Dealer told me my car has a vin but there is a FACTORY FREEZE. Anyone know what that is?

Guessing no one knows what this means.

It means the factory has frozen production.

OK..but dealer said there is a VIN so car has been produced?

These are new codes and no one really knows what they exactly mean. My inclination is that it means the factory has frozen build and no changes are to be made. The car is being produced as normal. It doesn't mean the factory has halt production. I am in the same situation with the car being built and VIN issued. The car has been in freeze status for over a month and yet a VIN was assigned.

My guess is that the car is built but missing a component. In 2019 there were lots filled with thousands of Mercedes GLE cars and that turned out to be a huge mistake. There were so many that they couldn’t get to them when they had parts. Some cars sat for 6-9 months.

It’s been more common of late to build missing one component (needing a chip) like Ford, GM and Porsche have done... Some Porsche vehicles ship to the Dealer with a stop sale. I don’t recall what Ford was missing but there have been pictures of new trucks stored on lots waiting to be completed. Recently the chip shortage has resulted in sound system Amp delays. Without an Amp the safety sound warnings aren’t functional, so even though the vehicle is basically complete, it can’t be sold.

They should be able to make a call and let you know what it means exactly.

hutch is correct, the configuration is frozen and can no longer be changed.

Took my GLE for B service last week and my rep told me that he has a customer on his third build of an S class. First came in minus several options and even standard features. Second showed everything in order but day after production invoice showed missing options. Customer was really not in a hurry so now has ordered a third vehicle. Such is today's world.

Something doesn’t add up with the Factory Freeze comments. OP has an SN that is given at or near the beginning of actual production. The term Mercedes uses is that a Vehicle is “locked to changes” not “Factory Freeze”. VAG uses the term Freeze so maybe the SA just misspoke. On another Forum a member just posted that his vehicle has an SN and passed the production date only to find out it didn’t complete production a week later.

Maybe the SA was talking about the build being “Locked” but if so he’s several weeks behind and why didn’t he comment about it being in production if he said it has an SN?

This is the email I received...

Maybe Mr. Freeze paid a visit to the factory.....

Tastee comment...

I know I had a vin and my car blew through its production estimate. I assume it meant the build is locked but OP should be able to have the dealer reach out on his behalf. Hopefully, he reports back for others.

OP any update on this? My dealer is telling me the same now. Waiting to hear back.

Car has a VIN, but order has event code ZFSC - "Factory Final Freeze - No Differences"

No. My salesman still says he's working on this but hasn't had any information for me. At this point I think I'm gonna bag the 22 and order a 24 in May.

Heard back and our vehicle is supposedly in production now, a week later than scheduled.

Ask your dealer for the scheduled production decade or date. He should be able to provide one if there is a VIN assigned.

I just got my GLE350 on 10/24.
Just want to show you my Netstar code as reference so you can probably predict when your car is coming

Heard back from my dealer. Saying the freeze is some software update and now it's on freeze until December 13th. I ordered this thing in MAY. This is the second year in a row I did not get a car..Thinking I'm done with Benz for a bit until they get their **** together. How can a software update take months? People that ordered months after me are getting delivery. Nothing special on my build.

Freeze is not a software update. MB has a new system with new Netstar codes (starting Aug 22). Most sales people don't have an idea and make things up and they go. To the best I can ascertain, "freeze" is part of every build now and it's more alike to as the build is locked.

Decade freeze is where a decade is locked and the build is to be built in that decade (now exceptions exists).

Factory final freeze - differences or no differences are referring to whether there are changes detected on a particular build.

We will get better idea once more people post pictures of the build process so we can figure out these new codes and the stages involved in a build.

@MikeSL thank you for posting this. Do you have a picture of the process between 10/3 and 10/17 on your build? If so, can you please post it. Mine is stuck at stage - vehicle at factory dispatch yard. I want to see what next stages are.

Yeah at this point it doesn't seem to matter. I ordered in May, the first day and they couldn't deliver me a vehicle in a timely fashion. Then I see people that ordered in September taking delivery. Not to mention my dealership was just taken over by a company I'm not so fond of..After 25 years I might look elsewhere from MB.

Sounds like your dealer specifically screwed up or just screwed you intentionally.
Maybe they gave up your allocation to another customer who was willing to pay more. I wonder if that is even allowed/possible?

I'm kinda suspecting that is what is happening with my order and its "not allocated to customer" status. Not my specific SA's fault (he's fairly new) but maybe management playing games.

When did you order?

I ordered a GLE 63S Coupe early october.