General Motors, Stellantis and Ford continue to report shortages of key materials, primarily semiconductors, are hampering production across North America and are now extending many plant shutdowns until the end of October.
The shortages are slowly crippling sales and shrinking inventories to historic lows.
Stellantis said the company’s assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois will now be closed through the end of the month. The company said it’s working with suppliers to offset the impact caused by various supply chain issues.
The Belvidere plant builds the Jeep Cherokee, which sits in the middle of Jeep line-up.
Shortages hurting GM too
GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said last week almost every week brings a new surprise in the shortage of microchips. While GM believes it is getting ahead of the shortages, they continue to keep GM plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico either closed or running at reduced capacity.
In an update of its production plans, GM said the assembly plant in Fairfax, Kansas will resume production one on shift of the Chevrolet Malibu Nov. 1 for the first time since Feb. 8. Production of the Cadillac XT4 resumed at the plant late last month.
The CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario will resume one shift of production will resume production of Chevrolet Equinox Nov. 1. The CAMI Assembly has been down due to semiconductor shortages since July 19, GM said.
In Mexico, GM said will resume one shift of production of Chevrolet Blazer Oct. 18 at its plant in Ramos Arizpe. Production of Chevrolet Blazer has been down since Aug. 23. Production at Ramos Arizpe of the Chevrolet Equinox, which has been down since Aug. 16, will see an additional two weeks of downtime through the week of Oct. 25, GM said.
GM’s assembly plant in San Luis Potosi will resume one shift of production of Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain Nov. 1. San Luis Potosi has been down since July 19.
Ford takes a hit
Reuters also reported the Ford Motor Co. Assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico will be down for two days this week due to the semiconductor shortage. The Hermosillo plant is critical to Ford since it is the source of the Bronco Sport, Mach-E and Ford Maverick, the company’s new pickup truck.
Mary Barr’s needs to step up and take direct responsibility for the chip shortage at GM. If this had been a stamping die issue for a new program and delayed a program start up this long heads would be rolling out the door. How could she allow GM to be in this predicament (Never ever have all your eggs in one basket or supplier). Yet with this still going on for months she will get her 20 million dollars bonus !! Walk her butt out the door now.
Tom, shall we thus assume you want every single auto CEO dismissed, as not a single company has avoided the problems with chip shortages?
Paul E.