DENVER -- Ford Motor Company may have found a way to get dealerships fully stocked on F-150s again and into drivers' hands.
Tim Jackson, CEO of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, says Ford has been in touch with dealerships around the country on a new approach to handling the chip shortage.
The automaker is considering shipping incomplete F-150s to dealership lots and having staff there install the missing components when they become available.
"Anything that'll get the vehicles to us and to our customers ultimately more quickly excites us," Kevin Shaughnessy, vice president of operations for Phil Long Dealerships, said Tuesday.
But a big concern Jackson has heard from his members is regarding Colorado's unpredictable weather.
"Hail can be an issue in the summer in Colorado. We have had a lot of inventory lost due to hail," Jackson said.
Some owners worry they'll have to foot the bill for whatever damage these incomplete trucks incur while parked on their lots.
"No skin off Ford's back because Ford has to insure those [trucks] where they're at now. We just need to have them insured while they're on the dealership lot, waiting on the chips and anything else to finish the vehicles," Jackson said.
The plan is still under consideration, Shaughnessy says, and Ford is taking everything into account before making a final decision.
"The fact that there might be a greater risk of weather in certain areas of the country ... that may impact their final decision on whether they want to ship those vehicles or not," he said.
If Ford goes through with the plan, Jackson says Colorado's Ford dealerships may not accept the new trucks until the insurance issue is squared away.
Denver7 reached out to Ford Motor Company about its plan under consideration but did not receive a response.
