Ford to stop production at Bronco, Ranger plant for 2 weeks

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday announced to employees that it is extending downtime at a number of North American plants because of the worsening semiconductor shortage.

The production disruption is also expanding, this time shuttering Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne — which makes the Ranger pickup and is gearing up to build the Bronco SUV — for two weeks later this month.

A spokeswoman said deliveries of the Bronco remain on track to begin this summer.

In a memo to employees obtained by Automotive News and confirmed with the company, Ford said the Chicago and Flat Rock, Mich., plants as well as both the F-150 and Transit van sides of its Kansas City, Mo., plant, will be down the weeks of May 17 and 24 — extending previously announced downtime stemming from the chip shortage. Michigan Assembly will also be down those weeks, the first time it has been affected.

Production at the automaker's plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, will be limited to Super Duty chassis cabs and medium-duty trucks through the week of May 17 and will be fully down the week of May 24, Ford says.

Kansas City Assembly will operate on one shift the weeks of May 31 and June 7 to complete early builds of the upcoming E-Transit electric van.

The automaker also noted previously reported downtime at its plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, that will extend until May 17.

Ford also said its Kentucky Truck Plant would be down the weeks of June 7 and 14 to make modifications for the next-generation Super Duty pickup.

The automaker warned last week that the chip shortage would get worse before it gets better, estimating it would slash planned production by half in the second quarter and cost Ford 1.1 million vehicles in 2021.