Semiconductor Shortage Puts Halt To Jeep® Cherokee (KL) Production Once Again!

Stellantis has confirmed that it will be idling production of its midsize Jeep® Cherokee (KL) beginning today, for one week at its Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois. It marks a continuation of issues and concerns surrounding the company’s only underutilized assembly plant in the United States.

The 5 million sq. ft. complex will be idled until Sunday, March 13th. Production will resume on Monday, March 14th at 6:00 a.m. 

“Stellantis continues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry,” a Stellantis spokesperson said about the scheduled shutdown.

Since 2019, the Belvidere plant has continued to struggle. Slow global sales of the Cherokee (partially due to the Compass) and the continuing shortage of semiconductor chips have caused several shutdowns and a cut of half of the workforce at the plant in the past two years. 

So far this year, the plant was idle for 15 days in January, 6 days in February, and now the scheduled shutdown this week.

Rumors surrounding the plant have the Belvidere facility receiving the next-generation Dodge Charger (LF) and Challenger (LB) muscle cars and their electrified variants. Sources have pointed to the next-generation Jeep Cherokee (KM) to be built at the Saltillo, Mexico plant, alongside the current Compass.