I am going to be a bit vague to protect the innocent. Last month, I completed a transfer on a Ford signing all of the docs, etc. I paid a fee to the transferring party and shipping charges and got the vehicle to my home. I then found out the dealer who leased the vehicle in the first place hadn’t completed the paperwork on the original deal. That took a couple of weeks, but they then said Ford would be able to transfer after that since title is electronic. Ford has given me a few responses, from “any day now” to “we are waiting on DMV, it could take months”. I call them about twice a week when I have patience to spare.
Needless to say, it has been a month and a half now (two since it all began) with about $2k out of pocket and I still can’t register this thing or drive it, and I don’t even know when I can. Also making insurance and lease payments on it. I have done transfers from this state to my state before, although that was BMW, and I seem to recall it only taking a couple of weeks start to finish.
Anyway, not looking for any advice, unless someone happens to be very familiar with NJ or Ford lease transfers. I am sure there are a few things I could have done differently, namely, making sure it was a good candidate for a quick transfer. Getting this as another thing for folks to check.
Most likely, Ford does not have the initial title and, most likely, it’s because NJ DMV has not processed it. My experience transferring NJ leases out of state, even with BMW, is that it takes about 90 days to clear initial title before it can be transferred. Where-as BMW blocks transfers during this interval, it’s a bit odd that Ford seems to allow them. I think you are just playing the waiting game; in one case I didn’t clear initial NJ title for 120 days.
I guess that would make the first dealer wrong, or possibly my understanding of what they told me wrong, but seems to track otherwise. Yes, I think it is a big problem that Ford allows and completes the transfer, meaning it is yours to make payments and insure, when transfer can’t actually take place without the original title. I did try to get Ford to cover a payment with this argument and they said I was “lucky Ford let it through because they shouldn’t have” so maybe it was a mistake.
That was the part I didn’t quite understand. How was the lease “transferred” at all, if the initial deal hadn’t been finalized. Unless it’s only the registration portion of it.
I’ve never seen a digital NJ title and I see alot of NJ titles. I looked into transferring my LGT before NJ title work was complete and Ford was going to allow it. I didn’t go through with it, but I don’t think it’s a one-off. I think the big problem here is you don’t have temp tags to use. Maybe rent some dealer plates?
Usually, one to two weeks after carfax reports the initial title event first owner would get registration. This is a good sign.
So what does that mean for me? Does the original owner need to do anything with it? The time-frame should be the same for Ford to get it, right? So I guess you are right, almost there…
Hard to say for sure. Sometimes title goes back to dealer who forwards to lender, sometimes DMV sends right to lender, given they were provided those instructions. But worst-case I would think no more than 2 to 3 weeks – you should be close.
Or what does the situation look like in the event that you were to get pulled over? I feel there would be a bit of explaining there…haha
Anyway, thanks for sharing and good luck. I know its difficult to have patience with something like this (I’m also an overthinker) but everything should work itself out eventually.
I think this PSA more-so should apply to Ford transfers only, because they must be the only company dumb enough to actually let someone do a transfer without having the title in-house. I know for a fact BMWFS and Porsche Financial won’t even let you initiate if they don’t have the title.
That said, this really sucks, and I’m sorry to hear it happened to you.
Called Ford yesterday and still nothing. Looking at the original lease, it was signed about 8/6. Title was issued by DMV on 10/10. I am beginning to think either the title got lost somehow, or Ford has it and is jerking me around.
They are not apologetic at all on the phone, actually quite the opposite. Like it is normal to insure and make payments on a car that you can’t drive, for months on end. All of my enthusiasm for this truck is gone. Once it is all sorted out, I may just put it back up for transfer.
FWIW – I saw proof today that NJ does, in fact, use an electronic title where owner is Cab East LLC. In addition, they report a lienholder on the title, HTD Leasing LLC. Ford definitely doing this differently than others.
Thanks for the update. The use of electronic titles makes this delay even more baffling to me. I have a bit of an update as well, but not sure if it helps clear things up. I spoke to two people today, one regular title person and later someone higher up. The first one claimed Ford got the title two days ago and would be doing the final transfer docs and sending them soon. The second one called back to speak with me because they had heard I was “upset with how long things were taking” and said that they got the title from the dealer on 9/27 and they usually take 7-10 days from that point. Both of them seemed to be going off on tangents by randomly saying, things like “I am showing that one payment is overdue” or “Wait a minute, was this a lease or a purchase” to try to get me off track and not answer my direct questions about what was done and what was still pending.
After reminding them that this all started in September and that it is now November, I asked them to comp a payment or two. They said that they don’t do that under any circumstances. I told both of them that they have no business taking money to transfer something that they can’t actually transfer. I still don’t think they get it, but I tried. I am now told that I should have the docs enabling me to register in my state “any day now” and to call them back on Tuesday if I don’t receive them by then. I rate them all, from dealer to NJ DMV to Ford Credit 0 out of 10. Do not recommend.
Many millions of years ago, when I had a Fusion and lived in Massachusetts, it was also Cab East LLC, so I think it’s a northeast thing. They also rolled my MA excise tax into my lease, which was fine at the time, except that I hadn’t been planning on moving back to NY, and it was a huge mess when I moved with the lease.
Unless it’s only the registration portion of it.