Car buying question...dealer swap?

[Pom]

So I am getting a new car...my first one in 12 years! 

My question is odd and I haven't gotten a good "Google" answer. So the car I want, is a specific color, with certain driver assist features (we do long car trips) and therefore wasn't on the closest lot. The dealer I am working with, said no biggie, we will get it here from another dealer location. It's been 10 days since we sat down and ok'd the price and details, I have no idea if it's going to be here anytime soon. The salesman and the manager don't seem very good at communicating. 

If anyone has gotten their car through a dealer swap (from another car lot) can you tell me how long it took? I don't know if they are dragging their asses or if my expectations are out of whack. 

FWIW, I started this whole process 3 weeks ago.

[kanga1]

It didn't take long at all, within a week. More importantly they should be in touch with you if there is some circumstance that is holding things up.

[azalea]

From my recollection (this was ~7 years ago), we visited the dealer, agreed upon a specific color/feature set and it took them a day or two to locate that specific vehicle at another dealer and work out a swap deal. The vehicle arrived at our dealer within a week and we purchased it then.

[Pom]

Ok. I’ll make additional inquiries tomorrow.

Thanks!

[mlkgls]

Congrats on the new car! (Mine is 12yo too and I’m just waiting for my first big repair to hit.)

Did the dealership locate a specific car or did they have to find one? Three weeks does seem like an awfully long time if they’re trying to sell you a car, but I know several of my nearby dealerships got hammered during the last hail storm. I wonder if that could have impacted availability? I think you’re a few hours south of me.

[Pom]

Apr 17, 2019 18:47:39 GMT -5 mlkgls said:

Congrats on the new car! (Mine is 12yo too and I’m just waiting for my first big repair to hit.)

Did the dealership locate a specific car or did they have to find one? Three weeks does seem like an awfully long time if they’re trying to sell you a car, but I know several of my nearby dealerships got hammered during the last hail storm. I wonder if that could have impacted availability? I think you’re a few hours south of me.

Yeah I’m in Houston so lots of cars. maybe the hail storm did impact avails but they called my H last Thursday and said they had one but were awaiting transport info. So...

[Susie]

Mine came from a few hundred miles away, so it took a week or two.  (It was a 6 speed manual TDI VW Sportwagen, in a particular color and trim line - a tall order! - back in 2014, before the VW TDI emissions scandal.)  For something more local I'd expect a few days, or at a minimum, much better communication.

[samanthamkm]

When I leased my van, there were certain features I wanted. I wasn't picky on colors just ones I didn't want. They found it on a "sister" lot in another state. I had it within 2 days.

[ellipses84]

It shouldn’t take long and even if it needs to be a week or so, they should be able to schedule it and give you a date. The one time I did it, my salesperson drove a couple hours to a different state and personally got it and drove it back for me within a couple days my since he was swapping with another car they needed. If they are putting it on a truck, it may take a little more scheduling.

[chimera]

DH’s took awhile - a few weeks/a month. but we were updated about the progress. His - the car wasn’t on the other dealer’s lot yet it- it was just scheduled to transit from the factory. It had taken a bit to even locate the specific color/trim he was wanted as there was a bit of a delay on the trim release- they were sold before they hit the lots. (This was sept/oct time frame and a new trim option-released after the regular trim options for the model year)

[shaynaatl]

For us, the dealer swap took only about 4 days (Miami to Atlanta). I think he quoted us a week at first.

[justemily]

Wow, I guess I got lucky! My swap only took an afternoon and they delivered it to my office! I'd definitely wonder what's up after as long as you've waited!

[Pom]

All that and they called and said it's here!

[OG Jo]

Congrats! Now... we need to know what car it is! LOL

[egishere]

yeah Pom, what did you get?!! I'm negotiating a new car myself right now- a Honda Pilot!

[Pom]

Oh sorry, I narrowed it down to the Acura MDX and the Lincoln Nautilus. I ended up with the Nautilus (iced mocha color) mostly because I got a great deal... we just bought the H a work truck at the same dealer. I also spend the summer in Michigan with my mom and sister and the closest Acura dealer was 4 hours away :/.

[pinkalicious]

They got it next day...but they picked up the wrong car (got the AWD car, I wasn’t buying that). So, they had to switch it out, and it was a weekend so it took an extra day.