[FKHeath]

I called the dealer that we bought our prius from a number of years back and he seemingly took an order for '23 RAV4 Hybrid LE + BSM. No deposit, MSRP pricing, and he said he would send a spec sheet when available. Also that is could take 9-12 months.
Question is, does Toyota take retail orders or is it mostly dealer stock?
From the sound of my "order" it sounds more as if they are putting me inline for dealer stock that matches what I am looking for.

There has been a lot of, sometimes heated, debate on this forum as to whether you can "custom order" a Toyota, or do you get on a list for an allocation. It sounds to me that you are on a list for a future allocation. When the dealer gets an allocation for a car that is close to what you want, he will contact you to see if you want that one. That is actually the fastest way to get something near what you want. My son and I just went through that process for a Toyota Prius, which will be delivered to us next Monday.

But it is possible to place a custom order depending on the dealer, the current state of supply, and some other factors. My dealer is seventh in the nation in fleet orders, placing orders for up to 100 vehicles at a time, so my dealer will take a custom order, which is what I did in '21 for my RAV4 XLE Premium hybrid. When a fleet customer wants 100 vehicles, mostly alike, there is no way in the allocation system to accommodate that, so factory custom orders are allowed.

In my case, I placed a custom order in May '21, specifying exactly what I wanted (trim level, colors, options, and accessories). About two weeks later, my dealer informed me that my order had been accepted by Toyota and my RAV4 would be built on July 25. It was built then, and I received it at the end of August. So, yes, custom orders are possible, depending --.

 

[FKHeath]

This is what I have been trying to do. A lot of dealers "talk" , and want your deposit (so you don't keep looking) but your best bet to actually get a Hybrid, IMHO is find a dealer who has a car allocated, with a build date coming up.

Most dealers have a long waiting list for allocated cars. The deposit is to place you in line on the waiting list. If you don't get in line, you will never get a car.

My son got in line for a Prius several months ago at our local dealer who does not charge MSRP. There were 16 people ahead of use in line, so we were prepared for a long, long wait. Fortunately, my son only wanted an LE so we were only 3rd in line for that trim level. Still took two or three months before be got to the head of the line. Just took delivery of the new Prius last Monday.