Jeep enthusiasts and auto industry watchers alike have been hit with a dose of unwelcome news: production of the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer has ground to a halt at the Warren Truck Assembly plant in Michigan, thanks to a sudden and severe aluminum shortage. According to Fox Business, the plant—operated by Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company—paused operations the week of October 13, 2025, with a three-week shutdown stretching until November 3. The culprit? A dramatic fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego, New York, a facility that supplies a staggering 40% of the aluminum sheet used by the U.S. auto industry.
It’s not just Jeep feeling the squeeze. Ford has also been forced to idle production at three of its own plants, including the Kentucky Truck Plant near Louisville, where the high-profit Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs roll off the line. The Wall Street Journal, citing a United Auto Workers memo, notes that Ford’s production cuts stem from the same aluminum supply crunch. It’s a crisis with a ripple effect, threatening to disrupt the already fragile supply chains that keep American vehicles moving from factory floor to showroom.
The fire that started it all broke out at the Novelis Oswego facility around 10 a.m. on September 16, 2025. As reported by Autoblog, the blaze was no small matter—25 separate fire departments spent 13 hours battling the inferno, which ultimately disabled a major part of the plant. Novelis, the largest recycler of aluminum in the U.S., said the facility will remain shut until at least the first quarter of fiscal 2026 as crews work to restore the critical hot mill. For now, that means a significant portion of the country’s automotive-grade aluminum supply chain is offline, leaving manufacturers scrambling for alternatives.
Stellantis is feeling the pinch acutely. The company had high hopes for the refreshed 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, banking on its updated design and features to revive sluggish sales in a competitive luxury SUV market. But with the Warren plant idled, potential buyers will have to wait—possibly weeks or longer—before they can drive one off the lot. "Due to a parts shortage, the plant was paused beginning the week of Oct. 13 and will be idled for three weeks. Production is expected to resume on Nov. 3," Stellantis told Fox Business.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The U.S. auto industry, long reliant on global supply chains, is facing a perfect storm of supply disruptions and policy headwinds. The Novelis fire is only the latest in a series of setbacks. As Autoblog points out, a 50% tariff on foreign aluminum and steel enacted by President Donald Trump earlier this year has further tightened supplies. The tariff, intended to encourage domestic manufacturing, has instead compounded the shortage, as less aluminum is being imported to fill the gap left by Novelis’ shutdown.
Industry officials are sounding the alarm. Automakers and suppliers are under mounting pressure to shift more manufacturing back to the U.S., but the rapidly changing trade landscape has left many in a bind. RJ Scaringe, CEO of electric vehicle maker Rivian, summed up the frustration: "We have to make decisions that play out years, and sometimes decades (into the future). And that’s hard to do when trade policies are unclear and frequently changing. There are a lot of things we can’t predict."
Meanwhile, the international picture is growing even murkier. China, a key player in the global automotive supply chain, has retaliated against U.S. tariffs by imposing severe restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals—materials essential for high-efficiency electric motors and, by extension, the future of electric vehicles. Every car, from gas-guzzling SUVs to battery-powered compacts, relies on these rare earths for everything from climate control systems to power seats.
The situation with semiconductors is also heating up. The Dutch government’s takeover of Chinese chip manufacturer Nexperia has prompted Beijing to ban exports of the company’s China-made chips, which account for about 80% of its total output. As Autoblog notes, this move could trigger a semiconductor shortage reminiscent of the chaos that swept through the auto industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, when manufacturers from Ford to Ferrari were forced to idle production lines and millions of vehicles never made it to market.
Michael Dunne, a veteran China automotive industry consultant, painted a stark picture of the stakes involved: "The auto industry, long built on global supply chains, now finds itself at the mercy of a single nation’s industrial policy. This is no longer just an automaker’s problem. It is a question of economic security, industrial survival, and strategic independence."
For now, consumers have largely been spared the worst of the fallout. Stephanie Brinley, an analyst at S&P Global Mobility, told Autoblog that while the crisis hasn’t yet hit dealership lots in full force, that could change quickly. As automakers absorb higher costs from tariffs—estimated at $11 billion just for autos and auto parts imported from Canada and Mexico, according to the Anderson Economic Group—they’re likely to pass those costs on to buyers. That means shoppers could soon face a double whammy: fewer vehicles to choose from, and higher prices for the ones that are available.
The aluminum shortage is already biting into the production of some of the industry’s most iconic vehicles. Jeep’s Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, both produced at the Warren Truck Assembly plant, have become the latest casualties. Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant, responsible for the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition, is similarly affected. These aren’t just any models—they’re high-margin flagships that help keep automakers profitable, especially as they pour resources into developing electric and autonomous vehicles for the future.
Behind the scenes, automakers are racing to find solutions. Ford told Fox Business that it is working closely with Novelis and other suppliers to address the aluminum shortage. "A full team is dedicated to addressing the situation and exploring all possible alternatives to minimize any potential disruptions," the company said. But with the Novelis plant offline for months and tariffs limiting imports, options are running thin.
All of this comes as the industry is still recovering from the bruising semiconductor shortage of the past few years. The threat of a repeat looms large, especially as China flexes its muscles in the global chip market. The auto industry’s reliance on just-in-time supply chains—a model that worked wonders in stable times—has revealed its fragility in the face of fires, tariffs, and geopolitical brinkmanship.
As the calendar inches toward November, all eyes are on the Warren Truck Assembly plant and the wider supply chain. Will production resume as planned, or will new shocks send further ripples through the industry? For Jeep fans and auto workers alike, it’s a tense wait—proof that in today’s interconnected world, a single spark can set off a chain reaction felt from Michigan to Beijing.
For now, the aluminum shortage stands as a stark reminder: when it comes to building cars, every link in the chain matters—and sometimes, the weakest link can bring the whole system to a screeching halt.
