A semi-truck and trailer idles outside Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant on Thursday night in Louisville, Ky. Sept. 14, 2023
Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, speaks to workers at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, for the official launch of the new Ford Expedition.

Ford Motor Co. has temporarily paused some production at its largest plant where it produces large SUVs and its iconic truck line.

A fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in New York in September has caused the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to temporarily halt production of its Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator large SUVs. An official at UAW Local 862, the union representing workers at Ford's two Louisville plants, confirmed the production pause.

The production of Expedition and Navigator are expected to be down "this week and possibly next week," the union leader told The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. A definite timeframe of the plants paused production was not immediately available as the aluminum supply situation remains in flux.

Ford is the biggest user of Novelis aluminum. It uses it in the body of its F-Series pickup to reduce vehicle weight, increase towing capacity, and cut down on corrosion compared with traditional steel bodies. Ford said it is working with Novelis and looking at options to mitigate any potential interruptions to production.

"Novelis is one of several aluminum suppliers to Ford. Since the fire nearly three weeks ago, Ford has been working closely with Novelis, and a full team is dedicated to addressing the situation and exploring all possible alternatives to minimize any potential disruptions," Jess Enoch, a communications director for Ford said in a statement.

In April, Ford CEO Jim Farley was in Louisville as the company launched the 2025 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator from the truck plant as part of a $500 million investment.

While SUVs are temporarily not being produced, the Kentucky Truck Plant is still up and running. Only part of the paint shop and main production area are down. The plant, which sits on Chamberlain Lane, is most notably known for its production of the Ford Super Duty trucks.

At least two-thirds of the plant is still running at normal operation because truck production has not yet been impacted by the aluminum shortage from the fire, the UAW official said.

Workers received a "robocall" from Ford alerting them to the temporary production halt, the UAW official said. If a worker is still working at the Kentucky Truck Plant during the temporary production can stop depend on a variety of factors. Some workers will fall into the unemployment category, some will qualify for company pay for the work week despite the SUV production being down, and some have opted to be transferred for the time being to work on truck production, the UAW leader said.

Ford declined to provide specifics on any production adjustments or how it could impact Ford’s earnings, which will be reported on Oct. 23.

Jamie L. LaReau with the Detroit Free Press contributed to this report. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ford temporarily pauses SUV production. Here's what to know

Reporting by Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal / Louisville Courier Journal

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect