Amid semiconductor shortage, nearly finished cars are waiting for chips at Hermosillo Ford plant
A Sonoran business group says that thousands of all-but finished vehicles are waiting for computer chips at Ford’s massive plant in the state capital Hermosillo.
That’s according to a report from the Sonoran outlet El Imparcial on comments from the head of INDEX, which represents export manufacturers in the state. Jesus Gamez says as many as 15,000 vehicles are assembled and parked waiting for chips amid the ongoing global shortage.
Such shortages have previously resulted in shutdowns at the plant, one of the most important private employers in the state, though Gamez says that has yet to happen this year.
While declining to provide a specific figure, a Ford spokesperson said that Gamez’s estimates were “incorrect.”
“While we do have some vehicles parked that are missing parts related to the semiconductor shortage, it is nowhere near that amount,” Kelli Felker wrote in an email. “We are working closely with our suppliers to address those production constraints and will ship the completed vehicles as soon as we can.”
When production of the Fusion stopped at the plant in 2020, monthly production figures collapsed, but have steadily recovered since, federal data show.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated to add a response from Ford and to clarify the headline.
