Supply Chain Hell Continues: Ford Is Running Out Of Trademark Blue Badges It Affixes To Every Vehicle

Among the most notable supply chain hangups Ford is suffering from is one: the company is having trouble getting its hand on the signature blue “Ford” badges that grace the front of every vehicle it manufactures. 

The company has said that shortages not only include the badges, but also the nameplates that the company uses to specify the make and model of the vehicle they are affixed to. 

The company first reported the issue on Friday, according to a CNBC writeup. It marks the latest in a long line of supply chain issues that Ford, as well as other auto manufacturers worldwide, have suffered through since the onset of the Covid pandemic. 

Tribar Technologies is the name of the company that makes the badges for Ford. It has been forced to limit its operations, effective August, because it disclosed to state regulators that it had “discharged industrial chemicals into a local sewer system.”

So much for ESG investing in electric vehicles…

The news comes just days after we reported that Ford expected $1 billion in extra costs in Q3 as a result of “inflation and supply chain issues”. 

The company is in the midst of suffering through parts shortages that have affected between 40,000 and 45,000 vehicles, we wrote. Models affected are primarily “high margin trucks and SUVs” that haven’t been able to reach dealers. 

According to The Detroit News, Ford “expects to have a ‘higher-than-planned’ number of vehicles assembled but awaiting parts at the end of the third quarter due to supply shortages.”

Ford says it should be able to complete and deliver the vehicles by Q4 and that it is still estimating $11.5 billion to $12.5 billion in adjusted EBIT for 2022. 

The company said that the rise in costs is partially a result of negotiations with a supplier that wound up running about $1 billion more than the company expected. As such, the company says Q3 EBIT will be in the range of $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion. No word if that supplier was found dumping toxic waste into a sewage system yet…but we’ll keep you updated.