Flooding at Stellantis

[Durango]

I see where there's major flooding at the Jefferson Stellantis plant where Grand Cherokees and Durangos are assembled - many new vehicles sitting on the property have flood waters within inches of the tops of the vehicles! Yikes!
So far the plant where the TRXs are assembled seems to be OK...

 

[lumpyTrx85]

wow just saw! man wonder if any trackhawks got ruined

 

[GeorgeSRT2020]

I think this is going to cause shipping delays, this is the staging area also before loading on to the trains I just seen.

 

[lumpyTrx85]

I think this is going to cause shipping delays, this is the staging area also before loading on to the trains I just seen.

Unreal!

 

[TedRex]

A tornado passed over us from those storms. Sad to see flooded new cars.

 

[soulsea]

Does anyone know what they do in cases like this if customer cars are damaged, especially with a limited run model like the Durango Hellcat?

Do they try build the customer another vehicle or do they just wipe the order?

 

[JumpSquadAuto]

Not great pics but crazy stuff:

[Update] — 25 vehicles damaged by flooding at Jeep plant - Autoblog

Scores of Jeeps and other vehicles were underwater as a shipping yard flooded near a Jeep factory in Detroit. Other models, including Dodge Chargers and Challengers, could be affected.

www.autoblog.com

Stellantis shipping yard flooded in Detroit, Jeep and Ford production disrupted

A flooded shipping yard near the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit is filled with new vehicles, including what appear to be Jeep Grand Cherokees.

www.freep.com

 

[TCAT]

Wow, I couldn't imagine what you would feel like, knowing your order was sitting in there.

 

[CustomPerformance]

Does anyone know what they do in cases like this if customer cars are damaged, especially with a limited run model like the Durango Hellcat?

Do they try build the customer another vehicle or do they just wipe the order?

I assume they would extend the build capacity to produce additional cars. I'm sure you remember when Porsche had to retool their GT3 (RS?) production after a bunch of them sunk in transport to the US. They went ahead and produced the customer cars that were built, but never made delivery due to the ship losing it's cargo. I imagine Dodge will do the same. Particularly since they probably have the prodcution line still in place.

 

[BusaDave]

I assume they would extend the build capacity to produce additional cars. I'm sure you remember when Porsche had to retool their GT3 (RS?) production after a bunch of them sunk in transport to the US. They went ahead and produced the customer cars that were built, but never made delivery due to the ship losing it's cargo. I imagine Dodge will do the same. Particularly since they probably have the prodcution line still in place.

In manufacturing it is not as simple as running another shift to catch up. On the cars that were flooded especially if the production run is "limited" it is 100% dependent on the supply chain. This translates into a manufacturing scheduling nightmare because the supply chain has been planning on delivering order or a defined number orders for a product. Given the current supply chain problems it is going to be a monumental challenge and I am sure the material folks are at work even today contacting the senior leadership of the supply chain to start the process of evaluation if increased out of scope production of component parts and assemblies can even be achieved.

It is tremendously complicated and will take time but rest assured Stellantis is in the business of delivering product and will be leaving no stone unturned.

Been there done this with aircraft many times over the years and the JIT no inventory nature of the automotive production industry makes this even more of a challenge. Stay tuned much more is to follow with this horrible event.

 

[CustomPerformance]

In manufacturing it is not as simple as running another shift to catch up. On the cars that were flooded especially if the production run is "limited" it is 100% dependent on the supply chain. This translates into a manufacturing scheduling nightmare because the supply chain has been planning on delivering order or a defined number orders for a product. Given the current supply chain problems it is going to be a monumental challenge and I am sure the material folks are at work even today contacting the senior leadership of the supply chain to start the process of evaluation if increased out of scope production of component parts and assemblies can even be achieved.

It is tremendously complicated and will take time but rest assured Stellantis is in the business of delivering product and will be leaving no stone unturned.

Been there done this with aircraft many times over the years and the JIT no inventory nature of the automotive production industry makes this even more of a challenge. Stay tuned much more is to follow with this horrible event.

Yeah, I wasn't implying they would run extra shifts to get more of them out faster, rather they would extend the production run to make up any customer orders that were lost during this flood. All of what you said about supply chain issues is true for sure. Certainly harder to do once a production run is already completed (like Porsche ran into with their GT car orders that sank), but I think they are still tooled up for the Durango, are they not?

 

[BusaDave]

Yeah, I wasn't implying they would run extra shifts to get more of them out faster, rather they would extend the production run to make up any customer orders that were lost during this flood. All of what you said about supply chain issues is true for sure. Certainly harder to do once a production run is already completed (like Porsche ran into with their GT car orders that sank), but I think they are still tooled up for the Durango, are they not?

I do not know what the plant schedule is for specific model runs I was just pointing out how complex it is to make a change to scheduled production which is just about impossible with the supply chain is disarray. What happened up there was indeed the perfect storm if you will. Sad times.

 

[HeliPilot]

Most of those models were more than likely dealer stock. Those will simply be a write off. Customer orders may be able to be pulled from existing dealer stock, then figure out reproduction of customer orders that could not be pulled from existing inventory.

 

[Durango]

When my Wrangler, a customer sold order, was destroyed on the train along about a hundred other just-built Jeeps (including the first major delivery of the Gladiators) before making it to the dealers, customers who wanted could simply have an order re-built, BUT - since it was then past the order date for '19's, you had to order a '20...and there were changes that some may have decided they didn't want, and therefore those orders were not entered. I accepted the changes, and they gave priority to those "replacement" orders.
Of course, that was prior to the supply chain issues mfr's are seeing now, so not sure just how easy it would be to produce more as they did then.

 

[Elrodd]

I wonder if Jeep 392s are built there and were affected?

 

[tripleB]

Does anyone know what they do in cases like this if customer cars are damaged, especially with a limited run model like the Durango Hellcat?

Do they try build the customer another vehicle or do they just wipe the order?

Not sure, HC Durango was built on 5/21 and I still haven't seen a WS just yet so it is somewhere around the factory, maybe not having a WS at this point means its still inside and safe ??? I hope I don't have to find out the answer to this the hard way!
I seen the pics you posted of yours and it looks awesome!

Hope your staying safe near all those fires!

 

[Two]

Not sure, HC Durango was built on 5/21 and I still haven't seen a WS just yet so it is somewhere around the factory, maybe not having a WS at this point means its still inside and safe ???

I saw somewhere this morning that the amount of cars affected was quite exaggerated, and that it was new Grand-something Jeeps that had drowned.

At least I hope I'm right for your sake.

 

[Zach@Granger]

We typically charge extra if we find out there's been flood damage before.


I'm not sure what the threshhold is, but if there is above a certain dollar amount of damage then it is required to be disclosed and the customer has the choice to accept or deny taking the vehicle.

If it can't be properly fixed, then a re-order will take place.

There are "fixes" that happen at the factory that we never hear about too. I had a customer who ordered a new GT350 from our Ford store who tore the front bumper off a no mile car to install a supercharger air to water intercooler and you could see marks where the original bumper was replaced at the factory and a new bumper installed(unbenknownst to all of us).

 

[HydroTRX420]

FML. My truck is supposed to be here this week. I hope it wasn’t there when this happened if you are saying all the trucks leave from here

 

[Two]

FML. My truck is supposed to be here this week. I hope it wasn’t there when this happened if you are saying all the trucks leave from here

Umm, wouldn't a "HydroTRX" be impervious to water?