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Novelis aluminum plant fire: Third Blaze in Two Months Threatens Ford F-150 Production

A four-alarm fire broke out Thursday morning at the Novelis aluminum plant in Scriba, New York, marking the third major incident at the site within two months. This latest Novelis aluminum plant fire creates a fresh and critical setback for Ford’s already fragile supply chain. The Oswego County facility supplies 40% of all aluminum sheet used by U.S. automakers, and its output is especially vital to Ford’s aluminum-bodied trucks and SUVs.

Initial dispatch reports indicated the fire originated in the cold-mill section, the same critical area involved in the massive September blaze. The repeated disruptions come at a difficult moment for Ford, which has already forecast a financial hit of up to $2 billion tied to the initial shortage.

Here is a look at the timeline of the disruptions and the impact on Ford’s most profitable vehicles.

Timeline of Repeated Disruptions

The back-to-back fires highlight how dependent U.S. automakers remain on single-source suppliers for critical materials.

Impact on Ford’s Product Line

The aluminum supplied by the Novelis plant is the backbone of Ford’s lightweighting strategy, used in the body panels of its highest-volume and most profitable vehicles, including the F-150, F-150 Lightning, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator.

The fallout from the earlier September fire already translated to an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 units of lost F-Series production in Q4. To mitigate this:

• F-150 Lightning Pause: Ford announced it would indefinitely pause F-150 Lightning assembly at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center to prioritize the limited aluminum supply for its more profitable ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and Hybrid F-Series trucks.
• Recovery Plan: Ford aims to recover roughly 50,000 units of lost output in 2026 by adding shifts and hiring new workers at its Dearborn and Kentucky truck plants.

The latest Novelis aluminum plant fire hits the same equipment section affected in September, making the recovery of crucial cold-rolled aluminum far less certain and intensifying the pressure on Ford’s production schedule through early 2026.

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