DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. had hoped by now to move thousands of Bronco SUVs from holding lots to customer driveways, but some buyers say they’re still waiting. And they likely will be for at least a few more months.
The automaker in mid-February blamed the ongoing global microchip shortage for a backlog of unfinished Broncos at a lot near its Michigan Assembly Plant that restless buyers have nicknamed Dirt Mountain. At the time, it said those off-roaders should be completed and shipped within 90 days, provided the automaker could get enough chips.
Those 90 days are up, and while a Ford spokesman said a “vast majority” of the February vehicles have been shipped, Dirt Mountain remains full of Broncos, according to recent videos posted on owner forums online. It’s the latest sign of the lingering effects of the chip shortage, which has upended production across the industry and especially at Ford.
The automaker, in a statement, said it was shipping completed SUVs every day.
“While the global semiconductor chip shortage and supply chain challenges for various commodities continues to impact vehicle production for all automakers, our teams have been updating units at Michigan Assembly Plant and shipping to dealers and customers daily,” Ford spokesman Said Deep said in an email. “The challenges facing the industry are fluid and we are doing our best to get Broncos to our customers as quickly as we can.”
