice. It is also your responsibility to organise a temporary car whilst you wait. You can find out what the terms and conditions are in the event of manufacturer issues in the terms of your order. [vc_single_image image=”33248″ img_size=”article-image”]

Who is responsible for keeping me mobile during my delay?

If you choose to wait for car, then you are responsible for organising a car. You also have to pay for it. Of course, you won’t be paying for your new car. So, you can use that money to pay for a temporary vehicle.

What should I do if I want to complain?

If you aren’t happy with the explanation as to why your vehicle is delayed then you should speak to your supplier. If they are regulated by the FCA then they will have a formal complaints process that they should follow. Also, if they are members of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association then the BVRLA can get involved to assist in resolving any disputes.

As you can see, there are a few things that can affect the build date. And this, of course, has a knock on effect of the delivery date. What you do in this situation is up to you. However, if you go through a reputable broker then they will guide you through this process so you can make an informed decision. 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