Thousands of 2021 Ford Super Duty Trucks Waiting For Chips Can Be Seen From Space

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The semiconductor chip shortage has become the next in a long line of “unprecedented” calamities spun off from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is now a large enough stockpile of unfinished 2021 Ford Super Duty pickup trucks parked outside the factory to be able to see them from space. 

Ford Motor Co. dealership | David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ford is getting slammed by the chip shortage

The 2021 Ford Super Duty of nearly every variety is represented in this collection of unfinished Ford seen from space. A few months ago, Ford also stopped production of the 2021 F-150. As of this week, the Ford Bronco has also caught up in the chip shortage web. 

As seen at The Drive, the photos from space show the Kentucky Speedway from a satellite image. The photos show a progression from April till now of the unfinished Super Duty pickups piling up like beer cans at a ZZ Top show. There must be many thousands of pickup trucks awaiting semiconductor chips. 

The future is not looking great for the Ford Super Duty Pickups

As previously mentioned, this isn’t a problem that will only affect a small number of models. The shortage is coming for all of them. These images don’t represent just one delayed model; these are Super Duty pickup trucks of every imaginable configuration. 

Ford's 2011 F250 Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel pickup truck is photographed pulling a 17,000-pound utility trailer up a mountain grade during a media unveiling in Yarnell, Arizona, U.S., on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
Ford Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel pickup truck. | Mark Elias/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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As a spokesperson from Ford told The Drive, Ford is “making the most of our available semiconductor allocation and will continue finding unique solutions around the world so we can provide as many high-demand vehicles as possible to our customers and dealers.” 

They vaguely told The Drive that the Kentucky Speedway would be holding these models for a “number of weeks” before they would be shipped out as complete pickups.

What has caused the chip shortage? 

The first and easiest part of this whole chip shortage mess is the simple economics rule of supply and demand. As we know, semiconductor chips are in virtually all of the most popular modern products; TVs, computers, phones, video games consoles,  and of course, our cars. 

rows of Ford pickup trucks
Ford Motor Co. F-150 pickup trucks sit on display | Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

RELATED: The 2021 Ford F-150 Is Struggling With the Chip Shortage

As Covid hit and the lockdowns forced many businesses to close, the semiconductor chip plants also shut down. While they were shut, demand for all things home entertainment went through the roof. 

The other side of the coin is that new car sales were struggling at the time of the lockdowns. People were buying used cars or holding on to their old ones because, for many people, times were tough following layoffs and an uncertain economy. However, once car sales picked up and new models started getting made, the strain on the chip supply ramped up. 

A perfect storm 

According to Autoblog, the chip shortage didn’t come of thin air; in fact, many anticipated it. Between the new Xbox and Playstation consoles in crazy-high demand and car sales picking up, the supply was struggling.

To really seal the deal, one of the largest automotive semiconductor chip manufacturers, Renesas, suffered a massive fire at the production facility. This sent the shortage to a new level. 

upclose shot of a semiconductor to show people what the chip shortage is referencing
Samsung semiconductor chip | Getty Images

What we see now is a log jam. Because the production of chips has been so limited, the demand is insanely high. But because the demand for these chips is so high, production can’t keep up with the demand, and logs pile up further and further upriver. 

Because of the string of events and all the delays therein, the chip shortage will likely not be assuaged for some time. 

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The 2021 Telluride Isn’t the Only Kia SUV Consumer Reports Recommends

by Gabrielle DeSantis

There are a decent number of Kia SUVs in the lineup this year, and out of all them, there are three that are noteworthy. The most popular one is the Kia Telluride, which many aren’t surprised to see rated so highly. 

Consumer Reports is certainly one that recommends the Telluride this year, but it’s not the only SUV from Kia’s lineup that they liked. Which other ones did they recommend, and are there any that didn’t quite perform up to snuff?

Why did Consumer Reports recommend the Kia Telluride?

Consumer Reports gave the Telluride one of the best ratings of any vehicle. It got a 97 score out of a possible 100 points. All of this is due to the way it handles on the road, its rear seat comfort, lack of noise in the cabin, and its five out of five predicted reliability rating as well as having the perfect owner satisfaction score. 

