The ongoing saga over the lack of semiconductor chips has struck again, and this time the 2022 Ford Explorer will see changes. Here’s what to expect.
In case you didn’t know, for the better part of the last two years, automakers have been facing a dwindling supply of semiconductor chips. The simple reason is Covid-19 slowed down manufacturing. Plus, vehicle sales slowed down, so semiconductor chip manufacturers opted to send their chips to booming industries. Thus, they went to things like TVs, cell phones and gaming systems — you know, things you can use at home when you are bored during a pandemic.
What will the 2022 Ford Explorer lose?
Ford spokesman Said Deep told Automotive News, the 2022 Ford Explorer will be shipped to dealers without rear seat heat controls, which allows customers to get their vehicles sooner.
These controls will be added back in about a year’s time, according to Deep, once the automaker gets more chips. Customers will then be able to go the dealer and have their Explorers retrofitted with these controls.
This approach means Ford can start moving thousands of vehicles sitting in lots waiting on parts like many other automakers. For example, pictures have been circulating online of various automakers with overflowing parking lots of vehicles waiting for one item or another.
In fact, this happened to us when we bought the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost. It was sitting in a lot waiting for parts before we could take delivery, and thanks to Ford’s team, we were just barely able to purchase the truck before the year-end deadline the IRS mandates for yearly purchases to be written off.
The bottom line on the 2022 Ford Explorer
Once again semiconductor chips are wreaking havoc with automakers, and while the Federal government and private industry is pouring billions in building new factories in the U.S., it is simply going to take time for those factories to get up and running. Until then, we are going to have to deal with new vehicles and missing features. That’s just the way it is.
Related posts:
- 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid: 4k miles later
- 2021 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra get less MPG due to worldwide semiconductor shortage
- Ram 1500 production halted due to microchip shortage
