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Some First Deliveries Of 2021 Ford F-150 On Schedule, Orders With Work Space, Fold Flat Seats, 3.0-liter Diesel Delayed

Material delays are affecting popular features like Work Space and Max Reclining Seats. Some customers are concerned about the delay. The 3.0-liter diesel engine is also being delayed until possibly mid-2021.

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Ford has done a great job of hyping the 2021 Ford F-150. The 14th-generation has many new features that have mass appeal and interest for consumers. Ford has hyped them with ads already and certainly those of us in the media have raved about some of these new features. And now the truck is in production despite an up and down year and production delays due to the pandemic.

After the successful launch, I wrote about some of my favorite new features of the 2021 F-150 which included the flat work surface in the front seat and the max folding seats in the higher trims. However, both of these popular add ons seem like they’re encountering some production delays, according to information posted on the website f150gen14.com.

The forum has some leaked info reflecting the production status of some orders for the 2021 F-150. It all rotates around the OKTB status, which essentially means okay to buy or okay to build, as in, proceed with the orders.

Week 46 appears to be the target for first deliveries of the 2021 F-150, which means somewhere around mid-November, meaning that production is on schedule. However, some forum members voiced concerns over certain options that appear to be on hold.

Let’s take a look at some of those options and when they may be delayed until.

Max Recline Seats in 2021 Ford F-150 King RanchMax Recline Seats In 2021 Ford F-150
The Max Recline Seats for the 2021 F-150 are exclusive to the King Ranch trim as well as the Platinum and Limited models. This is one of the best features I’ve seen offered in a truck as they not only offer space to recline, but a new patented mechanism actually helps those seats not only recline, but fold flat to nearly 180 degrees with the bottom cushion rising to the meet the back cushion and upper back support.

You can sleep inside the truck and honestly of all the features this is one of the options I’d likely opt for and one I’m certainly looking forward to testing out.

However, according to inside information provided from a car dealer, OKTB for this feature has been delayed to mid-December. So for anyone hoping they’d get their King Ranch, Limited or Platinum F-150 with the Max Recline Seats in the early batch of deliveries, that won’t happen.

The reason for the delay is not known, but it’s likely to do some kind of part or supply issue. At least it’s still set to deliver in 2020 (as of now) which is more than we can say about other features.

Ford's Fold Flat Work Surface in the 2021 F-150Fold Flat Work Surface For 2021 Ford F-150
Another cool feature is the fold flat Work Surface. As the gear shift stows away (retracts) it makes room for a flat work surface area perfect for laptops or even eating a quick meal. And the simple push of a button creates this well-thought work area.

The Fold Flat Work Surface is available in both bench and captain’s chair seat configurations on trims starting with XL to Limited.

However, of high concern is what appears to be a significant delay in part 50M, which is the Fold Flat Work Surface. The delay appears to affect all iterations with bucket seats. My guess would be the super majority of orders involved the bucket seat configuration and that this work surface was a highly attractive add-on option.

This feature is listed as late availability and states expected in 2021, meaning anyone who ordered the work surface with bucket seats likely won’t see their new F-150 until at least the first half of 2021.

One forum poster on f150gen14 said he heard this issue was related some major part delays. If that’s true, I would hope that Ford executives make some calls, rattle some cages and hasten this process otherwise there could be a lot of unhappy customers.

Ford 3.0-liter diesel Power Stroke engine3.0-liter Diesel Engine Availability In Ford F-150
One of my more popular stories here at Torque News was about the rumor of Ford discontinuing the small diesel engine for the F-150. That rumor has shown to be untrue as of now, as the 3.0-liter Power Stroke engine is part of the 14th-generation F-150.

However, that engine is listed as delayed according to the leaked dealer information. The 3.0-liter Power Stroke was not very popular for the previous generation, so the rumor of it being discontinued made sense. One Ford dealer told me they couldn’t “give them away” and had several still sitting on their lots.

But, for those customers who did order the 2021 F-150 with the 3.0-liter diesel, they will have to take delivery of their truck. In fact, one rumor shows a delay of up to 3-4 months for delivery of these trucks. That could leave some customers quite upset.

The turbocharged and intercooled 60-degree V6 diesel makes 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. It has a GVWR of 7,050 and a max GCWR of 17,900 pounds making it an appealing option for those with heavy towing needs. But just how long will customers have to wait? That’s to be determined. It certainly will take until the first month or two of 2021 until delivery of this truck, if not longer.

