Ford will put the brakes on Ranger midsize pickup production for at least two weeks, which could mean fewer trucks in showrooms this summer.
The shutdown at a Ford truck plant near Detroit is blamed on the semiconductor chip shortage that has rocked automakers across the globe. Ford delivered around 37,000 Ranger pickups in the first four months of 2021, a bump of about 30% over the same time last year. Sales of the company’s least-expensive pickup have been brisk, although the automaker delivered about 235,000 more F-150 pickups during the same time.
Still, even two weeks of lost production will have an impact on Ranger inventories for at least several months.
The Detroit plant is also slated to start building the long-delayed Bronco SUV soon. Ford told Automotive News that the off-road SUV will not face any additional production delays as a result of the chip shortage.
Ford has also halted assembly for a week at various other plants across the country that build popular models, including the F-150.
At fault is a global shortage of computer chips that power various high-tech functions. The shortage is due to a whirlwind of factors, including increased demand for consumer electronics and a trade war between the U.S. and China, where most chips are produced. Find a Ford Ranger for sale
