VW Rep says NO Special Orders for JSW

NHTDI · Mar 4, 2009

After doing a general search of JSW inventory at several dealers in NH, and found nothing, I decided to ask a VW rep at VWdotcom what is the situation with JSW?

Was surprised to hear back from VW rep with a lenghty email stating you cannot special order a JSW. Only option is waiting list according to rep.

See below:

Dear Jeffrey,

Thank you for your interest in our new Clean Diesel Jetta TDI. With
over 800,000 VW diesel vehicles sold in America, VW has quite a legacy
with these fuel efficient vehicles. Demand for our new Jetta TDI clean
burning diesel has been very strong. So much so that we are currently
unable to accept customized orders (i.e. color, options, trim) for the
car.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, your local VW dealer may be able to
put you on a wait list, where you may be required to leave a small
deposit. When a vehicle comes in, they will contact the first customer
on the list and offer them the vehicle that has come in. If that person
does not want the vehicle for whatever reason, it will be offered to the
next person on the list. The first customer would then be eligible for
the next subsequent vehicle that arrives at the dealer.

We apologize that we will not be able to meet your request in ordering a
custom-ordered TDI, but hope that you will work with your local VW
dealer to secure a place in line.

Thank you for your submission.

Ieshia
Volktalk

Variant TDI · Mar 4, 2009

that's dumb. no better way to make sure that people don't get exactly what they want.

I don't know if I "ordered" the production of my 02 wagon, per se... I told them the configuration I wanted, and they called me 4 months later when it came in.

mavapa · Mar 4, 2009

Another piece of evidence that VW doesn't have a clue about how to sell cars in the US. They turn standard business practice upside down: the manufacturer is always right. Hey, we'll sell you whatever we want to and you'll like it. Don't see what you want here? Tough!

vwmk4 · Mar 4, 2009

mavapa said:
Another piece of evidence that VW doesn't have a clue about how to sell cars in the US. They turn standard business practice upside down: the manufacturer is always right. Hey, we'll sell you whatever we want to and you'll like it. Don't see what you want here? Tough!

So sad but sooooo true. VW will you ever understand the NA market?
Anyone have any information on when we can expect the Golf MK6 TDI?

Powder Hound · Mar 4, 2009

The outcome is generated due to the location and distribution of factories relative to the end market. A car made today won't show up at a dealer for 4 or 5 months. That lead time is even longer in times of slow sales since the dealer has only so much inventory they can keep, and if perchance they can sell a lot of one model, there is a very limited capacity to alter manufacturing for just that one model.

Domestic manufactureres are much better positioned to take advantage of the custom order. However, those same manufacturers are so much maligned on this forum that any negative reaction in this regard is surprising. Explained: if a domestic does something one way, then the different foreign way must be better.

And finally, with the general attitude of europe in regard to us peons that never should be trusted with our own money in the first place, does VW's corporate attitude toward the consumer really surprise you?

torv · Mar 4, 2009

I'll vouch for what that rep told you because from my experience it's true.

At the end of January I finally picked up my JSW after a couple of months of searching futilely within a couple of hundred miles of my home. Every dealer I talked to either didn't have one, couldn't get one or wouldn't order one.

I finally found a dealer 400 miles away down in Los Angeles who happened to have one available that was, more or less, what I was looking for which was a Salsa Red JSW with the sunroof, the DSG transmission and the Nav. The car I eventually bought was Graphite Blue with the sunroof and the DSG tranny, but no Nav. C'est la vie!!!

I have to say though that the car is probably the finest car I've ever owned and that includes my 1998 air cooled Porsche Carrera (one of the last) which I bought new and still have and love!

Fit and finish are remarkable for a car at this price point. The handling is superb and of course, the MPG is breathtaking. All in all, I'd say this car is an astonishing value, which is why their so ****ing hard to find!

PeterV · Mar 4, 2009

Again VW & Audi have NO clue what the US wants and will pay for.

It is such a shame that they woll lose big time when Honda Subaru & others start selling diesels here and their market share will hit bottom "like the stock Market".

BadMonKey · Mar 4, 2009

Read between the lines

Dear Jeffrey,
Thank you for your interest in our new Clean Diesel Jetta TDI. Blah blah copy/paste, blah boiler plate blah Blah copy/paste blah blah blah blah boiler plate blah blah blah blah. Demand for our new JSW clean burning diesel has been very strong. We didn't pay attention to what US customers actually wanted (we never do) and over ordered the sedan. So much so that we wont accept special orders at this time as we want to force you to buy the sedan that you dont really want.

We apologize that we will not be able to meet your request in ordering a
custom-ordered TDI, but hope that you will work with your local stealership to buy something that dosent really fit your needs.

