On July 23rd, I ordered a 2025 Corolla Hatchback through one of our local dealers. I still haven’t received it. Has anyone else had to wait this long after placing an order? It’s coming from Japan, but this wait seems excessive.
Do you mean they had a Corolla coming to them, and you’re buying it? Or are they trying to get one for you, but it hasn’t been built yet?
I’m a dealer, so I can help with some info. Just need to know which situation it is.
@Sloan
I was told they ordered one, but it hasn’t been built yet.
ROZZY said:
@Sloan
I was told they ordered one, but it hasn’t been built yet.
They set a preference then. It’s too hard for manufacturers to do individual orders. What exactly are you looking for? Just because they didn’t ‘order’ it doesn’t mean they can’t get it, though.
@Sloan
I ordered a Corolla Hatchback XSE, red.
ROZZY said:
@Sloan
I ordered a Corolla Hatchback XSE, red.
Red with a black roof? What state are you in?
ROZZY said:
@Sloan
I ordered a Corolla Hatchback XSE, red.
Red with a black roof? What state are you in?
No, just red. I live in Louisville, KY.
Sloan said:
ROZZY said:
@Sloan
I ordered a Corolla Hatchback XSE, red.
Red with a black roof? What state are you in?
No, just red. I live in Louisville, KY.
When I get to the dealership tomorrow, I can do a national search for you. I’ll get some info and maybe it will help!
Toyota doesn’t do custom orders in North America. They use an allocation system. You tell the dealer what you want, and they look for something close to your preferences in the system. The simpler your order, the quicker it can be filled.
Toyota just produces a set number of cars based on the materials they have, so there’s less delay in switching out parts for custom builds.
@Roux
I was told I’d be notified when a car matching my order arrived in Portland. The dealer isn’t looking for a matching vehicle, they sent the order to Japan.
ROZZY said:
@Roux
I was told I’d be notified when a car matching my order arrived in Portland. The dealer isn’t looking for a matching vehicle, they sent the order to Japan.
They sent the order to Japan?
As others have said, this isn’t possible in North America. The dealer lied to you.
@Barrett
They definitely lied to him, and the OP just accepted it.
@Barrett
The crazy thing is, the OP even said Toyota would notify him when a matching car arrived in Portland. Isn’t that essentially hunting for the vehicle?
Roux said:
@Barrett
The crazy thing is, the OP even said Toyota would notify him when a matching car arrived in Portland. Isn’t that essentially hunting for the vehicle?
That vehicle arriving in Portland would be mine.
@Barrett
I think you might be misinformed.
ROZZY said:
@Roux
I was told I’d be notified when a car matching my order arrived in Portland. The dealer isn’t looking for a matching vehicle, they sent the order to Japan.
Can confirm, they lied to you. We can’t order vehicles, period.
You’re just waiting for them to allocate a vehicle that’s close to what you want. That’s it. I would suggest looking at other dealers in the meantime.
From what I know, Toyota doesn’t do custom orders. The dealership has to wait until one is sent to them or a partner/dealer, and it can take a really long time depending on what you want.
I waited for a Corolla Hybrid with blindspot monitors, but after three or four months with no dealership having one, I gave up and went with a Prius that was already in transit to the dealership. It took 2-3 months to get it. (The Prius is made in Japan.)
That was over a year ago, so things might have changed since then.
If you’ve reserved one, it seems like a long wait, but based on my 2023 experience, it’s pretty standard.
@Milo
The Toyota dealership told me that all new cars are sold before they even arrive at the dealership.
ROZZY said:
@Milo
The Toyota dealership told me that all new cars are sold before they even arrive at the dealership.
Ah, it’s the same as 2023 then. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the websites and see if any cars you like are reserved. If you find one, reserve it so you get first dibs on it. That’s how I got my Prius. It usually counts toward your down payment.
I checked the site daily, and when they listed it, I called to ask if it was reserved yet. It wasn’t, so I reserved it.
Toyota doesn’t do custom orders. The Corolla Hatchbacks are still in very limited supply.