Ford Halts F-150 Production at Dearborn Through Sept. 30 Over Supplier Issue

Ford has halted F-150 production at Dearborn Truck Plant for nearly a week because of a supplier problem, according to an internal memo viewed by Reuters and follow-up comments from UAW leaders. Production crews were canceled starting Thursday through Tuesday, September 29, 2026, per that memo; UAW Region 1A Director Mark DePaoli told the Detroit Free Press the downtime runs through September 30 for about 3,500 to 4,000 Dearborn workers. Kansas City Assembly also canceled some F-150 shifts on the same issue. Ford has not named the supplier or the part — and TruckDaily is not inventing either.

This is a production story, not a recall. Order holders and shoppers should watch dealer inventory and build/lead-time chatter, not treat every F-150 lot truck as suddenly unavailable. Kentucky Truck Plant increased production to help offset the hit, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Sources

• Reuters exclusive — Nora Eckert, September 25, 2026 (primary: Dearborn memo through Sep 29; supply problem; Kansas City shift cuts; Kentucky Truck up; sales context; unrelated to aluminum/Novelis per person familiar)
• CBT News (secondary summary attributing Detroit Free Press / UAW: DePaoli through Sep 30, ~3,500–4,000 workers; Jim Fisher on Kansas City shift cancellations; Transit continues)
• The Deep Dive (secondary: DePaoli / Fisher / Ford spokesman Dave Tovar “doesn’t comment on supplier disruptions,” via Free Press attribution)
• Detroit Free Press reporting (Sep 25, 2026) as attributed by CBT News and The Deep Dive — DePaoli, Fisher, Tovar quotes

Production facts

TruckDaily take

Who this is for. Shoppers mid-order on a 2026 F-150, dealers watching incoming railcars, and anyone comparing lead times after a year of aluminum-driven supply drama.

Who should skip the panic. Skip assuming every dealer lot is empty tomorrow. Skip inventing a part name or a lost-truck count Ford has not published. Skip treating this like a safety recall — it is not.

What we’d do today. If you have an order in, ask the dealer for an honest build / delivery window update and whether your truck is already in transit or in inventory. If you are shopping cold, check real lot stock in your area and be flexible on color/options for the next couple of weeks. Watch for Ford or UAW updates after September 30. Do not let a salesperson upsell “last one before the shortage” without a VIN you can verify on the ground.

What Reuters reported from the Dearborn memo

Reuters’ Nora Eckert reported September 25 that F-150 production at Dearborn Truck Plant had been down for nearly a week. An internal memo said all production crews were canceled starting Thursday through Tuesday, September 29. A person familiar with the matter said the outage was a supply problem — and that it was unrelated to the aluminum shortage that followed fires at supplier Novelis late last year.

The same reporting said Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant canceled some shifts the same week for the same issue, while Kentucky Truck Plant near Louisville increased truck production. Reuters could not determine which supplier or part sits at the center of the changes. Separately, Reuters noted Ford vehicle sales were down about 10% year-over-year through August, with F-Series sales down about 11%.

What UAW leaders added

UAW Region 1A Director Mark DePaoli told the Detroit Free Press — as summarized by CBT News and The Deep Dive — that Dearborn would stay down through September 30 and that about 3,500 to 4,000 workers were home. DePaoli also said Ford tied timing partly to needed facility repairs alongside the supplier issue.

At Kansas City, UAW Local 249 Bargaining Chair Jim Fisher said Ford has canceled 15 F-150 shifts since September 1 and attributed the cancellations to a lack of parts. Transit van production at that plant continues, per that reporting. Ford spokesman Dave Tovar told the Free Press the company does not comment on supplier disruptions.

Shopper checklist

1. If you have an F-150 on order, ask the dealer for the current scheduled build week and whether the unit is already built / in transit.
2. If you need a truck this month, shop real inventory (VIN on the lot) rather than a promise dated after the Dearborn restart.
3. Ask whether your allocation is Dearborn- or Kansas City–sourced — lead-time impact may differ by plant.
4. Do not accept a mystery “parts shortage upcharge.” This is Ford’s production problem, not a buyer fee.
5. Recheck after September 30, 2026 for restart signals from Ford or UAW channels.
6. Keep Super Duty / other nameplates separate in your head — this reporting is about F-150 lines at Dearborn and Kansas City, with Kentucky Truck increasing output.

FAQ