[The_Warlin]

Excellent News! Jeep has apparently heard the response from consumers on not allowing custom orders, and is starting to roll out the option. Below is the exact email reply I got from Chrysler/Jeep customer support in return to an email I sent basically asking when custom ordering will be in place. Feel free to email or call FCA yourself for confirmation.

"Dear John:

I am glad to read of your interest in Jeep.

According to our provided resources, as of moments ago, dealers are
being notified of the upcoming ability to submit "Sold Orders" for
customers when factory ordering opens this month. A sold order is an
order that is placed through the factory order system, specifically in a
customer's name, configured to the customer's preferences within the
limitations of available features and options in the factory order
system.

The dealership may require a deposit, partial or full payment for this
vehicle and that is entirely at the dealers' discretion as we do not
dictate to the dealer any part of the sales negotiation with the
customer. Please be advised that the lead time for a factory sold order
for a customer can be as much as 16 weeks because the 2015 Jeep Renegade
originates from Italy.

The Dealer Preference Submission system (not a sold order) is also in
place as I described in my previous email where you may submit your
preferences to your selling dealer and they can submit this
configuration to receive a matching vehicle from vehicles already built
and in the shipping process. The timeline for this system may be shorter
but there is no guarantee of an exact match to the vehicle you want.

Since the 2015 Jeep Renegade is a Non-NAFTA vehicle (not built in
Canada, U.S. or Mexico) it is subject to different ordering rules and
policies than NAFTA vehicles, so we came up with the 2 different systems
in place to receive a vehicle.

I realize that this may be a bit confusing, to you as well as the
dealerships, but we have tried to come up with an option of getting a
vehicle without having to wait 4 months for a sold order to arrive. If
your dealer is able to find a vehicle that meets your exact needs using
the preference submission system, this may be a shorter wait time but if
they are unable to get your exact vehicle, the sold order system may be
your only alternative to obtain your exact vehicle.

Our best suggestion would be for you to keep in contact with your
preferred Jeep dealership as the ordering system changes on a frequent
basis. Your preferred Jeep dealership will be first informed as to when
they are capable of placing an order on your behalf and are the best
resource for the most up-to-date factory order timing and product
information."

 

[bwbike]

That's great! I'm sure this will make a lot of people happy.

 

[McGrill]

Yay! I will be passing this along to my salesman this morning. Thank you for the update.

 

[Eric5273]

Glad to hear. I am in a situation where I have a lease expiring next year and I would want to order my renegade. I don't even care if it takes 6 months, I just need to know I can place an order and have some idea when the vehicle with the exact specs I order will arrive. The "wait and see" game would not work for me, and I am far too picky to accept a car that is not exactly what I want.

 

[PutnamJeep]

We're all excited that now we can place sold orders. Means we can call of our customers back and start putting orders in.

 

[BurningGirl]

To our dealer friends: Any of you seeing MySky options in the dealer preference system yet? That's one of the main things many of us are waiting for.

 

[KBinWisco]

To our dealer friends: Any of you seeing MySky options in the dealer preference system yet? That's one of the main things many of us are waiting for.

That, and the possibility of the 1.4/manual combination?

 

[PutnamJeep]

I checked and you can select it in the Dealer Preference section. From what I'm seeing/understanding currently, if you go with the popular equipment group, you can only get the power MySky and not the manual version of MySky.

It's also required to get a few more options if you go with the popular equipment group as well.

 

[PutnamJeep]

Also - Got a bit more info about MySky - Apparently there will be a Key that you can store inside of the vehicle to remove the panels -

 

[tony]

It's times like this that make me wonder if they read what people say on online communities since I believe that may be true, maybe in this case? But of course that won't be their sole motivation for doing this, word passed on from dealers would be included in the many motivations.

 

[Foobar]

Just confirmed with my dealer today that there are no restrictions for ordering at this time, and MySky is an option. Heading over on Thursday to test drive a Trailhawk, make a final color decision, and submit the order!

 

[fmunk]

It's times like this that make me wonder if they read what people say on online communities since I believe that may be true, maybe in this case? But of course that won't be their sole motivation for doing this, word passed on from dealers would be included in the many motivations.

If they want it to be a sales success (and they are serious about increasing sales, CEO Mike Manley have said so numerous times at auto show speeches and press interviews) they have to listen to market demands.

But if it's going to take 4 to 6 months for delivery as others have said, better to wait for 2016 and for the hype to cool. More chances of factory and dealer incentives then too as competition heats up.

 

[bwbike]

I will likely order a 2017 if they offer the 2.4 (or more powerful) engine with a manual transmission. I'm in no hurry now since I now have the Trailhawk.