Even as we enter the second month of 2022, the microchip shortages that so bedeviled automakers last year continue to make themselves felt across the industry. Like the pandemic, this won’t go on forever, but like the pandemic, no one knows exactly when the supply chain will return to normal.
In recent months, some observers have made the prediction that the calendar will read 2023 before normality returns for automakers and their suppliers. Every week that goes by, this scenario appears more and more likely.
For now, we continue to see manufacturers having to make adjustments to their production schedules. Ford is the latest to do so, saying that it will reduce production or suspend it altogether at eight of its plants in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The news was confirmed to Reuters on Friday by a Ford representative.
Specifically, assembly at plants in Michigan, in Chicago, Illinois and in Cuautitlan, Mexico, will be halted. At Ford’s Kansas City plant, production of F-150 pickup trucks will be halted, while one shift will keep working on Transit vans. A single shift or schedule will stay active at Ford’s Dearborn, Kentucky and Louisville facilities.
At the Oakville, Ontario plant, overtime will be eliminated.
Last Thursday, Ford warned that the chip shortage would result in a lower volume of vehicle production in the current quarter. All changes are effective as of today, Feb. 7, and are valid for the week.
We will of course monitor the situation closely and keep you informed if the situation continues for more than a week at Ford's plants.
