F Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Co. plans to trim F-150 truck production and idle several other assembly plants in North America this month, aiming to whittle down unsold-car inventory amid a slowdown in U.S. light-vehicle sales.

The No. 2 U.S. car maker will suspend production for a week at an assembly plant in Kansas City, Mo., where it builds its full-size F-150 pickup, the company's top seller and biggest moneymaker. Ford will also shut down a crossover factory in Louisville, Ky. for two weeks in October and idle output for a week at two plants in Mexico producing sedans and small cars.

The move comes as the once-booming U.S. car market begins to cool after six years of steady growth and record auto-industry sales in 2015. Ford executives have warned softening new-car demand and intensifying price competition could dent profits in the back half of the year.

Ford's U.S. sales fell 8% in September as the broader new-car market sputtered, despite generous Labor Day deals and deeper discounts during the month. Ford's light-duty truck inventory stood at a 93 days' supply at the month's end, well above the level considered healthy by the industry, according to WardsAuto.com.

"During our second quarter financial call, we said we expected the overall retail industry to decline in the second half of the year from the same period last year," Ford said in a statement. "We continue to match production to meet demand."

Write to Christina Rogers at christina.rogers@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 17, 2016 21:55 ET (01:55 GMT)

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