For Want of a Nail, the Jeep was Lost

A shortage of steering wheels threw a wrench into production of the Jeep Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee this week, with production shifts being canceled or shortened at Fiat Chrysler’s Toledo North Assembly Plant in Ohio and the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.

Production of the Wrangler, which is also built-in Toledo, has not been affected, but that’s only good news if you want a Wrangler – the Cherokee is currently Jeep’s top-selling model and the Grand Cherokee is the second-best-selling model.

The Cherokee’s distinctive design was startling when the model made its debut in 2013, but it has been embraced by buyers.  The Grand Cherokee has a more conservative design but both Cherokees outsell the iconic Wrangler.

So where are the steering wheels?  They are made in Mexico by a Michigan-based supplier, and neither FCA nor the supplier are saying what’s behind the shortage.  Nor are they saying when full production will resume.

Still, there is little reason to panic.  As of the first of this month, FCA had more than a 90-day supply of Cherokees in stock or in dealer inventory, and nearly as many Grand Cherokees.  In an industry where a 60-day supply is considered ideal, it does not appear that there will be waiting lines any time soon.