In recent weeks, Ford has been forced to idle the majority of its North American and European plants amid the semiconductor chip shortage. Now, Ford Authority has exclusively learned from a source familiar with Ford’s production plans that the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant will shut down for two weeks – May 17th and May 24th.
Ford has been stashing thousands of F-150s in the Detroit area, along with Ford Super Duty pickups near the Ford Kentucky Assembly Plant, all awaiting semiconductor chips and final quality checks before they can be shipped to dealers. Ford recently said that it has 22,000 assembled vehicles awaiting chips in total.
The closure of the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant further compounds Ford’s growing production woes stemming from the chip shortage, which the automaker estimates will cut its output in Q2 by 50 percent. Most recently, FoMoCo removed over 70,000 vehicles from its production schedule last week alone, a sharp increase from the 40,000 units it lost just a couple of weeks prior.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and his administration met with automakers last month to discuss the chip shortage, after which Biden promised to create legislation that directly addresses the issue and provide congressional funding to support the domestic production of chips. However, as we reported last week, it doesn’t appear likely that Biden will invoke the Defense Production Act and redirect available chips to automakers, a move that would lead to chip shortages for various other industries.
As a direct result of this issue, new and used vehicle inventory is shrinking rapidly on dealer lots amid high demand, but as we recently reported, those factors aren’t deterring most shoppers from purchasing them.
We’ll have the latest on Ford plant closures as they’re announced, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for continuous Ford news coverage.
A previous version of this story stated that the Ford Dearborn Assembly plant was shut down for the first week of May and slated for closure through the second week. It has since been corrected and Ford Authority regrets the error.
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Why are you saying DTP was down the first two weeks in May? They definitely aren’t, and I haven’t seen anything saying DTP will be down the coming two weeks and I work at Ford. Not a guarantee of course, but having DTP and KCAT down at the same time is unlikely. I’m concerned that you read the release about KCATs extension that also mentioned Michigan Assembly being down and don’t know that Michigan Assembly is not DTP. Maybe that’s not the case, but I can’t figure out why you’re saying DTP is already down. My F-150 was built there last week and got to the dealer Friday.
So my 2021 ordered in early February will not be produced till June at the earliest.. SMH. Time to cancel and order a 2021? If I do that my under contract trade price will go down.. But used trucks are at a premium prices now...Maybe a Ram instead..
Hi folks, this article has been corrected to reflect the fact that the Dearborn plant has not been shut down for the weeks of the 3rd and the 10th.
That said, we stand by our writing about the upcoming schedule changes.
Thank you for your comments.
You stand by false information??? This is not a credible source. Continue to print these lies. With no affiliation to Ford Motor Company.
You do know that we are scheduled to work next week right? This is really upsetting that you're posting false information.
Robison and Krystal -- you folks are misinformed.
Tuesday May 11, Wednesday May 12 and Thursday May 13 there was communication at the plant about shutting down DTP for the weeks of May 17 and May 24. On Friday May 14 leadership said DTP may be getting a supply of chips that would allow the plant to stay open. The situation is evolving by the hour so still very much up in the air.
What these guys are reporting is not wrong or false and was true as of Tuesday Wednesday Thursday of this week. Again the situation is evolving quickly.
Just because you are not informed doesn't mean you should get upset or call things you don't know about "false information." It's not false.
Here's a thought. Don't report roomers . Only solid facts!
I work for a ford supplier we build the f-150 frames I'm working granted no overtime but I'm working an our plants are running 3 shifts as we all know there are trucks sitting all over Kentucky but they are being built go FOMOCO let's keep it going.!!!!!!
That info of dtp working sounds like bs
I work at kcap in kansas city and on our uaw 249 website it tells which plants are closed and other than bronco all of ford has been down for at least 2 weeks
Kcap hasn't made a f150 or a transit for a month
When is Kcap scheduled to go back, out of curiosity?
For those of you commenting about DTP not being shutdown the weeks of may 3rd and 10th..... if you read the whole article, they apologize for the error in being wrong about those weeks being down. So if they are admitting to that error, why would they make another one? Let alone in the same article? 😂
Still waiting for my truck that I ordered in NOVEMBER!!! Ford not telling the dealership anything. No communication at all between ford corporate and the dealers. They have no clue what's going on.
Is it possible most of the workers don't know there will be a shutdown because they will still be working except they will be working to complete the parked trucks and not the regular assembly line?
So the assembly line might be shutdown but everyone would be busy finishing the incomplete trucks.
Of course I have no idea how UAW works so it's just a question to you all.
If I put a special order in for a 2021 F250 at the end of May, what will be the approximate time that I would receive it at the dealership
plant mgr and president of union said we are working