The Ford Motor Company Sterling Axle plant is an automobile parts manufacturing facility located in Sterling Heights, Michigan USA.
As its name suggests, the Ford Motor Company Sterling Axle plant specializes in the manufacturing of axles destined for Ford cars, trucks and SUVs. Operating under the Ford nameplate since 1956, the facility currently overseas the assembly of rear axles for vehicles like the Ford F-150, Ford Super Duty, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Ford Mustang and Ford Transit.
The Sterling Axle plant has grown over the years to accommodate different types of components as Ford’s portfolio of vehicles grew. The facility is also capable of manufacturing front axles for the Ford F-150 and Ford Expedition / Lincoln Navigator, and has been responsible for producing rear drive units for unibody vehicles like the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, Ford Edge, Lincoln MKC, Ford Escape, Lincoln Continental, Ford Fusion, Ford EcoSport and Ford Kuga.
The Sterling axle plant is also home of the renowned Sterling 10.5 axle which has been underpinning Ford’s heavy duty trucks for over three decades.
This page shows information about the Ford Motor Company Sterling Axle plant.
Quick Facts
| Year opened | 1956 |
| Facility size | 3,000,000 square feet (278,709 m2) |
| Land occupied | 171 acres |
| Location | 39000 Mound Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48310, United States |
| Hourly employees | 2,205 |
| Salaried employees | 765 |
| Total employees | 2,970 |
Products
| Components | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Rear Axles | F-150, Super Duty, Expedition, Navigator, Mustang, Transit |
| Front Axles | F-150, Expedition, Navigator |
| Rear Drive Units | Flex, MKT, Edge, MKC, Escape, Continental, Fusion, MKZ, EcoSport, Kuga |
Historical Timeline
- 1956: Production of axles for Ford commercial trucks begins.
- 1985: The renowned Sterling 10.5 axle is developed and assembled at the Ford Sterling axle facility. It remains the plant’s most noteworthy part and is still used today for Ford heavy duty vehicles.
- 2019: A defective machine catches fire within the plant, halting all manufacturing operations. No employees are injured.
News
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