Two major OEM strategy announcements landed this week, both with implications for what vehicles will be arriving in repair bays over the next several years. A Ford Bronco recall rounds out this week's scan.
Stellantis announces FaSTLAne 2030 with 11 new North American models
Stellantis unveiled its five-year turnaround strategy at its Auburn Hills, MI, headquarters on May 21, committing roughly $70 billion globally and planning 60 new vehicles across its 14 brands by 2030.
For the North American market, the plan calls for 11 new models and 12 refreshes across Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge, built on a simplified set of three shared platforms.
Key Jeep launches include a next-generation Wrangler and Gladiator, a new two-door Wrangler Scrambler, and an extended-range hybrid Grand Wagoneer due before the end of 2026. The Recon, originally planned as a pure EV, will also get a combustion option.
Ram is expanding beyond its 1500 and heavy-duty lineup with compact and midsize pickups, including a return of the Dakota nameplate. The Ram 1500 REV will use an extended-range hybrid powertrain rather than a pure battery-electric setup.
New shared platforms and an expanded mix of ICE, hybrid, extended-range hybrid, and battery-electric powertrains across the lineup will bring new repair procedures, structural materials, and equipment considerations as these models reach production.
Subaru postpones in-house EV development indefinitely
Subaru announced on May 15 that it is postponing the launch of its planned in-house electric vehicles, which had been targeted for 2028, with no new timeline set. The move follows a 90% decline in operating profit for the fiscal year ending March 2026, driven in part by roughly $1.4 billion in tariff costs, according to WardsAuto.
A new factory originally planned for EV production will instead build gasoline and hybrid models first. Subaru's four current U.S. electric SUVs (the Solterra, Uncharted, Trailseeker, and Getaway) are all co-developed with Toyota and will remain in the lineup.
For shops weighing EV tooling and training investments, the practical signal is that the Subaru fleet in North America will remain predominantly ICE and hybrid for the foreseeable future.
Ford Bronco hardtop recall covers 16,200 units
Ford is recalling approximately 16,200 model year 2021-2022 Bronco three-door and five-door vehicles equipped with Webasto-supplied modular in-glass (MIC) hardtop roof panels that may crack, delaminate, and potentially detach at speed.
The affected vehicles were built between September 23, 2020, and January 13, 2022, at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI. The vast majority are 2021 models, with 15,045 of the 16,200 units from that model year. Ford attributed the defect to supplier process and equipment parameters that were not optimized during that production window. A remedy is not expected to be available until approximately November 2026.
