Ford CEO Jim Farley has bad news for shoppers hoping to find a Ford Maverick this year. “Unfortunately, we completely under-called the demand for Mavericks,” he says. The company is hiring workers to increase shifts at the Hermosillo, Mexico, plant that builds the truck. However, on a recent shareholder call, Farley told investors, “I’m not confident even with the capacity increase that we’re going to have a lot of Mavericks available to everyone.”
An Automotive Gold Record
The Maverick was the automotive smash hit of the 2022 model year and shows no signs of losing momentum in 2023 or 2024.
The first compact pickup offered for sale in the U.S. in about a decade, the Maverick is a 4-seater truck that fits in the footprint of a midsize car. Its bed — just 4.5 feet — won’t haul everything you need to build a shed in one trip.
But it’s just the thing for weekend trips to the garden center and hauling a pair of bikes to the trailhead. And it’s small enough to park almost anywhere a car can go. The base model Maverick is a fuel-sipping hybrid, and its $22,595 starting price is less than half the price of the average new vehicle this year.
Backorders, Slim Supplies on Dealer Lots
Ford has consistently built fewer Mavericks than the market could buy. The 2023 model sold out in just six days. The company plans to open orders for the 2024 model in July but anticipates they won’t last long.
Farley notes that buyers may still be able to find one at a local dealership. “Look, we have a 10-day supply of the vehicle” on dealer lots, he notes. But 60 days is closer to the industry norm. At times this year, Ford has had a nearly-100-day supply of its best-selling F-150 pickup.
A Few Alternatives Coming
Shoppers looking for an alternative have just one at the moment. The Hyundai Santa Cruz fills a similar role, though it doesn’t come in a hybrid.
But rivals have noticed the Maverick’s success. Chevrolet is working on its own Maverick rival. Ram recently showed dealers their smaller truck, which may resurrect the Dakota name, though reports say it may be large enough to qualify as midsize.