Its fuel economy rating is average, but still impressive nonetheless. You can expect to get 14 mpg on city roads, and 30 mpg on the highway, which actually isn’t too bad for a midsize three-row SUV. These figures come from a 3.8-liter V6 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration time for the Telluride was 7.2 seconds for a 0 to 60 mph run. 

When it comes to cargo space, the Telluride isn’t half bad. It offers 21 cubic feet of space behind the third-row of seats. If you fold down the middle and back-row seats, you can get up to 87 cubic feet of possible storage space. That’s not as much as some of the others in the same class, however.

What other Kia SUVs did Consumer Reports recommend?

RELATED: The 2021 Kia Sorento Offers Something the Telluride Doesn’t

Out of all the Kia SUVs in this year’s lineup, you’ll find two more recommendations from Consumer Reports. One of them is the Kia Sorento, which is another midsized three-row SUV. It didn’t score quite as well as the Kia Telluride, but it did fairly well anyway. 

With a score of 77 out of 100, the Sorento offers great handling and fairly decent fuel economy. When driving in the city, you can expect around 17 mpg. But, when you’re traveling on the highway, it increases to 34 mpg. As far as acceleration goes, CR managed to get a 6.5 second time for a 0 to 60 mph run. Predicted reliability wasn’t so great with this model, though, with a score of three out of five. 

The other recommended SUV was the Kia Sportage, which is one of Kia’s compact SUVs. This model scored an 81, because of its predicted reliability, its smooth transmission, excellent brake performance, and decent seat comfort. The Sportage is much slower than the Sorento, clocking in at 9.6 seconds with its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces only 181 hp.

Which Kia SUVs did not get a recommendation from Consumer Reports?

The only Kia SUV that CR didn’t recommend this year is the Seltos. This subcompact SUV has the lowest score in Kia’s SUV lineup. It only received a 63 rating because of its poor handling, cabin noise, and poor trunk space. Its acceleration time of nine seconds isn’t good, but it’s a tiny bit better than the Sportage. 

The cargo area offers 26 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which is pretty good for a subcompact SUV. However, other sport utility vehicles offer quite a bit more. If you fold down the rear seats, though, you get 62 cubic feet instead. Accessing the cargo is easy due to the wide opening, and it comes with a powered liftgate that opens with an exterior button. 

The most impressive feature with the Seltos is the braking performance. It managed short stopping distances even on wet road surfaces. Its brakes were easily modulated, and they had firm feedback when engaged. 

The Kia Telluride isn’t the only Kia SUV that Consumer Reports recommends for the 2021 model year. The Sorento and the Sportage also have enough good points to garner attention from the CR team this year. 

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No Dodge Durango Model Year Has Ever Been Recommended by Consumer Reports

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Dodge Durango has been around for quite some time, but it’s never gotten much love from the critics like the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander gets. With all the engine options to choose from, you’d think it would turn heads more than it does. 

One such critic, Consumer Reports, has never given the Durango a recommendation in all the years it’s been around. Why is that, and what does the new model offer? 

How well did the previous generations fare?

Beginning with the 2000 model, the Dodge Durango didn’t have the greatest of debuts in the midsize SUV market. While Consumer Reports data for this year is sparse, there’s enough to show that it bottomed out with fuel economy at 14 mpg combined. Crash testing for this model didn’t do so great either with two out of five stars for frontal crash, driver’s side, from the NHTSA.

The Durango got a redesign in 2004, which improved the way it drove as well as its acceleration. It didn’t help fuel economy, though, with its 12 mpg combined rating. The V8 engine was plenty powerful, but this Dodge could only manage 8 mpg on city roads. Crash testing was also improved, getting five stars from NHTSA for both driver and passenger frontal crash tests. 

Redesigns were seen in 2011 and 2014. Dodge made improvements to the way it drove and its performance by adding a V6 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy improved a little bit to 18 mpg combined, but its predicted reliability still suffered. The 2014 model saw 11 recalls from the NHTSA.

Did any Dodge Durango models come close to getting a recommendation?

RELATED: Consumer Reports Didn’t Recommend Any American 2021 3-Row Midsize SUVs

Consumer Reports never gave any model of the Durango a recommendation in the midsize SUV segment. The 2015 model saw more praise than most other years. While its fuel economy stayed within the 18-20 mpg range, its smooth transmission, seat comfortability, and minimal cabin noise earned five out of five points from CR. Predicted reliability improved to three points out of five, where it was one or two out of five before. 

