Where is the 'build date' on the window sticker?

[dalebunker]

Where do you find the build date / manufacture date when looking at the window sticker?

 

At the top, middle do the sticker, I see a sequence that looks like 120120824 blend(under the last 4 digits) then a bolded 4 digit number. The VIN seems to only represent the model year.

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks?

[cgul]

Mine was built 9/17/2012 and those numbers you quote on my sticker are: 120120917.

 

So looking at your numbers I would say 8/24/2012.  The build date is on a sticker inside the drivers door toward the front of the car.

[Laurel]

Where do you find the build date / manufacture date when looking at the window sticker?

 

At the top, middle do the sticker, I see a sequence that looks like 120120824 blend(under the last 4 digits) then a bolded 4 digit number. The VIN seems to only represent the model year.

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks?

With your number, 1 represents North American and then the year which is 2012, and then the month which is 8 (August) and the 24 for day of the month.

[dalebunker]

Thanks! I've been scanning inventories..-getting close to buying-- and was hoping to get a current build.. This really helps!

[DaveofDurham]

I don't have the digits at the top of my window sticker.  At the bottom of the sticker right next to the box labelled "Method of Transp." there is a string of digits that ends with 11 07 12.  The sticker at the front of my drivers door says 11 12.

[mtberman]

The build date only appears on an electronically-rendered version of the sticker, not on the actual (paper) sticker itself. There are several ways to view a Ford window sticker but this site is one of the most popular:

 

http://www.researchmaniacs.com/Ford/TrackFactoryCarOrders.html

[DaveofDurham]

Thanks for the link.  My electronic window sticker says 120121113 so I will wish my C-Max a happy birthday on November 13th.

 

I wonder what the 11 07 12 at the bottom of my hard copy window sticker means?

[StoBro2]

My printed sticker has a code of 08 16 12 and the electronic version has that plus 120120823 in the bottom margin. Maybe one is the date the order was initiated in the system at the plant and the other is the date the car went out the door? Both are Thursdays. Given the number of little assembly flaws, I could've sworn it was built on a Monday or Friday.

[mtberman]

The date at the very bottom is the date the sticker is/was viewed. In other words, if you render a sticker for viewing today on the internet, that date will be today's date. If it's on the printed sticker then that's the date the paper sticker was actually prepared.

 

There is another date near the bottom. It's in the box below the Item # box that has your order number in it. That date is in a regular date format (i.e., 01 18 13) and is very often six days prior to the scheduled build date. In my experience, that date is the first day the window sticker was first available, like for online viewing.

Edited January 26, 2013 by mtberman

[C-MaxSea]

Any explanation for my numbers:

 

Build date:  120120823                          (Aug. 23, 2012)

 

"Item #" line two date:  12 07 12            (Dec. 7, 2012???)

[mtberman]

The car may have been re-invoiced due to a change in order status, pricing change, or inventory change such as a dealer trade. Can't tell without the entire VIN.

[C-MaxSea]

Thanks MT.  The salesman mentioned something about a 'dealer trade' had occured on our C-Max.  So, perhaps at one dealer from September to December, then 'traded' in December to where we purchased it ????   I hope that does not indicate any foul play along the way between dealers.

 

The vehicle had an extra sticker on it about having been involved in the factory's random testing - where they pull vehicles at random at the end of the line for testing, approx 10+- miles associated.  Any chance they would have discovered problems and set it aside for reworking, then made an initial delivery in December ???

 

Sure would like to know it's full history.  I will try to do some digging where we purchased it. nick

[mtberman]

Thanks MT.  The salesman mentioned something about a 'dealer trade' had occured on our C-Max.  So, perhaps at one dealer from September to December, then 'traded' in December to where we purchased it ????   I hope that does not indicate any foul play along the way between dealers.

 

The vehicle had an extra sticker on it about having been involved in the factory's random testing - where they pull vehicles at random at the end of the line for testing, approx 10+- miles associated.  Any chance they would have discovered problems and set it aside for reworking, then made an initial delivery in December ???

