Dealers: what does this mean?

I'm not a dealer but I ordered my car the same way. My dealer will not have the Vin# until the ship gets into port in a few days. He knows the ship and what he is allocated but not the Vin#.
I gave him a $1,000 deposit. I have a purchase order that has all the figures on it and there isn't anything added except floormats and they are giving me those for free.
If the dealer is honest you shouldn't have any problems. They want to sell cars, some add on more port installed options than others. Get everything in writing including them writing on your P.O. that your deposit is refundable.

 

I was told the same thing and the spec sheet my dealer emailed me showed the ship that the car was on. It was explained to me that as the cars are unloaded from the ship, they are assigned VIN numbers then. Not sure how true this is, but this is what I was told (or at least it was the way I understood it). Hope this helps.

 

The Nashville-area dealer I've gone through (and put a $500 deposit at) has also given me the June 18th date for the Prius arrival, but not has provided a VIN or much else.

I was fine with this until this afternoon when the Clarksville, Tenn., dealer told me that he had a 2010 Prius on his lot and expected more sometime next week. Then he sent me an email with a picture of the car - not sure of the package but "fully loaded" with leather, bluetooth and nav $30059.

I don't know how tiny Clarksville got a 2010 before the other Nashville dealerships, but there it is, and I'm wishing I'd waited a little longer before giving my non-refundable deposit to Ron Hibbard, the dealership in Gallatin.

 

The cars are assigned VIN numbers at the port? Including riveting the little metal plate just under the window? And aren't they cast into the engine block on the Prius? Or is that when the dealer is assigned the car, including all the colors and options? I'm confused!

 

Not true, guys. VINs can be found all over the vehicles (engine blocks, frame, etc.) You don't ASSIGN VIN (like giving your kid a name). The VIN is there when it was made.
The sheet that dealers have would show vehicles that have been produced even if they are sitting in some parking lots in Japan. They can track where the vehicles are. On ship or at port of entry.
In fact, dealers are looking at the same shipping data sheets. They can claim some of them, and those will be shipped to them. Larger dealer (based on past sales record) gets to claim more vehicles if they choose to. (when Prius was hot-selling, this makes lots of differences) They also can do trading among dealers once the vehicles are assigned or arrived. You don't ORDER-TO-MAKE a vehicle unless it is for premium brands like Porche, BMW or MB. It is not efficient to do that.
If you want it quick, look at the list and pick one that is closest to what you want (on the ship or at the port). If not, tell your salesperson what you want and the waiting game begins.

 

In the thread "Prius Team, provide processonce order has been submitted" has posts from several dealers explaining the ordering and shipping process.
It looks like the VIN's are assigned once the ships arrive in port.
David (aka Blind Guy)

 

People may be using the word "assigned" differently. Cars are given their VIN when the car is assembled. It may be that particular cars, with their previously given VIN numbers are assigned to particular dealers in port, once the final allocation and preferencing process is completed.

Roy

 

Sure you do. I ordered a GM minivan with options that I'm sure made it unique, certainly they did not have one built like that. It arrived in about 7 weeks.

 

Depending on what you mean by "assign"...
Who does the VIN on engine block, then? There are many places with VINs on the frame as well. Maybe, by "assign", they means on their computer system. VIN is all over the vehicle.
They were done in the factory.

I saw the VIN number of a Mazda CX9 I wanted when it was sitting in Japan.
I switched to another one on the ship since I didn't know how long it would take to arrive in USA. I personally saw the list of all CX9 that were made at that time destined to California, either sitting in Japan or on the ship to USA.

I am sure that this is a matter of "definition". Definition of "VIN assignment".

 

Maybe that is why they are in the trouble they are today.
Made-to-order complicates the manufacturing process, therefore, raises the cost. My ex-BMW 540iA was made to order with a very unique color. Added $2000 to the price.

 

My dealer explained to me that the paperwork, ie window sticker and such is printed up after the ship arrives in port. That's why when dealers do a "dealer swap" while the car is in transit on the ship the window sticker gets printed up with the correct dealer's name on it. So I'm sure all the cars get their VIN at the factory it's just that the paperwork doesn't get printed up till just before it gets on the car carrier

 

Ok, I'll do my best to hopefully explain this accurately.
The Vehicle Identification Number is put on the car at the place of manufacture. In this case at the plant in Japan. The dealers here in the US do not always have access to the Vin# They get it when the car has been assigned to them at the port. The car physically has a Vin# but the cars still have to be assigned to a dealer. I guess that is done by the region or whomever decides what dealership, gets what specific car. THEN they will get the Vin# of the car that will be delivered to them.
That is my understanding.

 

A VIN# is given to it at the point of being built. It is known only to toyota at that point. Once it is unloaded from the ship and on it's way to the proper dealership, that is when the VIN is disclosed to everyone.