Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) Delays 2011 Ford Fiesta Deliveries

Shipments of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F)’s 2011 Ford Fiesta to U.S. dealerships have been delayed by 10 to 14 days because of storm-damaged rail lines.

Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski said that key rail lines in northern Mexico were damaged by Hurricane Alex on June 30^th and later by Tropical Storm Bonnie.  “We do ship a significant amount of vehicles via railroad, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t shipping at all,” said Kozleski. “We just have to reroute it and that takes time.”

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) started building production models of the Fiesta in May at its plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, near Mexico City.

The Fiesta, which will receive an impressive 40 MPG highway, is a new product to the Ford line-up and is anticipated to be a hot-seller out the door. Many dealers already have waiting lists for the car and customers who pre-ordered the vehicles earlier in the year have complained on Facebook and Twitter that Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) has been two weeks late in getting their vehicles delivered.

Kozleski said in a statement that Ford has about 2,000 early orders for the car from customers who made deposits.

“It’s too early to estimate the impact this will have on sales, but we’re shipping vehicles and will continue to monitor the situation,” Kozleski said. “Demand remains strong and we’re eager to get these vehicles in the hands of consumers.