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  • Ford Recalls Nearly 185K F-150s

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    Ford announced it’s recalling almost 185,000 F-150 full-size pickups. The 2021 and 2022 model-year trucks are experiencing driveshaft problems that could cause it to fracture.

    All-new F-150
    Ford is recalling nearly 185,000 F-150 pickups from the 2021 and 2022 model years.

    The issue only affects certain F-150 Crew Cab 4×4 pickups, according to the filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company’s began examining the issue since July.

    The truck’s underbody thermal/acoustic insulators can loosen over time. If they come in contact with the truck’s aluminum driveshaft, they can cause scoring or marks. If this goes on long enough, the heat generated each time can eventually crack the driveshaft.

    Potential results if the issue is not repaired

    “A fractured driveshaft may result in loss of motive power,” the report states, “unintended vehicle movement while the vehicle is in park if the parking brake is not applied, and may result in secondary damage to surrounding components.”

    Additionally, once fractured, the driveshaft could break loose and touch the ground, causing the driver to lose control of the pickup, potentially resulting in a crash. The company is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the problem.

    2021 Ford F-150 - at work site
    Some Ford F-150 pickups are facing issues with the aluminum driveshaft on the truck.

    Owners are advised to look for a “loose underbody insulator.” They should also listen for a rattling, clicking or clunking noise due to the loose insulator coming in contact with the driveshaft. The scoring or marking on the driveshaft described earlier may also be visible.

    Next steps

    Ford’s taken steps to resolve the problem during production by swapping the underbody thermal acoustic insulator for an under-carpet thermal patch at the two plants — Dearborn (MI) Truck and Kansas City (KS) Assembly — already.

    Dealers received the notice Tuesday, and owners will begin receiving notices in the mail shortly. They will be instructed to make an appointment with their dealer to have “positive attachment features adde to the underbody insulators.”

    They’ll also inspect the driveshaft for scoring or marks that may have already occurred. This will be done at no expense to the truck owner.

    As of Dec. 7, Ford received 27 reports of fractured aluminum driveshafts possibly related to sagging underbody insulators on the F-150s, the automaker said in an Automotive News report.


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  • Ford Reports $1.8B Profit for Q3, Beats Estimates

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    Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co. reported net income of $1.8 billion, or 45 cents per share, and adjusted earnings of $3 billion for the third quarter of 2021. 

    Ford CEO Farley Sept 2021
    Ford CEO Jim Farley still believes the company is “spring loaded” for success, especially after the strong third quarter.

    The company’s revenue for the period was $35.7 billion, which was down slightly — like the rest of the quarter’s numbers — from the same quarter last year. However, they’re better than the analysts’ consensus estimate expecting 27 cents per share and revenue of $32.7 billion.

    Those numbers are also an improvement compared with the Q2 results, which were expected to be the worst results for the year due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage.

    Ford officials claim Ford +, the plan aimed at making the automaker a leaner, meaner, more innovative profit-making machine, is taking root and the profitable third quarter results reflect those nearly yearlong efforts to implement it.

    “This is the most exciting Ford lineup I’ve seen, but what matters is that customers love our new products and services – and we’re just getting started,” said President and CEO Jim Farley. “The trajectory of our business gives us huge confidence in Ford+, and we’re obsessively turning the plan’s promise into reality.” 

    More positive numbers

    Kansas City Assembly Plant
    Ford officials confirmed the worst of it is over for the company when it comes to the semiconductor shortage.

    Ford’s adjusted EBIT was $3 billion, with an adjusted EBIT margin of 8.4 percent. Third-quarter cash flow from operations was $7 billion and adjusted free cash flow was $7.7 billion, both up considerably from the second quarter largely because of the higher wholesales and profitability. The company ended Q3 with $31.5 billion of cash and $47.4 billion in total liquidity. 

    The company’s results were strong enough that officials increased its guidance for full-year 2021 adjusted EBIT to between $10.5 billion and $11.5 billion. 

