Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is extending the temporary shutdown another week at its St. Louis, Twin Cities and Edison Assembly Plants in a continuing effort to divert 15″ tires from vehicle production to customers impacted by the Firestone recall.
The Ford assembly plants in Missouri, Minnesota and New Jersey were idled on Monday, August 28. About 70,000 tires were diverted during the past two weeks to Ford Motor Company dealers and customers as a result of the plant shutdowns and other actions taken to replace 15″ tires with 16″ tires in vehicle production wherever possible.
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During the shutdowns, plant employees unloaded tires, assembled shipments and delivered replacement tires to nearby dealerships, allowing dealership employees to concentrate fully on assisting customers with tire inspections and tire replacements for recalled tires.
“We are monitoring the situation week by week,” said Martin Inglis, vice president of Ford North America. “We are seeing increased production from Goodyear, Michelin and other tiremakers and expect that to grow rapidly in the next week or two. The safety and peace of mind of our customers remain our greatest concerns.”
Twin Cities Assembly Plant produces the Ford Ranger; Edison Assembly Plant produces the Ford Ranger and Mazda B Series trucks. Ford Explorers are produced at the St. Louis Assembly Plant.
