Production of Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty continues despite supplier plant explosion
By Andrew, 09 Sep, 2010. 0 Comments
2010 Jeep Liberty
There was an explosion at the plant that supplies door modules but despite the supply constraints, production at Chrysler Group's Toledo North assembly plant in Ohio had continued. The explosion had occurred at Faurecia Interior Systems' plant, which produces the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro SUVs. Chrysler spokeswoman Katie Hepler said that the explosion “caused supply constraints” for the plant located near the Ohio-Michigan border. Hepler had said that Toledo North had been scheduled to shut down and to resume the following morning but she later revealed that the company is monitoring the situation and has not been shut down.
So far, Faurecia has not resumed shipping activities. The Automotive News Data Center said that this year, the Toledo plant has built an estimated 15,892 Nitros and 46,654 Libertys. In the US, Chrysler has sold 13,801 Nitros through August, a 10% increase over the same period in 2009. In the same period, Chrysler sold 32,324 Libertys, standing for an 8% increase over 2009.
A report from The Toledo Blade newspaper revealed that nine Faurecia workers were injured in the explosion but that the injuries were minor. The initial assessment is that the explosion stemmed from a grease machine; however, the official cause has yet to be determined. In April 2001, the Toledo North started operations. Based in Nanterre, France, Faurecia ranks No. 7 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global parts suppliers. In 2009, worldwide sales to automakers totaled to about $13.0 billion. [via autonews - sub. required]
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