BMW says shortage of parts from Bosch hampers production
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German carmaker BMW said a shortage of steering gears supplied by Robert Bosch slowed production of several of its compact and mid-sized models and caused stoppages at its plants in South Africa and China.
“Our supplier Bosch is not currently able to provide us with a sufficient number of steering gears for the BMW 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series and 4 Series,” BMW said in a statement on Monday.
BMW plants in Tiexi, China and Rosslyn, South Africa have extended or pulled forward planned interruptions to production, the carmaker said.
“We are taking advantage of the flexibility of our processes to minimize economic damage. We expect that Bosch, as the responsible supplier, will compensate for damages,” BMW said.
Bosch meanwhile blamed the problem on a sub-supplier in Italy, which it did not name.
“One main component of the steering system is the housing; which Bosch procures from a sub-supplier in Italy. We are currently experiencing delivery problems with this supplier,” it said in an e-mailed statement.
It said Bosch, BMW and the sub-supplier were doing all they could to resolve the delivery bottlenecks.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which BMW models are affected by the parts shortage?
Which BMW models are affected by the parts shortage?
The production of BMW's 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, and 4 Series compact and mid-sized models has been slowed due to the shortage of steering gears. This impacts several of these model lines.
Q.Which BMW plants have experienced production issues?
Which BMW plants have experienced production issues?
BMW's plants in Tiexi, China, and Rosslyn, South Africa, have been affected. They have either extended or brought forward planned interruptions to their production schedules.
Q.What is the root cause of the supply problem according to Bosch?
What is the root cause of the supply problem according to Bosch?
Bosch attributes the problem to a sub-supplier in Italy, which it has not named. This sub-supplier is experiencing delivery issues with the housing, a main component of the steering system.
Q.How does BMW plan to mitigate the impact of the parts shortage?
How does BMW plan to mitigate the impact of the parts shortage?
BMW is utilising the flexibility of its processes to minimise economic damage. The carmaker also expects Bosch, as the responsible supplier, to provide compensation for the damages incurred.
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