Thank you for your submission.

Ieshia
Volktalk

GoFaster · Mar 4, 2009

How many of you folks have bought a new VW before?

VW doesn't do special factory orders for the North American market and they never have. Doesn't matter Jetta wagon or otherwise. Doesn't matter now or 10 years ago.

The Mk5 that I have now, was picked out of the build schedule. I got exactly what I wanted.

PitPassat · Mar 4, 2009

That is not true. When I bought my Passat TDI Stationwagon in 1996 the dealership in Chicago did not have a SW in stock, so I asked for ordering one. The dealer was almost apologetic not being able to offer me my dream car right away, put in the order and gave me a loaner (a 1994 Toyota Camry) so I was able to drive until the car arrived 6 weeks later. And by the way - he gave me a pretty good price break on the list price too!

I guess times have just changed - and I agree that either the managers here in North America don't have a clue what's going on or that the boys back in the Old Country need a major wakeup call! Hey, maybe with the discussions of Opel now separating from GM we will see some Diesels coming form there! Or they finally convince Saturn, who sells the German Opel designs already (Astra and Vectra) and who is on the brink of separating from GM as well, to put some Diesels into those models.

Cheers.

NHTDI · Mar 4, 2009

Go Faster,

I special ordered my 01 Jetta. It came in the week they said it would, 6 weeks.

unsub1 · Mar 4, 2009

I custom ordered my JSW in October and got it as ordered in December. The ETA was dead-on too.

owr084 · Mar 4, 2009

Wrong! I factory ordered my 2007 Eos from Chris ("3193") because I could not find the one I wanted stateside. It was not "picked" from the build schedule. It was added to the build schedule.

GoFaster said:
How many of you folks have bought a new VW before?

VW doesn't do special factory orders for the North American market and they never have. Doesn't matter Jetta wagon or otherwise. Doesn't matter now or 10 years ago.

The Mk5 that I have now, was picked out of the build schedule. I got exactly what I wanted.

tomo366 · Mar 4, 2009

GoFaster said:
How many of you folks have bought a new VW before?

VW doesn't do special factory orders for the North American market and they never have. Doesn't matter Jetta wagon or otherwise. Doesn't matter now or 10 years ago.

The Mk5 that I have now, was picked out of the build schedule. I got exactly what I wanted.

Brian,

You are not correct........
I ordered my 2006 Jetta TDI from Chris at Vw of Langhorne in March of 2006 and received the exact car in June of 2006 and it even had my name on the window sticker.

German_1er_diesel · Mar 4, 2009

Powder Hound said:
The outcome is generated due to the location and distribution of factories relative to the end market. A car made today won't show up at a dealer for 4 or 5 months.

It's made in Mexico, and somehow dealers in Germany are able to custom order them to your spec in 5-6 weeks.

German_1er_diesel · Mar 4, 2009

PitPassat said:
Or they finally convince Saturn, who sells the German Opel designs already (Astra and Vectra)

The Astra is an Opel, but the Saturn Aura is not the Vectra. It shares the front end styling and the basic Epsilon platform, but the wheelbase is different and none of the Vectra's engines, gearboxes or interior parts are present.

It's a very, very different car.

vwmk4 · Mar 5, 2009

I ordered a 1996 Jetta. It took about 6 weeks to come in. On the window sticker it said " expedite sold car". So at least back in '96 one could order a car from VW.

JCTDI · Mar 5, 2009

When did VW get rid of orders on JSWs? And can you still custom order sedans?
We custom ordered our JSW TDI on Jan 12.
Two weeks later status changed to "Factory Order Bank"
A few days ago, its status changed to "Intransit from Factory"
Order is marked as Sold and "Expedite"

VW is having trouble meeting demand, big time, it seems, for the Sportwagen. Our dealer, which is one of the biggest in the state, got only TWO JSWs allocated to them this month. Both are pre-sold orders!

They have maybe 4 JSWs on their lot, and none of them are TDIs.

Starbucker · Mar 5, 2009

Same experience in Portland Oregon. All three dealers I have spoken with told me that they get what they get (no special orders) and they all are sticking firm to 3K over MSRP which I won't pay. I spoke with a friend at VOA and the rep confirmed that orders are not being taken and that my best bet is to either A) pay the markup for whatever car arrives or B) wait until the 2010 models arrive at which point in time they expect to catch up to demand (maybe). Needless to say, I'm going to wait them out, I don't really need to purchase in a hurry. Really stupid on VOA's part not to be able to take orders and sell a car, given US dealers are closing right and left.

BadMonKey · Mar 5, 2009

GoFaster said:
How many of you folks have bought a new VW before?

