[Hot Rod]

A couple of reasons:

1) It gives you a better idea of when a given vehicle might show up
if it is in transit by comparing it to the current production and the
present inventory and the date similar VINs have shown up.

2) There has been a suggestion that the early vehicles might have
more issues than later ones. This is supported by experience with
some previous models. The number 10,000 has been suggested
as a "break point" (11,000 VIN in this case). I will leave it to the
user to decide on the validity of this - I refuse to get into a debate
one way or the other.

I was in the dealer yesterday to check my order of BE and saw that is in the transit already with VIN (but didn't get it because I wasn't aware of this). ETA is next week. Thank you much for your reply. Happy 4th of July weekend.

 

[zroger73]

Interestingly, they gave me an updated delivery that was changed from June 30 to July 12-15. Today I see that another RL that they have coming had it's date changed from June 30 to July 5 and it has a VIN only 23 from mine. I have emailed the dealer to see if mine is also expected. I wonder if they did not just pad the dates so as not to disappoint a second time.

Clearly the "previously quoted on forum" 200/day production was way off the mark. Late April to now gives a production rate of more like 80-100 per day....

I don't know when my Ridgeline was originally ordered by the Florida dealer, but it had an original production date of 6/1-6/5 that was later updated to 6/26-6/30. Since the order was transferred from the Florida dealer to my Texas dealer on 6/28, I feared it might get delayed again. Fortunately, it did end up getting built because it got a VIN and loaded onto a choo-choo train yesterday. The dealer said "4 weeks", but the status shows an ETA of 6/12-6/16. I have a feeling it will arrive before then, but I know very little about how the automotive distribution system works. I know that the Honda plant loads them on rail carriers (I saw them during the 2010 Ridgeline plant tour and you can see them on the Google satellite view). I assume from there they make one or more interchanges before arriving at a regional distribution hub where they complete their journey to the dealer by truck.

Was I the one who estimated 200/day production? If so, I still believe that was close to reality - at least a few weeks ago based on the best available information at the time. HMA claims the official production start date was 5/5, but maybe they had a "soft" start a week or two prior. If you considered dates and VINs, it looks like Honda dedicated a lot of resources to producing a relatively large number of Ridgelines in a relatively short period of time to fill the initial dealer allotment after which production may have relaxed a bit as production yielded to the other models.

 

[CCDAstro]

Fortunately, it did end up getting built because it got a VIN and loaded onto a choo-choo train yesterday. The dealer said "4 weeks", but the status shows an ETA of 6/12-6/16.

I know my wife's Odyssey was more like two weeks (West Coast) projected. It wound up being 3 because flooding had shut down the rail traffic for a few days at that time. That was Fall 2014...

The production date modification you experienced is interesting. As I recall, a few weeks ago someone (Joe maybe?) said that they had slowed production due to whatever had delayed release until the 21st. If that is correct, it would explain your delay as well as the seemingly "lower than they should be" total production numbers. Just a theory and just sheer speculation on my part. If true, good news for those with VINS after that time (both yours and mine, apparently).

As far as mine goes, I have a hard time believing it would not show up at the same time as another with a VIN 23 lower given that just one double stack railcar (most common kind) holds 22 vehicles, if I am not mistaken. OTOH, with my luck, mine would be the 23rd RL that had to wait for the next train. :act024:

 

[spam16v]

Scheduled arrival of the 8th, came the 9th, I take delivery the 12th after work. Spent the weekend at The AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days @ Mid-Ohio Raceway.

 

[spam16v]

Update, 60k miles and traded it in on a ‘19 in Dec of 2019. Dealer gave it away with 0% with Honda’s incentives and to make their quota bump for end of year. RL #3 for me.