Some First Deliveries Of 2021 Ford F-150 On Schedule, Orders With Work Space, Fold Flat Seats, 3.0-liter Diesel Delayed

Ford has done a great job of hyping the 2021 Ford F-150. The 14th-generation has many new features that have mass appeal and interest for consumers. Ford has hyped them with ads already and certainly those of us in the media have raved about some of these new features. And now the truck is in production despite an up and down year and production delays due to the pandemic.

After the successful launch, I wrote about some of my favorite new features of the 2021 F-150 which included the flat work surface in the front seat and the max folding seats in the higher trims. However, both of these popular add ons seem like they’re encountering some production delays, according to information posted on the website f150gen14.com.

The forum has some leaked info reflecting the production status of some orders for the 2021 F-150. It all rotates around the OKTB status, which essentially means okay to buy or okay to build, as in, proceed with the orders.

Week 46 appears to be the target for first deliveries of the 2021 F-150, which means somewhere around mid-November, meaning that production is on schedule. However, some forum members voiced concerns over certain options that appear to be on hold.

Let’s take a look at some of those options and when they may be delayed until.

Max Recline Seats In 2021 Ford F-150
The Max Recline Seats for the 2021 F-150 are exclusive to the King Ranch trim as well as the Platinum and Limited models. This is one of the best features I’ve seen offered in a truck as they not only offer space to recline, but a new patented mechanism actually helps those seats not only recline, but fold flat to nearly 180 degrees with the bottom cushion rising to the meet the back cushion and upper back support.

You can sleep inside the truck and honestly of all the features this is one of the options I’d likely opt for and one I’m certainly looking forward to testing out.

However, according to inside information provided from a car dealer, OKTB for this feature has been delayed to mid-December. So for anyone hoping they’d get their King Ranch, Limited or Platinum F-150 with the Max Recline Seats in the early batch of deliveries, that won’t happen.

The reason for the delay is not known, but it’s likely to do some kind of part or supply issue. At least it’s still set to deliver in 2020 (as of now) which is more than we can say about other features.

Fold Flat Work Surface For 2021 Ford F-150
Another cool feature is the fold flat Work Surface. As the gear shift stows away (retracts) it makes room for a flat work surface area perfect for laptops or even eating a quick meal. And the simple push of a button creates this well-thought work area.

The Fold Flat Work Surface is available in both bench and captain’s chair seat configurations on trims starting with XL to Limited.

However, of high concern is what appears to be a significant delay in part 50M, which is the Fold Flat Work Surface. The delay appears to affect all iterations with bucket seats. My guess would be the super majority of orders involved the bucket seat configuration and that this work surface was a highly attractive add-on option.

This feature is listed as late availability and states expected in 2021, meaning anyone who ordered the work surface with bucket seats likely won’t see their new F-150 until at least the first half of 2021.

One forum poster on f150gen14 said he heard this issue was related some major part delays. If that’s true, I would hope that Ford executives make some calls, rattle some cages and hasten this process otherwise there could be a lot of unhappy customers.

3.0-liter Diesel Engine Availability In Ford F-150
One of my more popular stories here at Torque News was about the rumor of Ford discontinuing the small diesel engine for the F-150. That rumor has shown to be untrue as of now, as the 3.0-liter Power Stroke engine is part of the 14th-generation F-150.

However, that engine is listed as delayed according to the leaked dealer information. The 3.0-liter Power Stroke was not very popular for the previous generation, so the rumor of it being discontinued made sense. One Ford dealer told me they couldn’t “give them away” and had several still sitting on their lots.

But, for those customers who did order the 2021 F-150 with the 3.0-liter diesel, they will have to take delivery of their truck. In fact, one rumor shows a delay of up to 3-4 months for delivery of these trucks. That could leave some customers quite upset.

The turbocharged and intercooled 60-degree V6 diesel makes 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. It has a GVWR of 7,050 and a max GCWR of 17,900 pounds making it an appealing option for those with heavy towing needs. But just how long will customers have to wait? That’s to be determined. It certainly will take until the first month or two of 2021 until delivery of this truck, if not longer.

I want to hear from you. Have you ordered your F-150 or are you just waiting for them to show up on dealer lots? Leave me a comment below with what your build is or your reason to just see what shows up on dealer lots.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.