The Chips Are Down: Ford to Suspend or Cut Production at Additional Factories This Week

The difficulties in obtaining semiconductor chips continues. Now we are seeing production impacts at a growing list of Ford plants.

This semiconductor chip shortage is lingering on like a bad cold that you just can’t shake. There are times when the shortage seems to be easing but then it comes roaring back. Right now the chip shortage is in roaring back mode and is impacting Ford and some of its most popular models. Despite a lack of chips Ford has been able to achieve some solid sales numbers. And they have reached some historic production milestones. However, this latest round is going to make it even tougher to find your favorite Ford truck on a dealer lot. Reuters has reported that Ford will be suspending or cutting back production at additional factories this week.

Ford is of course not the only automaker impacted by the chip shortage. However, this is tough blow for Ford fans to absorb because there are so many hot vehicles that customers can’t wait to drive. And it seems Ford announces more must-have models almost every week. Any delay in production is only going to exacerbate the current problem of long wait times for new trucks and SUVs. It also means that we will likely have to deal with dealer markups above MSRP for a bit longer as well.

Plants Impacted

Last week Ford suspended production at factories in Michigan, Chicago and in Cuautitlan, Mexico. The Kansas City plant halted production of the F-150 and only one shift was running to produce the Transit van. Now this week we get word that there are going to be additional cutbacks. Ford is going to idle production at its Ohio Assembly Plant as well as the production line for the Transit van at its Kansas City Assembly Plant. “It also will operate with reduced shifts at its Kentucky Truck, Chicago and Dearborn (Michigan) Truck assembly plants.” This of course impacts several key Ford models such as the F-150, Bronco, Transit vans, and others.

Turnaround Expected

These additional cutbacks are obviously not good news. And none of us have a crystal ball to predict exactly when production will return back to normal. However, Ford is expecting the first half of 2022 to be the low point and for things to improve dramatically in the second half of the year. We can only hope that prediction is accurate. Actually, we can hope that things improve as soon as next week and production is back to normal, but that is sadly more pipe dream than reality.

What Can We Do?

Not much. The supply-chain issues continue to impact many products in our lives. Unless you happen to own a semiconductor chip company you can only sit back and wait for things to resolve themselves. Maybe keep tinkering with the Ford truck you already have. That can keep you busy while you wait for the new one. Or you can always spend more time in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums. That is always time well spent. No matter how you chose to pass the time, rest assured that your Ford will eventually be built, and it will be worth that wait.

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.