Ford's 2020 Explorer Hasn't Left the Woods Just Yet, Report Claims

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Plagued by reports of manufacturing defects and post-production emergency surgery at Flat Rock Assembly, Ford’s Chicago-built 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator platform mate are a weight placed on the shoulders (and career) of CEO Jim Hackett. It’s also weighing down the company’s stock, analysts claim.

While the automaker said earlier this month that Explorer supply was on the upswing, with new vehicles now shipping directly to dealers, it seems Bill Shatner hasn’t shot all of the gremlins off the wing of this flight.

According to Bloomberg, not all new Explorers are making the trip directly from Chicago Assembly to various dealers. A shipment of 2,500 Explorers recently turned up at Flat Rock for post-production fixes, sources claim, and some dealers are now tasked with fully baking the pies they’ve been handed before turning them over to customers.

While the equally new Ford Escape has, um, escaped the problems afflicting the brand’s new midsizers, the importance of the Explorer line to the company’s bottom line — plus the hefty load of cash that went into upgrading the Chicago plant — is something Hackett might have to address during a third-quarter earnings report expected Wednesday. The plant upgrade, along with other initiatives, was meant to mend long-standing problems at Chicago Assembly. At least in terms of product, that didn’t occur.

While Ford claims no knowledge of it, sources say “roving groups of workers” are intimidating other employees within the bowels of Chicago Assembly, hampering production and leading to mistakes that must be fixed offsite. Ford is waiting for UAW-affiliated General Motors workers to ratify a new contract agreement before bargaining can begin.

The botched launch hasn’t helped the brand’s stock price recover from the Mark Fields days, either, something Hackett’s survival is staked on. The company’s shares have fallen 15 percent since the CEO switch. Indeed, Hackett, joined by Chairman Bill Ford Jr, was all over the Explorer launch, putting his face on the new model. At the time, the new Explorer served as proof of the company’s — and the plant’s — turnaround.

“This Explorer issue is going to be a big negative for the quarter,” said Morningstar analyst David Whiston. “It’s a viciously competitive market and you don’t want to be missing one of your big hitters.”

According analysts’ predictions, the previous quarter will not bear good financial news. Profit and revenue are both expected to slip, something the Explorer and Aviator can take credit for.

[Image: Ford]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Gone are the times when people had pride in their work. New generations don't care and have no interest in anything outside of laziness and themselves. Remember that when you put your life in the hands of one of these soul-less humans. Bring in the robots.

    • See 3 previous
    • ToddAtlasF1 ToddAtlasF1 on Oct 21, 2019

      @Greg Hamilton Toyota dumped those UAW 'workers' before they ever let another worker go for demand reasons. Wake up.

  • Jimmyy Jimmyy on Oct 21, 2019

    Pay your engineers as little as possible. And, make sure pay a premium only for diversity. Grades comes second. What could go wrong? Everything.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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