Ford plant to cut back on F-150 pickup production due to parts shortage

Ford Motor Co. will cut production of the Ford F-150 next week as well as the week of Sept. 4 due to a parts shortage, the Detroit Free Press learned Friday.

Only the Kansas City Assembly Plant, not the Dearborn Truck Plant, will be affected, Ford spokeswoman Jessica Enoch told the Free Press. “The plant will run with one crew the week of Aug. 28 and two crews the week of Sept. 4 due to a supplier parts shortage.”

The plant usually runs with three crews.

Ford declined to say which parts were unavailable. A worker at the Kansas City plant flagged the Free Press, asking why shifts were being cut, because the company didn’t provide factory workers an explanation.

No other Ford plants or products are impacted, Enoch said.

General Motors said Thursday that Fort Wayne Assembly in Indiana will cancel all production next week. GM makes its full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickups at Fort Wayne Assembly. GM anticipates resuming production there on Sept. 5 after the Labor Day holiday.

Ford shut down F-150 Lightning production in Dearborn for five weeks in the spring. However, the automaker restarted its Lightning production this month after expanding capacity. Ford also expanded production of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Three automakers face a Sept. 14 deadline on contract negotiations with the UAW. The labor union voted to authorize a strike if deemed necessary, the organization announced Friday.