- The production halt could result in a loss of up to 2,500 trucks for Ford.
- Production was paused so Ford could repair a broken hood die.
- Ford F-150 supplies are still down since a fire at the Novelis plant last year.
Ford just can’t catch a break with F-150 production. As assembly of America’s best-selling pickup slowly ramped back up after last year’s devastating fire at an aluminum supplier, word has now emerged that Ford had to temporarily halt the line again.
Late last week it was revealed that production would stop on Thursday evening and remain offline through Friday, Saturday, and potentially also Sunday. The Memorial Day break means production could end up being down for four days.
Read: Ford’s F-150 Supply Cratered 40%, And GM Smells Blood
While this may not sound like a lot, Ford has been operating two 10-hour shifts a day at the factory, meaning a four-day shutdown could result in a loss of upwards of 2,500 trucks. Ford would usually be able to deal with this shortfall, but it recently revealed it’s roughly 60,000 units short in inventory compared to last year and has been eager to ramp up production to reduce this shortfall.
Speaking with the Detroit Free Press, an unnamed source noted Ford may have to run a ‘super Saturday’ or ‘super Sunday’, adding an extra shift outside of its normal schedule, in an attempt to minimize the impact.
What Happened?
Why was production paused? It’s understood that Ford needs to repair a broken hood die at a nearby stamping plant. This is a heavy-duty mold that Ford uses to stamp and shape aluminum into the outer and inner panels of the F-150’s hood.
It was recently revealed that F-150 supplies are down more than 40 percent since a fire broke out at the Novelis aluminum plant in New York last September. It’s fighting to ramp up production and ultimately wants to increase F-Series output by 50,000 units in 2026, but notes this won’t be possible until later in the year.
