That didn’t happen with the Ranger, despite inking an early deal with Yakima to offer everything from bed racks to paddleboard carriers. Dealers said some items initially weren’t available and others were slow to arrive.
“At launch, we may not have had as many accessories as we would have wanted, but as Ranger has evolved, the accessories have caught up,” said Tim Hovik, a member of the Ford council and owner of San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Ariz. “We feel like we’ve taken a step forward to modernize our distribution system to give the dealers more options and faster order fills so we’re more efficient with our customers and can deliver a better experience for them.”
That modernization included swapping out four of the seven Ford Accessory Distributor members, dealers said. For its Midwest region, Ford recently parted with Chicago Parts and Sound in favor of Suburban Auto Parts. The automaker advertised late last year on LinkedIn for a new service manager for its western region to start Jan. 1.
“That whole system is just getting going,” Mark LaNeve, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, said at the NADA Show here. A Ford spokesman declined to comment further.
Much is riding on Ford’s accessories business. The automaker has pointed to data from the Specialty Equipment Market Association showing that vehicle owners spent nearly $45 billion on parts and accessories in 2018, with much of that flowing to aftermarket outfitters. Buyers often pay thousands of dollars to customize their vehicles.
“We see a real profit opportunity,” Hovik said. “If I sell a Bronco, I know it’s going to be accessorized. I just don’t know if I’m going to be the one who does it. We want to get a share of that market.”
