Ford is apparently facing a few supply and demand issues concerning its Fusion – supply in this instance outpacing demand. Officials from the automaker have made the announcement that work at the Flat Rock, Mich. plant responsible for assembling the Fusion will idle until the balance is once again restored.
Production of the Ford Fusion at the plant only kicked off three months ago – the temporary shutdown is to happen in the early weeks of next month.
Since the Fusion was first introduced by Ford, it has been assembled exclusively at the Hermosillo facility in Sonora, Mexico. It was only when Mazda pulled out of the Flat Rock plant that Ford decided to bring Fusion assembly to the factory – the first time the vehicle has been built at two different locations.
Having already announced a temporary idling in production of the Focus hatchback and C-Max models, Ford will now be implementing two shutdowns during December.
Speculation is rife as to the cause of Ford’s excessive focus inventory, with some suggesting the move was a deliberate measure to ensure the auto would not be outsold by the Toyota Camry. It could well be that Ford bosses went a little OTT in ensuring there wouldn’t be any stock shortages at such a crucial time for the new Focus, resulting in more units ready to ship than they needed.
According to certain industry bodies, the extent of the problem is such that Ford is contemplating another shutdown of the same Flat Rock plans in the early stages of next year, though in this instance for as long as a full month.