What company makes Ford OEM parts?
Ford OEM parts are produced by Ford Motor Company and a network of approved suppliers; the official OEM parts are marketed under the Motorcraft and Ford Genuine Parts brands.
Overview of Ford OEM parts
Ford relies on a combination of in-house manufacturing and contracted suppliers to produce OEM parts. There isn’t a single company responsible for every Ford component; instead, Ford coordinates with a spectrum of suppliers to meet exact specifications for each model year and production run.
- In-house manufacturing at Ford facilities for core components used in Ford assembly lines
- Tier 1 suppliers contracted by Ford to supply modules and assemblies
- Other global suppliers under Ford OEM contracts providing a wide range of parts (examples include Bosch, Continental, Denso, Magna, Lear, and others)
Ford’s OEM parts come from this mixed ecosystem, all aligned with Ford’s specifications to ensure proper fit, performance, and warranty support.
Branding and procurement
Motorcraft
Motorcraft is Ford’s official OEM parts label, used for factory-original and replacement components. The following points describe its role and reach.
- Official Ford OEM parts brand used for a broad range of components
- Widely available through Ford dealerships and many independent repair shops
- Covers categories including engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, filters, batteries, and more
- Parts are designed to meet Ford’s exact specifications and commonly carry Ford warranty coverage
Motorcraft parts are the standard for Ford OEM quality and are intended to fit Ford vehicles exactly as designed.
Ford Genuine Parts
Ford Genuine Parts is the dealership-facing branding used for OEM parts certified for Ford vehicles. Key points include the following.
- Brand used by Ford Authorized Dealers for OEM parts
- Ensures compatibility and adherence to Ford’s specifications
- Applies to a broad catalog across mechanical, body, electrical, and service components
- Typically backed by Ford warranties when installed by authorized service providers
Whether you encounter Motorcraft or Ford Genuine Parts, you are accessing Ford-certified OEM components backed by official support channels.
Summary
In short, there isn’t a single company that makes all Ford OEM parts. Ford uses a mix of in-house production and contracted Tier 1 suppliers to produce parts to Ford’s exact specifications. The official OEM parts are sold under the Motorcraft and Ford Genuine Parts brands, available through Ford dealerships and authorized repairers. For most owners, choosing Motorcraft or Ford Genuine Parts from an authorized source ensures OEM compatibility, warranty coverage, and proper fit for Ford vehicles.
Who makes Ford OEM parts?
Motorcraft
Motorcraft manufactures their parts for Ford vehicles, using the exact OEM specifications as implemented in the original manufacture of your Ford. Thus, it will work the same as a Ford Genuine Part. Because Motorcraft has its own brand identity, it produces parts for your Ford under its name.
Are Motorcraft parts only for Ford vehicles?
In fact, Motorcraft is the official parts brand of Ford and has been since its inception in the 1950s. Ford used Autolite as its parts manufacturer for a brief period in the 1960s. Ford owns Motorcraft. However, Motorcraft has the freedom to manufacture parts for any company they like, such as Mazda.
Where does Ford buy their parts from?
Ford sources its parts from a global supply chain, including its own factories and around 1,200 external suppliers in countries like the United States, Mexico, China, and Germany. These suppliers provide a vast range of components, from engines and transmissions to specialized parts like airbags and steering columns, often located in countries that can provide cost-effective production.
Where Ford sources parts from:
- Global suppliers: Ford relies on a network of approximately 1,200 production suppliers across the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
- Examples of suppliers and parts:
- United States: NHK Spring (suspension stabilizer linkages) in Kentucky, and Warn Industries (axle assemblies) in Oregon.
- Mexico: Chihuahua Engine (engines).
- China: Summit Plastics (instrument panel components).
- Sweden: Autoliv (airbags).
- Hungary: U-Shin Europe (steering columns).
- Colombia: Chaidneme (mufflers and exhaust systems).
- Germany: Cologne Body & Assembly (body and assembly), and Cologne Engine (engines).
- Manufacturing and quality: Ford also manufactures parts at its own global factories, such as the Chicago Stamping plant in Illinois or the Cleveland Engine plant in Ohio.
- Indirect suppliers: In addition to production suppliers, Ford works with many indirect suppliers for things like logistics and technology, including FedEx, Penske Logistics, and Cisco.
- Cost and efficiency: The company uses a global supply chain to identify and reduce costs while maintaining quality, often outsourcing production to lower-cost countries to protect against economic fluctuations.
- Motorcraft: Motorcraft is a Ford-owned brand that manufactures parts to the same OEM specifications as "Genuine Ford" parts, so some parts with the Motorcraft label are actually made by or for Ford and are often a more affordable option.
Does Mazda still use Ford parts?
No, Mazda does not still use Ford parts because the two companies' partnership ended completely by 2015. Ford began selling off its shares in Mazda in 2008 after the global financial crisis, and by 2015, Mazda was fully independent again. This means that vehicles made after this period, such as the third-generation Mazda3 (2014-2018), no longer share platforms or major joint ventures with Ford.
- Partnership breakdown: The partnership between Mazda and Ford, which started in the 1970s, ended as Ford sold off its stake from 2008 to 2015.
- Independent development: With full independence, Mazda has focused on its own designs and engineering, launching its 'Kodo' design language and developing its own unique vehicles.
- Legacy models: While older models, particularly those made before 2015, did share platforms or components with Ford vehicles, modern Mazdas are built independently. For example, the NC generation of the MX-5 Miata (2006-2015) included several parts from Ford, such as a belt tensioner from a Ford Focus and a water pump from a Ford Ranger, but newer models do not.
