Ford is slowing production of its 2017 F-150 pickups by closing one of its assembly plants for a week next month to perform some maintenance and fix mechanical issues on the line, the company said. While the Kansas City factory that produces the aluminum-bodied pickups will be closed, production will continue at the Michigan plant that builds the trucks.
While this type of work is usually done in the fall during model changeover time, the production pause comes just as inventories of this mainstay in the Ford lineup are rising. According to Automotive News, Ford has a 105-day supply at current selling rates of the pickup on hand, or about 288,000 F-Series trucks in stock. A 60-day supply is considered ideal.
Class of 2017 New Models Ready to Roll
Ford currently isn’t offering incentives on its 2017 models, but has rebates of $300 to $2,250 and financing deals ranging from 0 to 8.9 percent on 2016 F-150s, as well as $500 to $3,000 cash back on heavy-duty 2016 F-250 and F-350 trucks along with 0.9 to 8.9 percent finance deals. A continued slow sales pace could result in more incentives. The rising inventory also means it’s a buyer’s market right now for Ford pickups.
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