Mustang steering wheel shortage detailed in the Detroit Free Press.

[Zooks527]

8000 Mustangs are apparently parked at the plant awaiting steering wheels. On the upside, the parts are now being received again, so the situation will ultimately get resolved. However, it may not be that quick, as the plant is modifying the production shift schedule through April 15.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...-no-steering-wheels-mexico-strike/2984225002/

Now, IIRC, the production rate for Mustangs is about 400/day, so 8000 of them would be effectively ALL that have been produced since the line restarted 3 weeks ago. Anyone had one shipped / received in the last few weeks?

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[Jeffr]

My mustang has been produced according to ford performance, my car was supposed to be delivered 2 weeks ago and it has been stuck in the production status ever since, ford performer says that is not due to any part shortage but a beg differ. My car was supposed to be delivered once again last Friday and it didn’t. So I guess car is one of the affected ones. So basically based on the article they are working two shifts to get back on track? That’s that mean that they have received steering wheels already and now just have to get them installed, or are they still waiting on them from the supplier? Hopefully I get my car sooner than later.

 

[Zooks527]

Well, the article says that they have steering wheels being delivered. That being said, I would think that cars currently on the line will get wheels (after all, why make more cars that need to be fixed later?), with the (up to 8000) cars that are currently sitting off to the side getting fixed as parts and time allow. I'm sure the plant they get them from needs to ramp up its production as well, with some increase in planned shipments to make up the back order.

Since they've changed the shift schedule at the plant running out for the next 6 weeks, I'm guessing it will take much of that time to get all the "In Production / Produced" cars corrected, QC'd, and into the shipping stream with the current production. I have no idea what order they'll try to correct the ones that are off to the side, though. It would look to be a roll of the dice as to whether you get fixed now, two weeks from now, or later.

 

[Bear376]

My dealer thinks my car is sitting at the plant nearby where they send the GT350s to be fitted with certain parts. I am shown in production and no delivery date scheduled.

 

[Bear376]

They have apparently run out of room at Flat Rock and are using the stamping mill at Wood Haven (only a few miles away) for some of the overflow. I don't see them using that facility for anything else on the new vehicles. Problem that makes me wonder is if the plant in Mexico is making enough steering wheels to complete 400 cars per day, how many more are they going to produce to catch up without quality control issues. Even doubling production is at least two weeks, and 20-40% is more likely. That could mean 10-20 weeks to clear the backlog. I imagine the average car will add about two to three more weeks to delivery, but hopefully most individual orders will be processed before dealer stock orders.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

How do they move cars without steering wheels to anywhere to wait for the wheels? Flatbeds and forklifts? LoL

 

[Zooks527]

How do they move cars without steering wheels to anywhere to wait for the wheels? Flatbeds and forklifts? LoL

The plant also makes Lincoln Continentals. They used a stripped Continental wheel to move it to the holding lot, then removed the wheel and brought it back to the plant to use for the next one.

 

[Mr.PP2]

My PP2 was built 2/26. Its sitting in the lot at Flat Rock along with the others. The cars cannot be driven to the facility where the wheels will be installed because the slave wheels do not have a operating air bag. They have to be loaded onto trucks and taken there.
Wait five months for a car now this.

 

[jholly36]

My PP2 was built 2/26. Its sitting in the lot at Flat Rock along with the others. The cars cannot be driven to the facility where the wheels will be installed because the slave wheels do not have a operating air bag. They have to be loaded onto trucks and taken there.
Wait five months for a car now this.

My question is this: what are Ford reps, customer service and dealers doing for people with cars stuck in this steering wheel limbo? The tracking site is not being updated, chat reps have no info, Ford Performance reiterates what is on the website, dealer says he sees no real hold up so......when will my car be done? Has anyone gotten any recent specific info on their steering wheel-less vehicles - if so, then from whom? My Mustang was ordered 10/20 - went into production 2/19 ..... and now nothing.

 

[IronG]

My PP2 was built 2/26. Its sitting in the lot at Flat Rock along with the others. The cars cannot be driven to the facility where the wheels will be installed because the slave wheels do not have a operating air bag. They have to be loaded onto trucks and taken there.
Wait five months for a car now this.

Can you post a pic of the tracker?

 

[Zooks527]

My question is this: what are Ford reps, customer service and dealers doing for people with cars stuck in this steering wheel limbo?

Honestly? Nothing. They can't, as the cars are held aside on an exception basis at the factory that the typical tracking systems can't handle.

The tracking site is not being updated, chat reps have no info, Ford Performance reiterates what is on the website, dealer says he sees no real hold up so......when will my car be done?

It's really unforecastable. Where is it in the lot? How parked in is it? How many extra rail cars can be brought up to the plant to cover the full two-shift production at the plant plus the extra cars streaming in from the holding lots?

There's no system in place to answer those questions.

Has anyone gotten any recent specific info on their steering wheel-less vehicles - if so, then from whom?

No one seems to in any location I have seen. Best case is people who see their cars flip from "In Production" to "Awaiting Shipment".

My Mustang was ordered 10/20 - went into production 2/19 ..... and now nothing.

Yup. I'm sitting here with you, watching the tracker increment the number of days to delivery by one every day since we passed the original date (i.e. it counted down to "1" on 2/27, the day before my original delivery date and it's now adding a day every day as we get further away from 2/28).


Still, I moved 15" of snow out of my driveway yesterday. With the PP1 tires, it would just be sitting in place at my house instead of in Flat Rock.

 

[Zooks527]

Can you post a pic of the tracker?

Here you go.

 

[jholly36]

So as a person with really crappy luck for things like this, I am thinking it is possible I will NEVER get this car: excuses such as “it was lost in the shuffle”, they cannot “get” to it to put on the wheel, another “ran out of steering wheels” or parts problem, other cars with higher priority built instead, another strike in Mexico, a “too hot to work” scenario, a worker layoff etc. Really is it even realistic to think this car will eventually be delivered to me ever when no one in my realm has any idea what is going on? BTW - it is cold here but no snow so yes I could be driving my car right now. The weather is not a consolation for me at least.

 

[IronG]

Here you go.

I was looking to see MRPP2's tracker, but thanks for posting yours. I guess when it finally does ship the days will get reset....hopefully.

 

[Bear376]

My question is this: what are Ford reps, customer service and dealers doing for people with cars stuck in this steering wheel limbo? The tracking site is not being updated, chat reps have no info, Ford Performance reiterates what is on the website, dealer says he sees no real hold up so......when will my car be done? Has anyone gotten any recent specific info on their steering wheel-less vehicles - if so, then from whom? My Mustang was ordered 10/20 - went into production 2/19 ..... and now nothing.

My order was made on the same week and went into production on the same date. What is frustrating to me is that Ford is only offering incentives for cars that have been at a dealer for two months without selling. Yet, cars that have been held up in the system for 5-6 months do not qualify for any rebates. How likely is it to find any Mustang with decent setup and has not sold in under two months?

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