How do I get a build date?

[Rich R]

I am confused on how the ordering system works I understand you can not order a truck made to order. I tried to get my dealer to take a deposit and put in an allocation but they refused. I see posts with people who have build dates how can you get a build date if they don’t build to order or have been misinformed
looking to order a trail hunter no roof rack 5 foot bed and Do not want to pay dealer mark up Is this possible

Sponsored

 

[Vidman]

there is no ordering system with Toyota only allocations that the dealers get twice a month.. if your dealer doesn’t have a Trailhunter allocation then you will have to go to another dealer.. use the Toyota search page to find one..right now there’s probably more than 100 Trailhunters within 500 miles of me and some will have markups and some will not

 

[timetoeatpotatoes]

I _found_ the allocation, called the dealer, and they told me the week it was supposed to be built. That week, I got the real vin.

They don't put in for one. At best you can tell them what you want and IF they get an allocation from corporate they can call you.

Search inventory. Find what you want, call the dealer that is going to be getting it.

 

[Trailcat]

I am confused on how the ordering system works I understand you can not order a truck made to order. I tried to get my dealer to take a deposit and put in an allocation but they refused. I see posts with people who have build dates how can you get a build date if they don’t build to order or have been misinformed
looking to order a trail hunter no roof rack 5 foot bed and Do not want to pay dealer mark up Is this possible

Like others said, it's a matter of finding the one you want on the Inventory page on Toyota's website. From what I have seen, the dealers have no more visibility into what allocations they are getting than what you or I can see on the website. Since you're going for a Trailhunter (like me), there aren't factory options to worry about, so it's pretty simple: Color and bed length is all you get. Everything else is a Port or Dealer Installed Option. Those are negotiable if you a) find the truck before it's built and b) work with a dealer that will cooperate.

So you find a truck in the color you want with a 5' bed. Check the VIN. If there is a letter in the last 5 digits of the VIN, it has not been built yet. If it is all numbers, that truck is built and on the way. Call the dealer to see if it is reserved. The dealer has visibility to a pipeline that is almost like tracking a UPS package, it shows a date at each stop in the process. This is where we get the real build date. All dealers can see this if they aren't too lazy to look it up. But keep in mind, I don't think it updates in real time and isn't very descriptive.

Your last question was about paying mark up. DO NOT pay any mark up on a Trailhunter. I had no trouble getting my dealer to waive a $5k advertised markup. Here in Phoenix, there are a few Trailhunters sitting on dealer lots right now. One dealer told me having a Halo model (TH or TRD Pro) sitting on the lot hurts their ability to get more allocations from Toyota, so they are motivated to move them. Either way, if you are serious about putting a deposit down they should be happy to reserve that truck for you. If not, find another dealer. Good luck!!

Sponsored