Parts Fire Halts Production of Trucks, Vans
Production on the Ford F-150, GM’s full-size vans, and the Chrysler Pacifica has been disrupted by a fire that struck a major Detroit Three parts supplier last week.
Production of several American-made trucks and vans, including the Ford F-150, has been halted as a result of a fire at a Michigan parts supplier. Photo courtesy Ford Motor Co.
EATON RAPIDS, Mich. — A fire at a parts supplier has impacted production of several top-selling vehicles, including Ford’s F-150 and Super Duty trucks and General Motors vans, according to reports.
Manufacturers have seen a shortage of die-cast components since the May 2 fire at Meridian Magnesium Products of America (div. Wanfeng Auto Holdings Group Co.) in Eaton Rapids, Mich.
Ford has suspended production of its F-150 at its Kansas City (Mo.) Assembly Plant and Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant. Super Duty production is also offline at the factory’s Kentucky Truck Plant, the factory announced. To address the issue, Ford plans to shift its Super Duty trucks to a plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, so production can resume.
General Motors has halted production of its full-size vans. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles officials have said production of its Chrysler Pacifica has been "affected," reports TheDetroit News.
The impact of the parts shortage on dealership inventories had yet to be assessed at press time. Stay tuned to F&I and Showroom and Auto Dealer Today for updates.
Originally posted on F&I and Showroom
More Dealer Ops
How to Avoid Phone Scams | Dealer Debrief 09/10/2026
Are you taking the necessary steps to protect your dealership and customer data from phone-based scams? This week's Dealer Debrief breaks down how!
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: August Auto Sales
Gas-powered engines still dominate the U.S. vehicle market, but hybrids are gaining ground as consumers look for ways to cut their gas costs.
Read More →
Dealership Profits Decline
While new and used retail sales stagnated, dealerships have been particularly supported by fixed operations and finance-and-insurance profits, according to a new report.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →