Temporary Production Halt Of Windsor-Made Caravan Minivans For U.S.

Production for the United States of the Windsor-made Dodge Grand Caravan will temporarily halt in the fall over American government regulations, though the head of the affected union local says he is not yet worried about a plant slowdown.

“FCA US has confirmed to U.S. dealers that production of the 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan for the U.S. market only will be temporarily suspended from September to November at the Windsor Assembly Plant,” LouAnn Gosselin, head of FCA Canada communications, said in an emailed statement. “This action is being taken to address U.S. regulatory actions. Production of the Grand Caravan for the Mexican and Canadian markets is not effected.”

Gosselin said it is too early to say whether the Windsor Assembly Plant will experience a slowdown as a result.

American Fiat Chrysler dealers were warned to stock up on enough Dodge Grand Caravans to last through December because production will go on a hiatus. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has known for a couple of years about pending U.S. “regulatory action” that would need to be addressed, and which could affect U.S. production of the Caravan, so the issue is not a surprise.

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne addressed the issue in 2015 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, in response to a reporter’s question: “There are technical reasons why that car cannot be sold for a much longer period of time than the current time. It’s just there are regulations that are coming into effect in 2017 that are going to restrict it.”

Dino Chiodo, president of Unifor Local 444 which represents more than 6,000 workers at Fiat Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant, says the technical issues should soon be resolved. “They’re already working on this, so I don’t see it as a big long process,” Chiodo said. “But at the end of the day it has to be done and we get it. Everybody’s working on this and we’ll be selling in the States again in no time.”

Chiodo said in the meantime, production of the popular Caravan will continue for Mexico and Canada.
“At the moment there is no change in production whatsoever,” Chiodo said. “I don’t see a change for the immediate future.”

Chiodo did not have exact numbers readily available, but estimated that the Windsor Assembly Plant produces about 300,000 vehicles a year, between the Caravan and the Chrysler Pacifica. The Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year and is considered a pioneering minivan.

“We have been talking very closely with Fiat Chrysler and we don’t have a sense that they want to slow down production,” Chiodo said. “We have been walking through this for a few weeks now. I’m not overly concerned. It has to be remedied. But it’s doable.”