Just when you thought your Ford dealership would soon have a full lineup of new vehicles in stock and ready for sale, Ford is bringing production to a halt.

The Ford Motor Company just announced that it would pause production of new Ford vehicles at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan. This comes after Ford paused production at its Kansas City plant, where F-150s were made last month.

You can thank the shortage of semiconductor computer chips for the lack of new Ford vehicles at your Ford dealership.

How Did We Get Here?

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all parts of regular life. When it comes to the auto industry, this virus wreaked havoc. The sudden demand for electronics like computers, cell phones, and video game systems soared as people were stuck indoors during stay-at-home orders. Of course, many of the modern auto technologies we love also require the same semiconductors to function.

While many expected the desire for cars to decrease during the pandemic, it went the opposite direction. With fewer people trusting public transportation and more people moving into areas where owning a vehicle is a necessity, the demand for new cars skyrocketed.

Every industry was trying to get their hands on these semiconductors, but there were just enough to go around. Even though production of these computer chips has ramped up, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with demand.

The impact is that your Ford dealership doesn’t have the inventory that it once had.

Pre-Order To Save The Day

With fewer new Ford vehicles being produced, it might feel like shoppers have few to no options concerning finding a new ride. Many have turned to used cars, which are seeing a price surge to help meet the demand.

The good news is that your Ford dealership has options to help consumers find fresh vehicles. The best way for someone to get the new Ford that they want is to pre-order it from a local Ford dealership.

It’s more important now than ever to educate and encourage shoppers to pre-order the vehicles they want. This saves them the hassle of searching and waiting until something becomes available. In the current market, the wait and see approach is leaving a lot of customers wanting.

Of course, the other benefit of pre-ordering a vehicle is that shoppers can pick out every detail they want. Instead of settling for whatever happens to be on the lot, drivers can pick the model, upgraded features, and even paint color that fits their style.

Ford dealerships should consider creating an easy and straightforward way for customers to submit pre-order requests. Whether it’s from a separate landing page or a special number they can call, dealerships should make pre-ordering vehicles a regular part of the shopping experience.

While the Dearborn production plan will continue to operate as normal, the wait for new Ford vehicles is going to slow down for at least the second quarter of this year. That means fewer vehicles on the lot and fewer sales being made. By encouraging shoppers to pre-order, you can ensure that your customers are properly served and have a dealership they trust for future business.