Ford had big plans to begin production of the all-new 2024 Ranger midsize pickup by July 10, then August 7. Then, another date for production was to begin on August 21 and then again on August 28. That gave Ford almost a full week of production for the month of August. In that period, Ford made 151 trucks. Then, the UAW strike took hold on September 15, killing production to only 15 trucks.

The UAW’s first walkout target was the Michigan Assembly Plant, where Ford assembles Rangers and Broncos. As soon as the strike began, Ford canceled all Red Carpet Lease deals for the Ranger. The strike would go on until October 25, which put Ranger production in October at zero. So, the grand total of Ranger pickup production stands at only 166 trucks. As a result, orders keep pushing further and further back. 

How are 2024 Ranger supply chain problems slowing production?

Earlier, Ford said the reason for delays was due to supply chain issues. Some of that may have to do with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation of the 3.0-liter V6 EcoBoost engine, which has to do with defective valve springs. Last month, issues with the same engine in the 2024 Ranger Raptors began showing up. Ford has several service bulletins covering the valve spring problems.

In the meantime, factory workers are now returning to work, even though the agreements the UAW made with Ford have yet to be ratified. That should mean production will ramp up as well. Orders for the 2024 Ranger began in May, but many order holders have still not gotten build dates from Ford.

With the UAW strike over, has Ford started Ranger production?

Before the strike, Ford claimed that supply-chain issues were affecting production schedules. Once the strike hit, everything blew up, and Ford could not determine schedules. Ford does update customers every 45 days about build dates and other news relating to the 2024 Ranger. Through September, Ford made 28,900 Rangers, but virtually all of these were 2023 trucks, of which Ford was winding down production in May. 

This should have been an easy transition because the Ranger is already on sale in other countries. Manufacturing takes place in Thailand and South Africa and has since the second quarter of 2022. That fact should help to streamline typical new assembly line snafus at the Michigan plant.

As it stands, Ford will need at least a couple of months before deliveries can happen. The good news is that according to the Detroit Free Press, the over 600 workers who were laid off due to the strike are now getting callbacks. So that’s a good sign and another reason for order holders to be optimistic as we race toward the new year.