Unfinished Ford Bronco SUVs Sit And Wait For Chips In Open Lot

Bronco production is experiencing one after another.

Since its debut, delays and other problems plagued the Ford Bronco. In 2020, the big reveal was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Things did not improve when production began in 2021. Bronco is experiencing a chip crisis that has affected nearly all automakers. According to a new Automotive News article, it is forcing Ford manufacturers to store unfinished models on an open lot.

Ford says that hundreds of snow-covered, unfinished Broncos are stored on the lot near Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which builds the SUV off-road. This is what the situation looks like. The video above illustrates it. Blue Oval spokesperson Said Deep informed the publication via email that the company plans to deliver the Broncos in three months “pending chip availability.” Automakers believe that the worst of the chip crisis will be behind them.

The Bronco was in trouble early on, when the roof caused delays in December 2020. This occurred several months before Ford began production. The company had to stop Bronco production due to a continuing shortage of semiconductors. However, the shutdown had an impact on more than Bronco production. Ford also stopped production of the Ranger and Explorer as well as Mustang Mach-E and Lincoln Aviator. Due to a shortage of chips, Ford even halted Mustang production in January.

Automakers have had to be flexible in their product development due to the shortage. Some features have been dropped by BMW, Cadillac and other automakers, while others are delayed. Maserati delayed the Grecale debut until late next month due to the chip crisis.

Ford is having production problems, but it is expanding its Bronco line. Ford’s 400-horsepower (298 kilowatts) Bronco Raptor was introduced in January. This month, the Bronco Everglades is being introduced. It gets a number of upgrades to make it a powerful fording machine. Ford’s production may be slowing, but the company has big plans to make this off-road SUV.