My dealer initially told me they would cover the labor charge if I purchased the part. They said the missing part was Ford's fault not there's (which is true), and if I didn't want to pay for the part, I'd have to get Ford's authorization to cover the cost of the part. I called Ford Customer Service (FCS) in mid-January. They told me they would look into the matter, gave me a case number and told me they would get back with me. Five days later I hadn't heard from FCS so I called back for an update. I was told that my case had not been escalated properly. It should have been escalated to Ford corporate, and that would now be done. One day later I got a call from the Ford Regional Customer Care Center. They informed me that Ford had contacted my dealer and authorized payment for the part and it's installation. They also said they would expedite shipment of the part to my dealer since it was on back-order nationally. The part arrived at the dealership in mid-February, and as I said, it was installed today.
One last thing, if your dealer wants to pull the "it's not part of your vehicle's build order" angle, the air deflector wasn't part of my build order yet Ford corporate approved it. I really have never understood this angle anyway. Why would Ford include in a build order a part they deem to be non-essential and know to be in short supply or not available? I'm guessing that the air deflector fits this scenario ergo as limited supplies become available some vehicles get it and some don't. That's simply my guess FWIW. Only Ford knows for sure. Good luck!
