The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Ford has begun filling several parking lots around the Detroit metro area with 2021 F-150 pickups in need of a quality inspection and repairs before they can be sent to dealerships. Trucks are appearing lots around the Detroit Metro Airport and near Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant. “In recent days, F-150s have been driven to the site by individual drivers and also have been spotted on truck haulers,” the Free Press notes.
Asked about the reports, Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker said, “As part of our commitment to delivering high-quality vehicles, we are conducting final quality inspections on trucks built before dealer shipments started last month to ensure they meet the quality expectations of our customers.”
Unspecified repairs
Ford is not specifying what requires inspection or repair. Ford appears to be using non-union labor to do the work causing tension with the United Auto Works. UAW team leader Scott Sawatske told the Free Press, “What I’ve seen with my eyeballs, they were installing seat belts, fixing trim that didn’t fit, refitting doors, changing harnesses out, doing some electrical work.”
But Felker told reporters the only work being performed on the trucks involved “removing trim to replace seat belts and conducting software updates.” She denies that electrical work or door adjustments are necessary.
Whatever the repairs are, they appear to be significant enough to bring back unsold trucks for factory repair, rather than asking dealerships to do the work.
The F-150 underwent a substantial refresh for the 2021 model year and has been a hit with reviewers. Our editors found it both more functional and more luxurious than before, with a huge range of configurations able to meet a wide variety of needs. We are not aware of any consistent complaints from buyers, though few of the new trucks are yet in customer hands.
