Typical Tacoma Factory Order Leadtime

What experience do folks have in ordering from the factory? We tried to find a 2018 OR Access that met our likes and were unable (too late in the model year). Our dealer is telling us it takes several weeks for the factory to "accept" our order for a 2019 and delivery may be 10-12 weeks out. Is this typical?

 

Welcome to Tacoma World!

The short answer to your question is - "it depends." But 10-12 weeks is typical.

The longer answer...

1. You aren't "ordering" anything from Toyota. You can option a truck based on a finite number of configurations Toyota will allow (some options must be installed at the plant, others at the "port", and others at your dealer). When you go through this process with your dealer, they are essentially asking Toyota "out of the pipeline of trucks you were already going to make and send to me, can this specific one fall into the list?" Toyota, at this point, will choose to accept that allocation request or pass. The likelihood of this happening depends on a number of factors, but includes the volume of trucks your dealer is moving.
2. Typically from the time of acceptance to delivery is 6 to 8 weeks. Again this varies based on the port and dealer installed options you may have spec'd out as well as travel time from plant to port and port to your dealer. In this case, port just means the distribution facility for your dealer region (there are 12, I think, regions in the US).
3. Truck goes into the dealer and must under go a pre-delivery inspection (essentially taking off protective films, ensuring its registered, etc.), usually 1 day turnaround.
4. You come by to pick it up.
5. Any of the above can totally change if Toyota happens to have already allocated your truck to your dealer, in which case it will be a much faster process; but around here TRDOR ACs are relatively unusual. For example, after a cursory search on Cars.com, there are 5500ish new TRD ORs out in the wild - only 284 are Access Cabs.

OA

 

Sounds about right for 10 to 12 weeks. I was told the same time frame on a 2019 SR. I ended up getting a 2018 Sport yesterday.

 

Deposit on 2/19/2018
Order accepted 4/16/2018
Build VIN assigned on 5/21/2018
Built on 6/22/2018(estimate was for 6/20/2018)
Delivered on 7/9/2018

2018 OR Blue(changing the paint is relatively easy), Premium, Tech, Tonneau

Toyota was building little of that combo for the Cincinnati Region. If I didn't want the Tonneau, there were some available in the region. But it had to be there so I had to wait for it.
And I'm happy with that.

edited to add order accepted and build VIN dates
they assign a build VIN and once built it gets the permanent VIN

 

Maybe I have my terminology incorrect, but don't the distributors have their own inventory.

When I was told they would order one from the factory, I questioned the process and they meant, I would order from what the distributor had coming in, and it would be routed to my dealership.

Maybe it's just my crappy regional distributor.

 

Thanks for all the obviously well informed info. Sounds like my two big challenges are the Access cab and my dealer isn't huge. Plus it looks like the whole process just takes awhile. They are saying end of January worst case scenario. We can live with that.

 

Ron, i have been wondering this, but hoping you could answer. What does the access cab do for you? Does it provide a better solution for your needs, extra leg room, lower price?

I am curios.

 

E -

The driving factor is we want the 6 foot bed (primarily for kayaks - the 5' bed and a 12' kayak are not a good combo) without the overall length of the 4 door with a 6' bed. I know we could rack the kayaks, but my preference is not to go that route - easier for my 5' 4" wife to slide it into the truck bad and through a ratchet strap on it.

My wife and I are empty nesters so we can make the Access cab work (doesn't hurt we also have a Volvo XC60 in the garage) - we would only use the jump seats in a real pinch.

Our bigger challenge is figuring out a system for our two 55 lb Boxers to ride in the Access cab. I'm surprised (or I haven't found) some aftermarket offering for a pet platform for the Access cab. Fortunately there are some good threads on here how to make your own. Doesn't look like a bad project.

I think you save about $900 on the MSRP of an Access versus the 4 door. It wasn't a determining factor for us, but I'll take it!

 

2 weeks to get order to Toyota. 6 weeks to get build date. Once built 4 to 6 weeks to arrive at dealership. This is what I'm told from my dealer on my factory order of a 2019. So far the first part of getting order in and getting my built date has been correct. Now to see once built how long before I have it.

 

And just for complete disclosure - on the OR Access we are asking for Cement Gray with technology and premium packages and a tonneau cover (I guess this is Technology Package with Options). Doesn't seem too crazy. We shall see...

I might mention we nixed the Sport simply due to the hood scoop (and no height adjustment on the driver's seat - as on all Tacos). My wife couldn't see over the darn hood scoop. Otherwise I am guessing we'd already be driving a 2018 Sport. We don't need the OR features, but once we ruled out the Sport (and the SR/SR5 didn't have the options we wanted we ended) up with the OR by default.

 

I ordered mine around Thanksgiving 2016 and took delivery at the end of March 2017.

 

Mine took 8 weeks from order to delivery. It mostly depends on the build schedule at the factory

 

You could get the Sport and post up in the marketplace a hood swap. Guys are paying cash on top of swap for scooped hoods.

 

Hood scoop swap...that's an interesting concept. Need to noodle that one!

 

I ordered my 17 AC (just the way I wanted it) in early Dec 16 and I was in my hands on Valentines day 17.
My advice --order it the way you want it and you will be happier in the long run.
This concept of being patient to get something EXACTLY the way you it seems to be a unknown concept these days!

 

Where you located. I'm thinking of getting a new cement OR and I want a sport hood. There is a big thread called the "hood swap thread" where people do just this.

 

Deposit placed 9/18
Quoted 6-7 weeks
Allocation changed 9/19
Allocation accepted 9/24
Build date set 10/5
Build date 11/12 edit: changed to 11/6!
Delivery date.......? edit: 11/28

TRD DC OR, 6MT, Cavalry Blue, tonneau cover, cast aluminum running boards, blackout badges and tailgate insert.

The build date was longer than they said originally, probably because of the manual. I’ve heard they build them in batches, can anyone confirm this?

 

When I ordered mine that is exactly what my Dealer explained to me. Supposedly they build Manuals in batches once every 3 months and it obviously depends how close you are to one of the build schedules.

 

Mark -

Our thinking exactly - we will wait and get what we want.

Diablo -

Massachusetts so not much help and we are already pretty well down the OR path. Thanks anyway.

 

What exactly are you looking for? Just an Access cab that's OR? You can build the car you want on truecar and a bunch of dealers will contact you. I suggest you make up an email just for this purpose. One might have what you want on a lot near by