Global Chip Shortage to Affect Production of Ford's F-150

As vehicles become more and more dependent on their electronic components, they’ve unfortunately been snagged by the global chip shortage. The latest victim – Ford’s iconic pickup truck, the F-150.

Last month, Ford announced “significant” cuts to its F-150 production as part of a global semiconductor shortage that’s expected to cost automakers billions. The blow to Ford cannot be overstated – auto industry analyst Max Warburton once said, “There has been no greater profit machine in the history of industry than the Ford F-Series,” so you know Ford is hurting.

That spurred the Detroit juggernaut to build (at least temporarily) the F-150 without key computer chips, storing the partially-built trucks until the electronic components can be added later.

They’re also enacting a temporary halt at a Kentucky plant that builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs.

Of course, Ford is far from alone. Automakers as far and wide as Fiat Chrysler, GM, and Nissan have signaled trouble on the horizon.

Lamenting the chip shortage, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said that “In 2021, we will suffer from it … not over the entire [vehicle] lineup, but some models might be constrained.”

GM seemed optimistic, though it’s unclear how much of it is bluster -- “GM continues to leverage every available semiconductor to build and ship our most popular and in-demand products,” said GM spokesman David. “We have not taken downtime or reduced shifts at any of our full-size truck plants due to the shortage.”

We’ll be following the global chip shortage closely, including and especially its impact on our industry.