ST3 Delayed due to Recaro Seats back order
 

I just got a call from my dealer he was told by the Ford rep that the all leather Recaro seats are on back order so any 202A (ST3) package will be delayed until Mid October.

That just sucks![mecry]

Again!? Well, now is my time to place my order! It won't be here till February!

I thought it was the HID head lamp assemblies that were the bottle neck, now you're saying its the generic looking black leather recaro seats? I'm sure they are very nice, but apart from adding an electric motor, possibly a seat heater, and full leather what's the real difference over the half leather seat structure itself?

Nothing except you get a sweaty back.

No mention of HID delay
 

My sales person never even mentioned a delay due to the HID lights. I agree how do they not have sets! Nuts![?|]

The ST2 Package is the way to go and just add NAV unless you are set on leather because HIDs these days are cheap and very easy to do and the 2k difference is kind of steep

All confirmed ST3 orders were to have been contacted by the Ford about either waiting for the car to be available, or substituting an ST1 or ST2 because of the HID assemblies not being available yet, and they were also canceling all stock orders for ST3s and allowing dealers to reschedule an ST1 or 2 for the same allocation period.

Edit: Found the source document as of July:

"SUMMARY
The HID headlamp assembly with LED lighting included in the 2013 Focus ST ST3 (202A) will be offered
as late availability. Introduction timing for ST3 (202A) is estimated early Q4 2012.
KEY CHANGES
• 2013 Focus ST ST3 (202A) package will be moved to late availability. Dealer stock orders
already scheduled for ST3 have been canceled and orders can be replaced with 200A or 201A
immediately. 202A orders not yet scheduled have been put on hold pending equipment
availability.
• Customers with Retail Orders including ST3 will be directly contacted by ST Program
Headquarters to discuss options (including spec changing or waiting for 202A.)
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
• Dealers should ensure that Focus ST retail customer orders have been registered with the 2013
Early Order Program to ensure Ford has the required customer contact information and to ensure
eligibility for the pre-sale GoPro camera incentive for the first 1000 verified retail orders received
by August 20, 2012. Presently only 65% of retail customer orders are registered for this
incentive. See https://cni.dealerconnection.com/ to register your customer.
• Retail customer orders that have not been approved by the 2013 Early Order Program will not be
scheduled for production and will not be eligible for the GoPro camera incentive.
• Ford will be directly contacting retail customers who have pre-ordered a 2013 Focus ST with the
ST3 (202A) package. Retail customers will be given the option of:
o Replacing the order with the 201A or 200A package
o Waiting for availability of the 202A package with HID headlamps, tentatively estimated at
early Q4 2012.
• There is no change to the availability of 2013 Focus ST 200A or 201A packages."

This documentation seems to indicate that it was the lights and unless there was a further communication that I'm unaware of nothing was ever mentioned about the full leather recaro seats being the concern.

True HID's are neither cheap nor easy to do. The entire housing is different to focus the light properly. Those cheap "kits" that call themselves HID's are junk, and only make you look like you have blue lights (which is illegal). If you're going to rice out a $25k car, go for it.

Someone is snappy. Well I work on electronics and you can get quality kits that come with the ballast and light and are your so called true HIDs that use ionized gas which is what HIDs use. And your cheap and my cheap might be different. All i was saying is that you could save yourself time and money doing it yourself. And if you would like when my car is "Riced" out. We can race.

I'm not snappy, just trying to eliminate mis-information. You won't duplicate the stock HID's with any aftermarket kit. If you need to tell yourself that's the case to make yourself feel better about "doing it yourself", go for it. But don't fool people into thinking they will get something as good as the stock HID setup with something from the aftermarket. They'll be disappointed.