Oh no, a massive fire could cause Ford to lose up to $1 billion due to disruption in vehicle production. At least five trucks and SUVs could face massive delays due to a shortage of aluminum. The plant will be closed until early 2026. 

Aluminum supplier fire causes Ford to cut production of trucks and SUVs  

Ford Motor Company is in a bit of a scramble to find more aluminum after a devastating fire broke out last week. The fire occurred at the Novelis aluminum plant, which supplies 40% of the aluminum sheet used by American automakers. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the three-alarm fire will prevent Novelis from producing automotive-grade aluminum sheet metal until March or April. In the meantime, Ford is searching for all potential alternatives to minimize disruptions. 

However, the disruptions are currently impacting the production of five trucks and SUVs. It could also lead to a loss of up to $1 billion. About 20,000 – 50,000 F-Series trucks could be lost. Ford is the largest Novelis customer. 

It needs the aluminum to build the Ford F-150, Lightning, Escape, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Corsair. Production of Lighting, Expedition, Escape, Corsair, and Navigator has been idled to save aluminum. 

Ford is also looking to import aluminum from other countries despite facing increasing costs due to tariffs. Plus, the automaker is pushing scheduled downtime forward and reducing shifts at Super Duty truck plants. 

Toyota is another large Novelis customer that could face similar issues. It’s working to purchase aluminum from other suppliers and hasn’t faced any production problems yet. However, the automaker shared that it’s not out of the woods yet.