The model that came the closest, however, would have to be the 2017 Durango. This year brought much improvement for its predicted reliability rating, which was four points out of five. It also received a four-star rating for overall safety during testing at NHTSA.

Fuel economy remained the same as the 2015 model. Owner satisfaction also increased a bit. Owners were reporting they loved the styling, and the way it drove, but the value was poor. 

What does the 2021 Dodge Durango model offer?

Despite not receiving a CR recommendation for any of its model years, the Durango still offers enough for those looking for a simple midsize SUV. This model seems to be transforming into a more sporty version with a wider chassis as you see with the Dodge Charger. 

Powering it up is a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine that can generate 295 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. You can also opt for a variety of V8 motors, but they will only get you poor fuel economy ratings. The V6 will get you approximately 19 mpg in the city and around 26 mpg on the highway, according to MotorTrend. 

The towing capacity for this model is 8,400 lbs, however, you would need one of the V8 motors to get it. The V6 engine will only allow up to 6,200 lbs. Its Tow N Go package adds Brembo brakes, SRT Wheels, and more options for driving modes. 

The Dodge Durango may not have got the coveted CR recommendation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth getting. If you’re looking for a midsize SUV that can tow a variety of items, the Durango is the one to go with. 

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What Is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an important part of car safety. Along with The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these organizations make the roads and cars safer for drivers. With brands like Kia and Hyundai improving every year, the IIHS had a big hand in that.

What does the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) do?

A 2016 Nissan Motor Co. Versa, left, is test crashed inside Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) headquarters in Virginia| Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an organization dedicated to reducing injuries and deaths on the roads due to vehicle crashes. The IIHS uses research, evaluation, and education to help consumers and safety professionals stay safe on the roads.

Like the IIHS, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) is a partner organization that focuses on using scientific studies and data to help educate people.

Founded in 1971, HLDI focuses on analyzing insurance coverage. Based on collision, property damage liability, and personal injury protection coverage. Medical payment, bodily injury liability, and comprehensive insurance claims are also included.

HLDI collects data about insurance claims and analyzes the data to help car buyers make more informed decisions.

The IIHS and HLDI work together by publishing insurance results by all of the various car makes and models. The IIHS helps make the roads safer for everyone.

The history of the IIHS

RELATED: Trucks and SUVs Force Change in IIHS Safety Tests

Insurance associations founded the IIHS in 1959. Initially, the focus of the company was to support highway safety efforts. William Haddon Jr., M.D. reorganized the IIHS into an independent research organization in 1969.

Haddon Jr. became the first highway safety chief. He helped the IIHS lead the way on crash prevention using science to help reduce crashes and deaths.

In his research, Haddon found that many issues arose from a few factors. Teenage drivers, driving under the influence, truck driver fatigue, and a lack of seat belts.

The research focused on crash prevention and the crashes themselves. The IIHS eventually expanded to include the Vehicle Research Center (VRC). In addition to this, the IIHS helped create safer roads due to environmental factors and the elimination of roadside hazards.

In conclusion, if you like driving on safe roads, you can thank the IIHS!

The IIHS Top Safety Pick

RELATED: New IIHS Safety Ratings Include Much-Needed Update for Pedestrian Safety

You have probably heard the phrase “IIHS top safety pick” at some point. However, what does it mean?

“With these awards, we want to make it easy for consumers to find vehicles that provide good protection in crashes, sufficient lighting and effective front crash protection,”

David Harkey | IIHS President

For instance, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis secured the most awards as a brand this year. In addition, the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna both qualified for the IIHS Top Safety Pick. The Ram 1500 Crew Cab was the only pickup truck to get an award. In addition, it was also the only award for Stellantis.

Some of the other cars on the list include the Honda Accord, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, and the Ford Explorer. You can browse all of the top safety picks on the IIHS site.

In other words, by picking a car on the IIHS Top Safety Pick list, you can ensure that it a reliable choice.

In conclusion, the IIHS and HLDI are excellent organizations that help drivers select safer cars. Additionally, drivers can take those safer cars on safer roads.

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