Cars in detroit

By Christina Rogers The Wall Street Journal Adrienne Roberts Thu., Dec. 6, 2018 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV plans to open a new factory in Detroit, according to people briefed on the plan, the first new U.S. assembly plant to be opened by a major domestic car maker in at least a decade. The Italian-American auto maker plans to make a sport-utility vehicle at the new factory, the people said. The move comes as General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra is on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers upset about the auto maker’s plans to end production at assembly plants in Ohio and Michigan. President Trump and other elected officials also have blasted GM for the cuts, which will result in up to 6,700 factory layoffs. GM is cutting another 8,100 salaried workers. The factories GM plans to idle are making slow-selling sedan lines. Fiat Chrysler, which eliminated nearly all of its car lines a year ago, has much less empty factory space in the U.S. Many of its … [Read more...] about Fiat Chrysler to open new assembly factory in Detroit

DETROIT: Ford Motor Co said on Monday it plans to stop building its Focus compact cars in Argentina in May 2019 as it seeks to stem losses from its operations in South America.Ford said it will continue to build Ranger compact pickups at its Pacheco plant in Argentina, which employs about 3,440 people. A spokesman said it was "too early" to say if there would be layoffs at Pacheco once the Focus ceases production, but the company was in talks with the union that represents workers at the plant.Once one of Ford's most popular models, the Focus will no longer be built in the Americas after 2019, although it is expected to continue in production in China and Europe, where redesigned versions were just introduced.Ford said South American customers, like their counterparts in North America, are increasingly choosing SUVs and crossovers over traditional passenger cars like the Focus.The U.S. automaker, meanwhile, is discussing joint vehicle development with Germany's Volkswagen Group in … [Read more...] about Ford to stop building Focus cars in Argentina in 2019

By The Associated Press Wed., March 14, 2018 DETROIT—Under pressure from U.S. regulators, Ford is recalling nearly 1.4 million mid-size cars in North America because the steering wheels can detach from the steering column and drivers could lose control. The recall covers certain Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars from the 2014 through 2018 model years. Ford says steering wheel bolts can loosen over time. The company says it knows of two crashes and one injury caused by the problem. Dealers will replace the bolts with longer ones that have more aggressive threads and a nylon patch to stop them from coming loose. Owners will be notified by mail the week of April 30, and parts are expected to be available by then. Just over 1.3 million cars in the U.S. are being recalled, with the rest in Canada and Mexico. Article Continued Below The recall comes about five months after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into steering … [Read more...] about Ford recalls nearly 1.4M cars in North America after concerns steering wheel can come loose

With lucrative sport utility vehicle and truck sales on the ascent, Detroit automakers are racing to ditch slow-selling cars in favour of the big rigs that mint them money.Chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne started it off by killing the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 to reorient Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV around Jeep SUVs and Ram pickups. The profit boom that’s followed has emboldened Detroit’s other CEOs to consider snuffing out sedans such as the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Impala.“The industry thought Sergio was a mad man when he did that, and now he looks like a genius,” said Jeff Schuster, an analyst with LMC Automotive. “He paved the way for everyone. Now, with the Detroit brands, virtually every car is under review.”A slew of sedans on the floor of this week’s North American International Auto Show may well be missing or on death row by the time the industry gathers again next year in Detroit. U.S. automakers … [Read more...] about Has the car reached the end of the road in Detroit?