    Some of the improvement comes from the increased availability of semiconductor supplies, the company noted, adding its regional product shipments increased 67% from its second quarter results. The result was an increase in EBIT margin to 10.1% — higher than the 8% benchmark set by the Ford+ program for 2023.

    Ford said it remains what Farley calls “spring loaded” for growth in North America as semiconductor volumes increase, with a 50% sequential increase in orders — to more than 100,000 — for vehicles already on the market, excluding those for the all-new Bronco. 

    More investment as part of the plan

    BlueOvalSK Battery Park exterior rendering
    Ford expects to invest $40 billion to $45 billion in strategic capital expenditures between 2020 and 2025.

    Farley said the Ford+ plan combines foundational strengths and evolving new capabilities to create superior experiences for customers — and profitable growth for Ford — in electric vehicles, commercial vehicles and services, connected services and autonomy/mobility. 

    According to CFO John Lawler, the company expects to invest $40 billion to $45 billion in strategic capital expenditures between 2020 and 2025 — including one-half of the more than $30 billion it plans to devote exclusively to BEVs during that same period. 

    Those investments are highlighted by the move to build a new F-Series truck plant just outside Memphis, Tennessee as well as a EV battery production plant in a complex it’s calling Blue Oval City, plus two more battery assembly sites in Kentucky in partnership with SK Innovation in a venture called BlueOval SK. 

    Other projects mentioned, included: the closed-loop battery recycling facility with Redwood Materials, the construction of the new BEV production facility in Germany and the new joint venture slated to build E-Transit battery-electric commercial vans in Turkey.

    “What’s certain is that we’re going to keep investing smartly and heavily in Ford+ – customer-facing technology and always-on relationships, connectivity, and EVs – on top of a foundation that’s broad and deep,” said Lawler. “We believe the long-term value creation from these investments will be substantial.” 


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  • Ford Suffers Setbacks on Big Sellers: Bronco and Mustang Mach-E

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    Ford’s enduring a tough day, forced to deal with big problems on two of its hottest vehicles: the Bronco and Mustang Mach-E. 

    Ford Bronco 4-door quality check
    The roof problems with the new Bronco are still unresolved, forcing Ford to replace the parts on all owners’ vehicles while halting production.

    The long-awaited Bronco’s problems with its removable hardtop still haven’t been resolved, forcing it to replace the pieces on existing models and halt production on new hardtop models to solve the issue. Soft top Broncos will continue to roll down the line.

    Meanwhile stopping production is the problem for the Mach-E as it awaits — no surprise — more semiconductors. Perhaps no company’s been hit harder by the chip shortage than Ford. The company’s had to temporarily shut down builds on its biggest sellers, like the F-150, Explorer and now the Mach-E.

    Bronco busted

    The problem with the Bronco’s roof applies to the removable molded-in color plastic panels only, as reported by the website, bronco6g.com. The color and protective coating applied to the roof pieces is faulty, which becomes apparent a few weeks after the vehicle’s been exposed to the elements.

    As a result, the coating comes off on the edges of the panels, which are not smooth. With a bit of time, weather can change the color of the panels. Reportedly, this issue’s plagued the design for some time now. 

    2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door - in brush
    The Bronco roof issues apply to the two- and four-door models, but not soft tops.

    The automaker’s telling owners who have already taken delivery of their vehicles that they will replace the panels at no cost. However, the real tough sell is for buyers who haven’t gotten their vehicles yet and will now be forced to wait even longer to get their vehicle — possibly until 2022.

    Not only might you have to wait until next year, it may be next year’s model as well, which could make those who felt it was important get the first year offering angry. The exception is for the prospective owners who ordered a First Edition model, those will be 2021 vehicles.

    Ford is offering reservation holders $1,100 in reward points, which can be used to buy Bronco accessories for their SUVs. Also anyone who made a reservation before March 21, 2020, are protected from any price increases that could be applied to 2022 vehicles.

