Ford North American Production Projected To Take 700K Unit Hit In 2021

December 27, 2021 10:12 am

The semiconductor chip shortage has wreaked havoc on global automotive production for the bulk of 2021, forcing automakers to temporarily idle plants and leading to empty dealer lots everywhere. Coupled with strong demand, this phenomenon has also sent new and used vehicle prices soaring to new record highs with each passing month. Making matters worse, no one really knows when this crisis might end, though most believe that it could be years before that happens. Now, we’re getting a better idea of just how badly the chip shortage will impact Ford North American production in 2021, courtesy of data provided by AutoForecast Solutions via Automotive News.

In total, AutoForecast Solutions’ latest forecast projects that Ford North American production will suffer a loss of just over 694,000 units in 2021. Broken down by model, that consists of cuts to the Ford Edge (61,517), Lincoln Nautilus (15,535), Ford Maverick (2,858), Ford Bronco Sport (24,299), Ford Mustang Mach-E (1,450), Ford Explorer (83,784), Lincoln Aviator (9,289), Ford Expedition (19,086), Lincoln Navigator (4,199), Ford Super Duty (64,853), Ford Escape (83,153), Lincoln Corsair (14,303), Ford F-150 (82,446), Ford Ranger (6,110), Ford Bronco (7,888), Ford Mustang (28,291), Ford Transit (53,337), and Ford E-Series (12,904), among others.

When, exactly, this crisis might actually ease is a topic that’s up for debate. Some believe that we’re nearing the end of the chip shortage, while others think that it will persist into next year, through the summer of 2022, or longer, up to 2024 to even years later. Most recently, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated that he believes that the chip shortage will endure through 2023, to some extent.

FoMoCo previously considered shipping chipless vehicles to dealers in an effort to bolster inventory on lots and free up space where the automaker had been storing tens of thousands of unfinished vehicles for months, though it ultimately decided not to pursue that plan. In the meantime, Ford continues to navigate the chip shortage by deleting certain features and even offering special, stripped-down versions of vehicles like the Ford Puma Design and Ford EcoSport Design that come equipped with fewer chips, and as a result, fewer features.

We’ll have more on the chip shortage soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.