No Diesel Allocations for 2021?

[Sprinter SS]

4x4 lowtop on order since August, dealer calls and days only gassers available in allocation. Diesel recertify process likely through next summer.....means seriously dwindling inventory of 4x4 vans...

Thought I would share what I was told.

 

[Kajtek1]

That means the value of my 2015 diesel goes up. Good news

 

[Chaski]

That mirrors what I was told. I tried to order a 144" Standard roof passenger 4X4 on 9/21/20 and was told that "4x4 production is scheduled to start again in May of 2021". I was also told that the turbodiesel had to be recertified for 2021 by the EPA and that has not occurred yet. One of the dealerships I called made mention of some twin turbo gasoline engine that may be "backup" for 2021 as a replacement for the turbodiesel if EPA certification fails, but that only came from one source - may be hearsay.

Called around and found a few one standard roof crew 4X4 - and the Carlsbad dealership was charging a "$5,000 market adjustment fee".

I FINALLY get my wife talked into a Sprinter and this is what happens when I try to order one.... FACEPALM!

 

[Deleted member 50714]

That mirrors what I was told. I tried to order a 144" Standard roof passenger 4X4 on 9/21/20 and was told that "4x4 production is scheduled to start again in May of 2021". I was also told that the turbodiesel had to be recertified for 2021 by the EPA and that has not occurred yet. One of the dealerships I called made mention of some twin turbo gasoline engine that may be "backup" for 2021 as a replacement for the turbodiesel if EPA certification fails, but that only came from one source - may be hearsay.

Called around and found a few one standard roof crew 4X4 - and the Carlsbad dealership was charging a "$5,000 market adjustment fee".

I FINALLY get my wife talked into a Sprinter and this is what happens when I try to order one.... FACEPALM!

I had the Sprinter drools for 20- years my excellent brother.

Always remember; all things, come to those who possess the virtue of patience.

 

[VanGoSki]

4x4 lowtop on order since August, dealer calls and days only gassers available in allocation. Diesel recertify process likely through next summer.....means seriously dwindling inventory of 4x4 vans...

Thought I would share what I was told.

Are you sure you had an actual order with a list of options you selected against a customizable dealer build slot? If so, you would have a build sheet with a scheduled build date and also a PO number. Do you actually have this? If not then you didn't really have an order. The dealers only get a certain number of allocated build slots throughout the year and some of them play games and are actually just putting you on an internal queue to eventually get one of those slots. This business of "no new allocations" throughout the rest of the year sounds to me like a dealer who knows he's sold all his 2020 allocations and is trying to stall you or sell you something on the lot.

As far as the Diesel recertification, this happens every year, usually in April. It doesn't affect production because they keep building them, it only affects shipping them to customers until it happens. So usually there are no deliveries between about Jan 1 to mid-April or so.

And never, ever, pay above MSRP. You need to get out of the city and hit a dealer that's not in such an affluent area and who will tell you the truth. I can highly recommend MB of Modesto. Ask for Al. He took my order for a 2020 after I got a similar runaround by the dealers here in Silicon Valley and I had built exactly the way I wanted it and delivered in about 4 months.

 

[Sprinter SS]

Yes, I have a real order. PO and all. The original build date was to be set when the allocations came out, and they did today. No diesels accepted in the computer (which means no 4x4). They said they can keep in the que, but undetermined build date.

May have found one at the VPC that will work....we will see....

 

[VanGoSki]

Yes, I have a real order. PO and all. The original build date was to be set when the allocations came out, and they did today. No diesels accepted in the computer (which means no 4x4). They said they can keep in the que, but undetermined build date.

May have found one at the VPC that will work....we will see....

OK. I don't know what it means to have a real order without an allocation, so I guess I'm out of my depth here. At any rate, good luck hunting and I hope you find what you want.

 

[Chaski]

I really don't get why Mercedes-Benz isn't more transparent about all of this.

It is like trying to piece together a puzzle, a bit of information here, a little more there. It could be as simple as a banner on the top of the Mbvans.com website that showed the current wait times for various platforms, and a news section with updates. Transparency is the best policy.

Instead we all have to play 20 questions with various dealers to try and piece together what is actually going on.

I talked to another dealer this afternoon. The Sprinter advisor was not as doom and gloom as the others, but did state that the 6 cyl allocations were "back burner" because of the rollout of the new 4cyl diesel option. So apparently you can order one of the lighter GVW vans today with the 4cyl gas or the 4cyl diesel engines. Same info as others - May of 2021 for the 6cyl diesels...

 

[RVBarry]

Anyone heard if the LED lighting package is more available on the 2021's? They apparently ran out even for custom orders mid this year.

 

[Roamers]

Re: custom orders and getting options you want. Many don't know that if you have an order axactly the way you want it and the line runs out of an option, say LED lights, your build continues and unless your dealer keeps close track, you have a van show up as is built. Make sure your contract accounts for getting your deposit back if something important is not on your van.

 

[GLJones]

Happened to us on our 2019. We ordered just about everything except 4x4. A month out, we were notified our color, the LED lights and the automatic side-door were all unavailable. Dealership gave us the option of waiting fir another slot. We had already waited 7 months so we took it anyway.

 

[sanomechanic]

My friend that's a MB manger. 4x4 Diesels will not be produced again until May 21. MB has to get the gassers emission issue straightened out

 

[motoervan]

I just read in a German Sprinter FB group that the new Sprinter in Europe will come with a 4cyl Diesel made out of Aluminimun. The 4x4 will be the Mercedes Benz 4-Matic System, which is an AWD system similar to the transit - so no low range.