I want to hear from you. Have you ordered your F-150 or are you just waiting for them to show up on dealer lots? Leave me a comment below with what your build is or your reason to just see what shows up on dealer lots.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.

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Comments

Union Hall (not verified)    October 29, 2020 - 11:31AM

Anybody got a good view of what % of F-150's are high-end (King Ranch, Platinum, Limited) ?

Cannot see the info anywhere......
Thank you

Rob (not verified)    November 9, 2020 - 6:49PM

Waiting for delivery to test drive - looking at Platinum or Limited - probably Platinum due to short bed constraint with Limited - Also looking at 2021 GM but seats are rock hard - hoping new F150 seats with redesign are much better.

Jim Cyrul (not verified)    November 11, 2020 - 5:52PM

Just ordered a 2021 F-150 XLT 302A Supercrew with 3.5L EcoBoost on November 09, 2020 hoping to see it by the first week of January 2021. One thing is customer ordered trucks go to the front of the line.

Ross Battaglia (not verified)    November 13, 2020 - 6:09PM

Ordered my 2021 F150 10/9/20 and still don't have a confirmation of order never mind a VIN. Is this normal?

Flex D (not verified)    January 11, 2021 - 7:46AM

In reply to by Ross Battaglia (not verified)

Hi Ross! I ordered my 2021 F-150 Limited (Powerboost) on 9/11/20 and still have not received a VIN or confirmation. I was born and raised in Metro Detroit and have family members that are considered essential employees and build the F-150. They don't have information for me...they indicated that they are just making them. I live in D.C. and ordered my truck from a dealership 12 miles from the Dearborn MI Plant, where they build the F-150s. Still no confirmation or VIN!

Dominic Basta (not verified)    November 14, 2020 - 6:54PM

I ordered a 2021 with package 502a and the V8. I was told last week they hadn’t even started building the truck. I ordered it in July...

Dominic Basta (not verified)    November 16, 2020 - 12:18PM

I ordered mine originally the end of July, they changed my order in Sept. and gave me the Order Sheet the same day. You might want to reach out.

Bobby G (not verified)    November 18, 2020 - 8:49AM

Ordered my Lariat on 10/23. Smoked Quartz paint color also seems to have a delay. Very disappointing to have so many delays and OKTB just gets pushed back every two weeks. Chalk it up to 2020 problems I guess.

Bob (not verified)    November 22, 2020 - 5:54PM

I'm one of the few that has actually had their order built. A King Ranch PowerBoost but did not order the lay flat seats or the work table. I'm retired now so didn't need those features. My truck was completed on the 12th of Nov, problem is, Ford won't ship till OKTB has been achieved. They have had to shut down for the past two weekends for supplier parts now. That has delayed the OKTB and therefore delayed the shipping of my completed truck. Grrrr

Riceman (not verified)    November 24, 2020 - 1:27PM

I ordered my Lariat back in early October. My dealer told me Ford would build trucks for dealer inventory before they would build the special order trucks. He said my truck should arrive in late December / early January. Getting concerned as I haven't seen a single truck on a dealer lot yet...and we in the last week of November!

Doug W (not verified)    November 24, 2020 - 8:10PM

I ordered my Lariat Supercab Long Bed on 8/21. Dealer said Ford accepts orders from them on the 15th of each month. Also told me then Ford wouldn't be building any trucks until November and I wouldn't see it til mid January. Still haven't gotten confirmation they accepted my order.

Marco (not verified)    December 19, 2020 - 1:00AM

Ordered a Limited 3.5 Ecoboost on 10/13....with almost every option available, not a peep on production as of yet. This 2020 tax break is looking sad. May need to change course.

J (not verified)    December 26, 2020 - 8:21AM

Is it true that customer ordered trucks go to the front of the line? I've got an '18 Lariat FX4 at the end of lease and wanting to get into a '21 King Ranch or Lariat with the 3.5 Hybrid... but I don't think those are coming anytime soon and my lease is up in Feb...

John Knight (not verified)    February 1, 2021 - 5:38PM

I ordered my F150 platinum with 5 liter, tow package, and fold flat seats in mid november. The dealer says it may be delayed another month.