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The Ford Maverick community is expressing frustration as Fast Mavericks, a prominent supplier of performance parts for the Ford Maverick pickup, appears to have ceased operations this year, leaving numerous orders unfulfilled. Customers have been left frustrated after waiting for months without parts, refunds, or any communication. While the store owner, Ivan Gonzalez, claims he will resolve the issues, many customers feel his assurances are unconvincing given their lost time and money.
Fast Mavericks was established by Ivan Gonzalez, who gained recognition for creating innovative modifications for the Ford Maverick EcoBoost. His drag strip-tested components soon became popular among those looking to enhance the performance of their smaller pickups. Additionally, he offered modifications for various Ford models’ parts, including steering wheels, paddle shifters, and alternate gear selectors to replace the unpopular stock rotary dial. (Note: we have previously featured his work in two articles, as we often highlight new and interesting businesses.)
However, in recent months, Fast Mavericks has reportedly left many customers waiting for parts they have already paid for, or sent incomplete orders while promising to fulfill them later. My investigation into multiple customer cases revealed a troubling pattern of business practices that, although possibly unintentional, have exacerbated the discontent within the Maverick community.
I discovered at least 20 reported cases of Fast Mavericks’ customers receiving incomplete or no orders since February 2023 and spoke with five of them. It remains unclear when issues began, but an increasing number of forum users on MaverickTruckClub.com and Gonzalez’s Fast Mavericks Facebook group have reported delays. These reports suggest that Gonzalez received payment, promised timely delivery of parts, but then left customers waiting for months. Recently, it has been particularly challenging for customers to reach Gonzalez, as he appears to have either disabled his Facebook Messenger account or blocked clients, some of whom relied on this as their only means of communication.
In the Maverick forum, Gonzalez was dismissed as a sponsor after failing to pay required fees. Meanwhile, sources revealed that Gonzalez’s Facebook group allegedly removed critical posts, although this claim is unverified. As of this writing, several negative posts remain in the group after multiple days, but moderators continue to minimize the situation.
Among the reported orders, the earliest known was made by Calvin Butts, who ordered an intercooler upgrade kit through a group buy in February 2023. Over the next 14 months, Butts spent $4,600 on various Fast Mavericks parts; while some items like a turbo upgrade and a lowering kit were delivered, others, including an ethanol injection system and part of his original intercooler order, never arrived. Unable to get his money back, Butts noted that Gonzalez had initially requested payment via Zelle but later settled for PayPal through a non-refundable “friends and family” transfer.
More recently, Andy Larrow paid $1,000 upfront in February for a tuning module, downpipe, and steering wheel, but has not heard from Gonzalez since June. He grew suspicious when he lost contact with Gonzalez on Messenger, coinciding with the expiration of the 120-day period for filing chargebacks through banks. Jason Gozum reported sending Gonzalez $800 for a steering wheel in May, without any communication since, and his Zelle payment left him unable to request a refund.
John Reichert also shared his experience, indicating he paid Gonzalez nearly $4,100 across several orders since November 2023. His initial orders were fulfilled, but delays occurred with an order for oil catch cans. While waiting, he placed more orders for various parts, but the gauges and $1,125 in additional orders never arrived. In one case, the intercooler he received was damaged, and Gonzalez allegedly promised a replacement but never followed through.
“I don’t think Ivan intended for any of this to happen,” Reichert said. “I want to believe he is a stand-up guy who was overwhelmed by the popularity of the Maverick platform and the products he offered.
“He was always willing to help and shared his knowledge of the platform freely,” Reichert noted. “He always returned calls or text messages. This makes it difficult for those of us who feel let down. We wanted him to succeed and supported him financially. Now, it seems like things have spiraled out of control, and I don’t believe that any of us (over 100 customers) will ever get our parts or refunds.”
Although Gonzalez has been difficult to reach, he eventually responded to share part of his side of the story. He has stated publicly over the past few months that he is overwhelmed by his backlog of orders and is in the process of relocating his business from California to the Carolinas (initially South, now North). He mentioned being delayed by suppliers who have not completed parts needed to fulfill orders.
“I have been in touch with customers, and orders began shipping today. I am not trying to screw anyone,” Gonzalez texted. “It’s no excuse, but things grew faster than one person could manage.”
“I can and will rectify this situation,” he added. “I will ensure that everyone receives their parts or refunds.”
Gonzalez did provide a UPS tracking number for one order and shared the name of a customer who confirmed receiving shipping confirmation via email. A separate tracking number also indicated a package was sent to Illinois. However, a post on the Fast Mavericks group seeking customers who have had recent contact with Gonzalez received no responses.
It is important to note that Gonzalez requested I refrain from publishing any information to avoid making matters worse while he attempts to manage the backlog of orders. While this may seem reasonable, The Drive cannot agree to this request. We first learned about Fast Mavericks’ issues when dissatisfied customers began reaching out to us, questioning why we had previously promoted a business that they perceived as operating unethically. We can’t predict whether a highlighted startup will evolve into a reliable business or face difficulties, but we also owe it to our readers to provide updates when something goes awry. I found no evidence to indicate that Gonzalez intended to deceive his customers; however, maintaining silence now would only escalate the situation for everyone involved, including Fast Mavericks.
Even if Gonzalez has acted in good faith, his business conduct and insufficient communication have worsened his predicament. Notably, Fast Mavericks’ online storefront continues to accept new orders despite the ongoing issues. One customer who messaged the business’s contact number received a reply regarding parts without any acknowledgment of the overwhelming backlog.
Moreover, Gonzalez continues to advertise parts for sale that he appears to neither possess nor can acquire promptly. Currently, the Fast Mavericks storefront lists a set of coilovers from a manufacturer called Silver’s. A sales manager at Silver’s informed me that they had only sold Gonzalez one set for his personal vehicle and had opened a wholesale account for him, but their records show no subsequent orders made by Gonzalez. Once aware of the dissatisfaction from Fast Mavericks customers, the manager placed Gonzalez’s wholesale account on hold. This suggests that Fast Mavericks is promoting a product it currently cannot supply, likely contributing to its current predicament.
There isn’t enough clarity regarding the situation at Fast Mavericks to make definitive judgments beyond what the community reports. The most favorable interpretation is that Gonzalez aimed to establish a legitimate business selling parts tested on his personal truck but became overwhelmed by the increasing order volume and made some missteps. However, his ongoing acceptance of new orders without openly communicating the severity of the backlog casts doubt on his intentions.
Even if he rectifies the issues for every customer affected, Gonzalez still faces the hurdle of rebuilding trust with the Ford Maverick community. The situation remains fluid, but Fast Mavericks now has an uphill battle ahead.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
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