Ford Motor Co. is considering the unusual step of shipping partially built vehicles to dealerships and relying on service technicians to add the missing chips when they arrive. The automaker is trying to ease the glut of F-Series and other vehicles that have languished on storage lots surrounding its assembly plants for months by instead stashing them with retailers who have ample space as their inventory of new vehicles has dried up.
The new strategy comes as General Motors and Stellantis add downtime at their assembly plants because of the shortage, which AutoForecast Solutions last week estimated could cost the industry 6.3 million vehicles globally, including nearly 2 million in North America.
Jul 2021
Chevy Bolt Owners Should Park Outside
U.S. auto safety regulators on urged approximately 50,000 owners of General Motors electric Chevrolet Bolt vehicles that were recalled last year to park outside and away from homes and other structures due to potential fire risks. The recommendation was prompted after the largest U.S. automaker said it was investigating reports of two fires in vehicles that were recalled in November for the same issue. The 50,000 U.S. Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles are from the 2017-2019 model years and were recalled for the potential of an unattended fire in the high-voltage battery pack underneath the backseat’s bottom cushion.
Nissan Extends Downtime for the Altima Sedan
Nissan Motor Co. has extended U.S. production downtime for the Altima until the start of August due to the ongoing global microchip shortage. The mid-sized sedan model has not been built in Canton, Miss., since June 4th, which includes the regular two-week summer shutdown. Nissan sold 61,930 units in the first half of the year, down approximately 10% from the previous year.
Ford Recalls 775k Explorers
Ford Motor Co. said it is recalling nearly 775,000 Explorer large crossovers for an issue with the cross-axis ball joint that may cause a fractured rear suspension toe link, which could affect steering control and increase the risk of a crash. “Affected vehicles may experience a clunk noise, unusual handling or a misaligned rear wheel,” Ford said in a statement. “Fracture of a rear toe link significantly diminishes steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.”
The recalled Ford Explorers are from the 2013-17 model years and affect approximately 676,152 vehicles in North America, 59,935 in China, 13,162 in Europe, 190 in South America and 25,257 in other international markets.
GM Adds Additional Downtime Due to Chip Shortage
General Motors said it is adding more downtime at five crossover plants in North America because of the global microchip shortage.
Four plants will be down from July 19th until Aug. 2nd:
Lansing Delta Township, in Michigan, which builds the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave
Spring Hill Assembly, in Tennessee, which builds the Cadillac XT5 XT6 and GMC Acadia
San Luis Potosi Assembly, in Mexico, which builds the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain
Ramos Arizpe Assembly, in Mexico, which builds the Chevy Equinox and Blazer
Jul 2021
Ford Drops F-150 Diesel Option
Ford Motor Co. is dropping the F-150 pickup’s diesel engine option after just three years because of low demand. Ford will no longer take orders for the 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel option after July 16th.
“Our customers overwhelmingly order our EcoBoost V-6 gasoline engines, which is why we are removing the diesel from our lineup,” a Ford spokeswoman said. “For customers who need maximum towing torque, we now offer the F-150 PowerBoost [hybrid] as the ideal combination of capability, power and fuel efficiency, which wasn’t available when Power Stroke was introduced.”
Jul 2021
GM Recalls 330k Silverado & Sierra Heavy Duty Trucks
General Motors is recalling certain Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups due to a potential electrical short-circuit that can occur in the engine-block heater cable resulting in the risk of a fire.
331,274 units in the U.S are affected isolated to the 2017-19 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 as well as the 2017-19 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6-liter engine.
Stellantis to Invest $35.5+ Billion to Electrify Vehicle Lineup
Stellantis, the world’s No. 4 automaker, said on Thursday it plans to invest more than 30 billion euros ($35.54 billion) through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup.
The company, which was formed in January from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA, said its strategy will be supported by five battery plants in Europe and North America as it gears up to compete with EV leader Tesla and other automakers globally. It said all 14 of its vehicle brands, including Peugeot, Jeep, Ram, Fiat and Opel, will offer fully electrified vehicles.
Jul 2021
Stellantis Shipping Yard Flooded
Heavy rainfall in Michigan this past week has led to flash flooding in the Detroit area. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Wayne County (where Detroit is located) on Saturday, after more than six inches of rain fell on Detroit in 24 hours.
Vehicles of all kinds are being temporarily stored in the flooded area, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Dodge Durango, minivans, Chargers, Challengers and trucks, Stellantis said. This is a waiting area before you are picked up to go by train. The Auburn Hills automaker declined to specify how many vehicles were affected, what would happen to those vehicles, or if more than one storage location was affected.
“There will be an assessment of the condition of the vehicles at the yard. We have no additional information to share at this time,” Stellantis stated.
Additional Ford Downtime for July
Chicago Assembly Plant (Explorer/Aviator) – Weeks of July 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th
Dearborn Truck (F-150) – Two shifts the weeks of July 12th, 19th, and 26th
Kansas City Assembly Plant (F-150 & Transit) – F-150 production will be down the weeks of July 12th and 19th. The Transit will be down the week of July 19th.
Fiat Rock Assembly Plant (Mustang) – Weeks of July 12th and 19th
Hermosillo Assembly Plant (Bronco Sport) – 2 shifts the weeks of July 12th and 19th
Kentucky Truck Plant (Super Duty/Expedition/Navigator) – Weeks of July 12th and will run two shifts the weeks of July 19th, 26th, and August 2nd
Louisville Assembly Plant (Escape/Corsair) – reduced schedule the week of July 19th
Michigan Assembly Plant (Bronco/Ranger) – Weeks of July 5th and 26th
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