Oakville, Ontario — Ford has announced it will continue building some F-150 and Edge models without certain modules despite ongoing microchip shortages.
The automaker said it will continue to build and hold the affected vehicles for a number of weeks before shipping them to dealers once modules become available and quality checks can be completed.
The modules needed for the affected vehicles are “tied to basic vehicle functions such as windshield wiper motors and infotainment features,” said Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker.
The F-150 is the top-selling vehicle in both Canada and the United States and a key profit driver for the automaker. It is built at plants in Michigan and Missouri, while the Edge is built at the automaker’s Oakville, Ont., assembly plant.
Amid the ongoing chip shortage, General Motors is also building certain 2021 pickup trucks without a fuel management module, hurting those vehicles’ fuel economy performance.
Ford has said that if the shortage persists through the first half of 2021, it could affect adjusted earnings before interest and taxes by between US$1 billion and US$2.5 billion.
Ford earlier this month told dealers they would see “no negative impact” to retail business.
