Finding the EV pickup at MSRP is not easy these days.
New Level
In a world where even basic, non-limited vehicles are selling with dealer markups attached, it should come as no surprise that the Ford F-150 Lightning is among them. However, high demand and limited production have sent Lightning ADMs soaring to insane levels in recent weeks, but none as high as one an F-150 Lightning Forum user spotted recently - sort of.
Photos: Ford
Double Your Price
The F-150 Lightning in question had an MSRP of $69,554, though also a "market adjustment" of that same amount, bringing its total asking price up to an eye-watering $140,603. The truck in question was sitting on the lot at Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which is where the forum member came across it.
Photos: Ford
Ignoring the Warning?
Even though Ford previously warned its dealer network about slapping massive markups on the F-150 Lightning (and its other desirable models), that clearly hasn't stopped many of them from taking advantage of the tilted supply and demand curve. It also asked dealers not to sell their demo units early, or risk facing repercussions.
Photos: Ford
Simple Mistake?
In this case, Ford actually addressed what was seemingly a massive example of dealer greed, claiming that it isn't true. "This is inaccurate," Blue Oval spokesperson Mike Levine wrote on Twitter. "The dealer confirmed it was an error and the MSRP was input twice online. In fact, this was a demo unit and not for sale. The sticker was removed within 24 hours."
Photos: Ford
Common Practice
If true, that's obviously a reasonable excuse for this particular price, but we've seen far too many other marked up Lightnings to be surprised by it. Unfortunately, there isn't much Ford can do about it either, since dealers are allowed to set their own prices, as has traditionally been the case. Not all participate in this practice, but it has certainly become more common in recent years.
Photos: Ford
Change Coming?
That may not always be the case, however, as Ford CEO Jim Farley recently stated his desire to move to a fixed price, build-to-order model, particularly for EVs. This would align it with other automakers like Rivian and Tesla, which don't have dealers or negotiable prices.
Photos: Ford
Black Eye
As one might imagine, Ford's dealers have resisted that move and pushed back in a big way, so it's unclear if the automaker will be able to pull it off. But one thing's for certain - this kind of press serves as a bit of a proverbial black eye for the automaker, though a more abundant supply can help solve it, too.
Photos: Ford
>>Join the conversation about the Ford F-150 Lightning right here in the forum.
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