Ford Breaks Record for Super Duty Truck Demand

Supply chain woes and the economic downturn have not put a dent in the demand for large pickup trucks.

Ford Motor Co. says it received nearly 53,000 orders for the 2023 Super Duty pickup over a five-day stretch at the end of October. That was good enough for a company record, but it did not last long: Ford reported nearly 100,000 more orders for the new pickups in November.

"The demand is just insane," an official for the local labor union representing Ford workers building the trucks in Kentucky told the Detroit Free Press. “A lot of people love those vehicles for farms, hauling. It's a beast."

Many major auto manufacturers report non-binding orders for new cars, which require potential customers to plunk down a small fee to save their place in line. But the Ford data reflects actual orders, according to the Free Press, from people who have decided to buy the trucks.

“Technically, it isn't counted as a sale by Ford until the vehicle is delivered, but the factory is tooled up to fulfill all these orders,” Phoebe Wall Howard writes for the Free Press. “Buyers had to place their orders through dealers rather than online.”

The new version of the Super Duty pickup comes with a starting price tag near $44,000 and tops out around $90,000 with various bells and whistles. Ford has been churning out about 27,000 trucks every month this year, according to the Free Press.

Although Ford is in the midst of a significant shift to electric vehicles, the company does not have plans to make Super Duty trucks plug-ins anytime soon.

“If you’re pulling 10,000 pounds, an electric truck is not the right solution,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in October.

Safety Issues for Super Duty Drivers

Super Duty sales may be through the roof, but Ford is still having a hard time ensuring that the vehicles are actually safe to drive.

The company recently recalled more than 600,000 Super Duty pickups and other vehicles, for example, over a tech glitch that could leave rearview camera screens blank or distorted. Ford told regulators at the time that the vehicles did not comply with federal standards.

In May, Ford called back some 310,000 Super Duty trucks over faulty airbags. It said airbags may not deploy in those vehicles, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Luckily, Ford owners in California have some valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law. You do not have to wait for a recall to get defective pickup trucks fixed.

The California lemon law requires carmakers to do a full range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces auto manufacturers to buy back (or replace, in some cases) cars that they are not able or simply refuse to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the purchase price, as well as other related fees and costs.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.