 

Sure would like to know it's full history.  I will try to do some digging where we purchased it. nick

 

That's funny, I was going to list "selected at random for quality control checks" under the reasons why it might have been re-invoiced later, but thought to myself 'Nah, that's pretty rare'.

 

That is most likely why the dates don't match up. It was most likely tested, found to be fine, and put back in the pool of available cars before being allocated to a dealer. If that's the case, it will say "O/T 2" in the area near the item number box. Order Type 2 means a regular inventory order for dealer stock.

 

Your dealer could tell you exactly what happened on December 7 by looking it up on their computer, but it's probably not worth worrying about.

[C-MaxSea]

Thanks again MT.  Yes ours has the "O/T 2" designation.  Interesting stuff to decipher.  A couple further notes. 

 

I have a stack of 'window stickers' to  compare and noted that most typically show the lower date being a week or two prior to the upper 'build date'.  The only exception I found was ours, and one other.  The other one was also an August build date - 120120815.  The Item # date is Sept. 25, 2012 - 09 25 12.  Interestingly, both ours and this one show a different designation along the upper line - "4-REBILL"; as opposed to the normal designation of "9-NORMAL".  These designations are then followed by "NA," and then two additional coded numbers.  Ours is specifically:  4-REBILL, NA, 100526, CM071.  The other is:  4-REBILL, NA, 200603, CJ252.

 

NA is obviously North America, the other codes a mystery to me.

 

Nick

Edited January 29, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[mtberman]

On the re-bill, I think the six digit number is a dealer number, and the second number (take the C off) is an order number.

 

Perhaps the car was pulled out of stock after it had been allocated to a dealer (dealer # 100526, order #m071), most likely as a random test thing. They would have just given that dealer a different car instead. If so, it would have been put back into stock later and then re-allocated and re-billed to another dealer (dealer # 200603, order #j252). Or something like that.

 

How would you feel about buying this car?  VIN: 1FADP5BU5DL502068

[C-MaxSea]

Just a guess - is that the first one off the assembly line? 

 

NO, I just typed it into the search and found that it was a "Dxxxxxx UNIT", and no build date (?).  Is this one your beautiful White Platinum, MT?

Edited January 29, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[mtberman]

Ha Ha, actually it's car number 2068 off the line.

 

I must say I've never seen the "Damaged Unit" entry on a window sticker before. Also interesting that it says O/T G. I know Order Type 1 is a customer order and Order Type 2 is a dealer stock order, but I have no idea what an order type G is.

 

I found that sticker when I was looking at used C Maxs for sale. The car is actually listed for sale right now. It's probably fine and just had some cosmetic damage or something, but I personally would want some kind of explanation before I bought it.

[Hollywoodtx]

Just looked at mine and mine has a b-day of 9/11/2012

[Laurel]

I look often at the Canadian C-Max inventory and there seem to be many with a September 11 build date.

[VirginiaRick]

Rats!  I finally got around to checking my build date: "120120820" --> 8/20/12......a MONDAY!!! :banghead:

[colea]

Rats!  I finally got around to checking my build date: "120120820" --> 8/20/12......a MONDAY!!! :banghead:

My window sticker listed a build date of 3/12, but the car, according to the sticker on the car itself, was actually built on 3/13. So maybe they will be a day behind on yours as well and yours will get built on a Tuesday? One case where not meeting your deadlines might be OK.  :)

[dalebunker]

My window sticker listed a build date of 3/12, but the car, according to the sticker on the car itself, was actually built on 3/13. So maybe they will be a day behind on yours as well and yours will get built on a Tuesday? One case where not meeting your deadlines might be OK.  :)

Mine says the same thing, with the same dates : sticker says build date of 3/12, sticker on the car says built on 3/13.  Wonder if we'll have identical issues  :headscratch:

[colea]

Mine says the same thing, with the same dates : sticker says build date of 3/12, sticker on the car says built on 3/13.  Wonder if we'll have identical issues  :headscratch:

Well, so far I have no issues, and hope you don't either. I think this is a Good Sign!