Ford supply chain issues include blue oval badges for the F-Series pickups

DETROIT – Recent Supply Chain Issues for Ford Motor included a small, but important, division for the company and its vehicles – the blue oval badge that goes with almost any vehicle for its eponymous brand.

A Ford spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that the Detroit automaker was experiencing a shortage of Ford badges as well as nameplates stating the vehicle’s model. The The Wall Street Journal first reported the issue, including badges for the F-Series pickups, on Friday, citing anonymous sources.

The latest issue is the multi-year supply chain crisis that has occurred from key departments such as semiconductor chip and harness on raw materials and now, car badges.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a Michigan-based supplier named Tribar Technologies, Inc., which had previously made badges for Ford, had to restrict operations in August after disclosing it to agencies. Michigan regulators that they dumped industrial chemicals into the local sewer system.

A message seeking comment from Tribar was not immediately answered. Ford declined to comment on whether Tribar’s limited operations were related to the automaker’s lack of name badges.

A spokesman also declined to comment on how many vehicles were affected by the incident.

The report comes after Ford on Monday said parts shortages affected between 40,000 and 45,000 vehicles, mostly high-margin trucks and SUVs, that have yet to reach dealers. Ford also said at the time that it expected to record an additional $1 billion in unexpected supplier costs in the third quarter.

Announcements earlier this week, including the pre-release of some earnings expectations, sent Ford stock worst day in over 11 years.

Separately, Ford on Thursday announced the plan restructuring its global supply chain to “support efficient and reliable component sourcing, in-house development of key technologies and capabilities, and world-class quality and cost performance.”