Flat Rock plant down for 3 weeks

[Zooks527]

My car was built on 1/27 and scheduled to be delivered 2/5. Now, at 3/7 my dealer STILL has no idea when it will be delivered. How can I find out when it will REALLY be delivered?

Well, as the plant was closed on 1/27, no, your car wasn't built then. What is the status (and any date) shown on the online tracker?

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[Zooks527]

With all that steering wheel problem. It could take a couple of weeks to be on track with all the production. You're not the only one who is living a nightmare of unknown with is car. I hope it finishes well for everybody.

I expect it will take more than just a few weeks. The plant is currently running double shifts to catch up on the production lost during the three week shutdown. Add to that the large number (8000 per the DFP) of cars that are parked in holding and it may take quite a while.

For argument's sake, assume the plant running double shifts can produce 800 cars per day (this would give the 8000 cars made without steering wheels over 2 weeks figure given by the DFP). That number is probably pretty close to the maximum that can be run through the QC and shipping cycles. Now assume how many extra cars they can upfit and add to the system. Even if the plant could accomodate a 25% increase in throughput for those areas, that's only 200 cars / day that can be upfit, QC'd, and shipped. It will take 8 weeks to clear the backlog at that rate.

Now, I pulled that "upfit 200/day" number out of the air. If the real number is higher, it will take less than 8 weeks. If the real number is lower, it can go on for quite some time.

The same thing happens when you try to figure out just how many cars they can / do make at the plant. The Detroit Free Press story talked about "8000 Mustangs" being made without the wheel, but how correct is that number? Sales data for the last several years (https://raycee1234.blogspot.com/2017/12/ford-mustang-yearly-production-numbers.html) show a production capacity that suggests upwards of 175,000 cars per year. Even if you assume 3 months of assorted vacations / shutdown / changeovers, that suggests a full peak production rate of around 4400 cars/wk over a 40 week production span at full capacity. With the more recent sales rate (http://fordauthority.com/fmc/ford-m...ord-sales-numbers/ford-mustang-sales-numbers/) supporting a rate of perhaps 60 % of that (2500 cars / week), you need to question the "8000 cars without wheels" number as well as my assumptions above about rework rates and time.

That's the real burr under the saddle here - the fact that any real data is being held really close to the vest by Ford, without even the dealer network having a means to get a customer some info. Almost makes you want to go start test driving Corvettes as soon as it gets a bit warmer.