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The Ford Broncos Piling Up at Ice Mountain Will Get to Customers, But There's a Catch

Automotive industry problems keep piling up the same way that unfinished vehicles pile up on carmakers’ parking lots. There’s a chip shortage that does not seem to ease for the foreseeable future, and it affects all carmakers. This led Ford to make the difficult decision of delivering vehicles without chips controlling non-safety, although critical features.
Ford will sell vehicles without chips controlling non-safety critical features 8 photos
Photo: KenStevens5150 via Youtube
Thousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice MountainThousands of Ford Broncos pile up at Ice Mountain
The chip shortage enters a new phase. Carmakers need to choose whether to stop production or to return to building cars the old way. That is, without many features that are expected from a modern vehicle. It looks like Ford chose the latter and will now start to deliver cars without chips controlling various functions rather than wait for the chips to arrive.

It is a choice other carmakers already made a while ago. General Motors, for instance, decided to deliver many vehicles without less important functions like parking assistance, or start&stop functionality. Now, Ford confirmed they are ready to take it a step further, delivering cars without critical systems, without affecting the safety features though.

This comes after producers began storing finished cars on parking lots around the plants while waiting for critical electronic components to be delivered. A month ago, we’ve seen pictures of thousands of Ford Broncos piling up at Ice Mountain because they were missing electronic components. Now, as the Ice Mountain turns into Dirt Mountain, the lot is expected to clear out, without the problem being solved. It is just that the vehicles will be delivered without the missing chips.

In a meeting with dealers in Las Vegas, Ford told them they would ship partially built vehicles to the dealer lots and these will be both drivable and sellable, according to Automotive News. The missing parts will be sent to dealers for retrofitting within one year. Ford did not detail when they would start selling the partially built vehicles or what models would be included in the plan. We don’t know what Ford means by “non-safety critical features” either.

As the news broke, people waiting for their Ford vehicle to be delivered started to discuss the matter on forums. Most of them cheered at the idea of faster delivery, even if this means a less functional vehicle. They even hope Ford will drop the hated start&stop feature, although heated seats were controversial. Some even indicated that Ford’s announcement might mean no radio or infotainment system, which is a non-starter for many. Sitting for one year in a car without music is all doom and gloom, we feel you.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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