Back in May, Ford said it would idle its Wayne, Michigan truck and SUV assembly plant for five weeks, but today’s reports have that shutdown extended by four weeks. The shutdown comes as a result of record-high gasoline prices and record-low truck and SUV sales.
The plant is due to close starting on August 25, suspending production of the Lincoln Navigator as well as the vehicle it is based on, the Ford Expedition. Sales of each of the large SUVs fell by 37 and 43 percent, respectively in May, compared to the same time last year, as per an Automotive News report.
The automaker also announced recently its engine supplier for heavy-duty F-series engines will also be idled.
The company also plans to increase car production while decreasing truck output to cater to the changing market.
06/17, 3:15 PM
posted by:
xyunya
Since there are no signs of large pickups and SUVs sales going up, they might as well put a lock on this door.
06/17, 3:26 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
“Sales of each of the large SUVs fell by 37 and 43 percent”
As far as I’m concerned they need to fall 100%. Nobody needs to be buying these pos’s, if you absolutely NEED an SUV, buy one of the 100’s of thousands of used suv’s for sale.
06/17, 3:35 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
I suppose LLN has to keep putting the disclaimer about rising fuel prices and slow SUV sales on this and similar articles just in case some first timer from the planet Lobotomy stumbles across the site while searching for their homeworld.
06/17, 4:02 PM
posted by:
inline6
Sales of pickups and SUVs are nowhere near “record lows”. I’m sorry, but that assertion is just inaccurate.
06/17, 4:12 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
time to bring out that War and Peace novel to read since these workers will be off for 9 weeks…
06/17, 4:23 PM
posted by:
brassmonkey
Whoa. This is the first I have heard about high gas prices on LLN. Do they have any articles on the Mustang or Camaro?
06/17, 4:27 PM
posted by:
shaver
Shouldnt they be converting these to produce seats or windshield wipers for Toyota or Honda to help them keep up with demand.
06/17, 4:35 PM
posted by:
xyunya
jumpoffit, if they could read they would not pay union dues.
06/17, 4:38 PM
posted by:
TomF
Even after nine weeks, there will be mountains of nearly new, slightly used, distress-priced SUVs in the marketplace … for sale by suburban numbskulls who’ve suddenly realized they can’t cover SUV costs, groceries and the mortgage all at once. They will let those Tahoes and Expeditions go for a song… or fraction thereof.
You would have to be drunk and stupid to pony up $50k for a new Navigator when you can have your pick of 18-month-old ones for $20k.
That glut is what will kill this market segment for good. Thank GOD.
06/17, 5:00 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Remember for a while we used to get so many articles about Chinese cars? Whatever happened to those? And since most of them were a bigger piece of junk than what’s at the bottom of Shanghai Harbour it felt good to pick on someone else for a while.
06/17, 5:57 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
Do these non-shocking stories really count as news?