    Soft top owners are obviously excluded from the problem and are virtually assured of getting their vehicle a little sooner now.

    Mach-E matters

    2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E side barn
    Production of the Mach-E will be delayed six weeks as the company secures more chips.

    The Mustang Mach-E, which is sold out through the rest of the year, now faces the same delays that have plagued the F-150, the Explorer and other vehicles, due to the dearth of semiconductors. 

    According to MachEForum.com, new owners will now be forced to wait six weeks or more for their vehicles. Once the automaker gets the chips it needs, and installs them in the vehicles, it will update the owners via email about when they can expect to get their EV.

    To smooth ruffled feathers, Ford is offering 250 kWh of free charging via the “Blue Oval Charge Network.” 

    The delays are another gut punch for the automaker, which sees the Mach-E’s turn in just 12 days. Not only that, but they’re also big additions to the bottom line as 95% of customers choose the Blue Oval Intelligence software state service. Sales of the Mach-E jumped 15.8% in July compared to June, and this is definitely going to stall that momentum.

    The Bronco’s issues also hit the bottom line as they, as the automaker noted in its July sales release, play “a significant role in Ford’s transaction price expansion. Ford SUV transaction pricing in July is a record of $42,000 per SUV, up $6,200 over last year.”


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  • Ford Cutting Mustang Mach-E Price Up to $3,000

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    The new Mustang Mach-E is set to arrive in showrooms shortly — with a price cut.

    If cost is keeping buyers from getting into a new electric vehicle, Ford is apparently trying to change a few minds, slashing as much as $3,000 off the sticker price of its new 2021 Mustang Mach-E electric car.

    The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has been tweaking different parts of its first long-range electric vehicle since showing it to the world late last year. The price cuts, which don’t affect the $7,500 federal tax credit, is just the latest touch up.

    Only the GT model doesn’t see any kind of price cut as the new EV is set to start rolling into dealerships later this month.

    (Ford will let you customize your new Mustang Mach-E before taking delivery.)

    Only the GT model doesn’t see a price cut, which are as large as $3,000, depending upon the model.

    The move, which were revealed in a dealer memo by MachEforum.com, is designed to help the vehicle “remain fully competitive in a segment that is seeing dynamic price changes.” In short, Ford is keeping with Tesla — specifically the Model Y.

    The new pricing is as follows:

    • Select RWD from $43,895 to $42,895
    • Select AWD from $46,595 to $45,595
    • CA Route 1 RWD from $51,800 to $49,800
    • Premium RWD from $50,000 to $47,000
    • Premium AWD from $52,700 to $49,700
    • First Edition from $59,300 to $58,300

    (As order banks open, Ford upgrades Mach-E performance specs.)

    The company noted it would reinvoice the existing vehicles and offer adjustments to customers where necessary. The pricing adjust is just the latest in a series of improvements to the EV Ford has been making as it nears its delivery date, which was already delayed due to the pandemic.

    The new Mach-E is expected to begin arriving in dealerships later this month.

    In June, it was announced that all versions of the Mach-E will get a boost in performance from what it had originally announced. The extended-range all-wheel-drive model, for example, will now be rated at 346 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, up from the previously announced figures of 332 hp and 417 lb-ft. It is now expected to be able to hit 60 in the mid-5-second range.

    In May, Ford revised the charging time numbers for the Mach-E, revealing it boosted its charging capabilities by as much as 30%, getting an additional 61 miles of range in just 10 minutes using a 150 kilowatt-hour fast charger.

    (Ford reduces charging time for Mustang Mach-E by as much as 30 percent.)

    After that it announced that new owners will get 250 kilowatt hours of free charging through FordPass Rewards at Electrify America fast-charging stations. Electrify America has 13,500-plus charging stations across the country — the equivalent of about three “fill ups.”


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