The same supplier fire that caused Ford to shut down F-150 and Super Duty production has created a ripple effect. Now, General Motors has suspended van production at the Wentzville, Missouri, production facility.
2018 Chevrolet Express and 2018 GMC Savana production are on hold as GM works with supplier Meridian Magnesium Products after a fire broke out at the supplier’s facility, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported on Wednesday.
Merdian said in a statement that it is “working with customers” affected by the fire and the company is currently trying to move tooling from the damaged plant to a separate facility. Investigators haven’t given provided a cause for the fire yet.
GM didn’t provide details on the parts shortage for its commercial vans, but the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are not affected by the constraint. GM also builds the two mid-size pickups in Wentzville. The automaker said it’s working to resume production “as quickly as possible.”
Ford has been hit hardest since the supplier fire, however. The automaker had no choice but to temporarily layoff workers at its Kansas City truck plant. Ford also halted production at its plant in Dearborn, Michigan. According to the report, the F-150 and Super Duty trucks use a lightweight radiator support from Meridian.
Other automakers confirmed they’d felt the effects, too. Fiat-Chrysler, BMW and Daimler also commented on production issues.
Comment
This is the new world order as multiple car companies all getting a specific component from a single supplier and because of an accident at the Meridian Magnesium, production comes to a halt until a secondary source is located or Meridian Magnesium becomes operational.