VW doesn't do special factory orders for the North American market and they never have. Doesn't matter Jetta wagon or otherwise. Doesn't matter now or 10 years ago.

The Mk5 that I have now, was picked out of the build schedule. I got exactly what I wanted.

He's correct in a way. They don't actually build the car specifically for you like say Mini would. When a car that fits your specifications is built or planned to be built they route it to the dealership that "requested it".

owr084 · Mar 5, 2009

BadMonKey said:
He's correct in a way. They don't actually build the car specifically for you like say Mini would. When a car that fits your specifications is built or planned to be built they route it to the dealership that "requested it".

That does not sound right to me. From your explanation, it sounds like a order from a customer is just held until by chance a car matching the order is found on the assembly line or inventory. That also would mean that a customer with a very specific order may not even get their car.

When I ordered my Eos, the ordered was entered and a build date assigned. The information on it specifically included that it was going to Langhorne VW and a VIN #. That car was built for me and no one else.

dieseldorf · Mar 5, 2009

owr084 said:
That does not sound right to me. From your explanation, it sounds like a order from a customer is just held until by chance a car matching the order is found on the assembly line or inventory. That also would mean that a customer with a very specific order may not even get their car.

When I ordered my Eos, the ordered was entered and a build date assigned. The information on it specifically included that it was going to Langhorne VW and a VIN #. That car was built for me and no one else.

GF's explanation of the system is correct...they don't "custom" produce cars for people in NAmerica. It's very much like a lottery system and sooner or later every possible combo is produced and assigned to a person IF an outstanding order is in the system. This is also the reason some people get their car delivered plus or minus an item or two.

How many possible combinations are there today? Look at how few options are offered:

roof
transmission
NAV
# of airbags

Did I miss any?

dieseldorf · Mar 5, 2009

Guys,don't mislead yourselves. People living in North America DO NOT order cars, the dealer requests a car, hopefully matching your description and then it gets allocated to the dealer and the dealer calls you and tells you your car is on the way. The car does not travel down the assembly line with one person's name attached to it.

Factory Tour from VWVortex story dated 11/2001:

For most Volkswagens coming off the assembly line the first big trip takes the form of a rail journey. Every day 110 double-decker train cars carrying some 2,400 Golf, Golf Variant, Bora, Bora Variant and Lupo models leave the rail freight station at the Wolfsburg plant. Only a small share leaves in about 90 road car transporters, primarily for transportation to dealers in the region. It may be hard to credit, but almost all of these new vehicles have been produced to individual customer specifications (or in the case of North America, to VWoA specifications). Equipment, engine, color, seat covers and many other features are selected by the customer from the wide range of possibilities. So while colors and engine choices recur, in other respects combinations are selected which seldom come up more than once in a working day. It's worth bearing in mind that Volkswagen in fact builds individual personal cars en masse. The sales division runs 11,350 outlets throughout the world, with over 2,800 of them in Germany alone. These dealerships coordinate all customer wishes. To channel these orders correctly, the sales division in Wolfsburg operates a high-performance computer network system, which is also linked with the data processing system in production. In the factory, starting at the body-in-white stage, a small card with a bar-code incorporating the necessary data controls the vehicle's production in line with the customer's wishes.

While customer ordering your Volkswagen is not yet a reality here in North America, it is possible for your dealer to look up allocations of current cars available and those still being produced to see if one matches what you are looking for.

If you ever have the chance to tour one of the Volkswagen factories, don't miss it. Tours of the factory in Wolfsburg, Germany are available as part of your admission to AutoStadt and are available seven days a week during normal business hours. Actually seeing the magnitude of what is involved in simply building a car is something you won't forget and will make you think differently about your Volkswagen from that day forward. The investments in technology, production methods, paint and more are all great signs that Volkswagen is committed to the future and striving to build the best cars ever to leave their factories.

Just to recap: Cars are produced to VWoA's specification. If you wish to custom order, I think you've got to look to MBz/BMW, etc. Do the American car companies still custom order

BadMonKey · Mar 5, 2009

owr084 said:
When I ordered my Eos, the ordered was entered and a build date assigned. The information on it specifically included that it was going to Langhorne VW and a VIN #. That car was built for me and no one else.

They gave you the build date/vin # for a car that was already planned to be built and assigned the car to your dealership. The car would have been built regardless of your order.

NHTDI · Mar 6, 2009

DD,

yes color was left out.

color (5?) x tran (2) x roof (2)xairbags (2)x nav (2) there are 80 combo's right there.

dieseldorf · Mar 6, 2009

I didn't mention color as I felt it was too obvious

In reality, there are extremely few combinations sold in the USA right now. I think our brothers to the north can get some stuff we don't see.

VW Rep says NO Special Orders for JSW

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