DETROIT — Ford Motor Co.’s Jim Hackett and Wall Street analysts started this year frustrated with one another. Sure, the automaker had been underperforming, but the CEO appealed for time to show he was fixing things. He assured them the redesigned Explorer rolling out months later would be a proof point.
But rather than help the third-quarter earnings results Ford delivers this week, the Explorer will be a hindrance. Sales have plunged as a plant plagued by personnel problems has struggled to get the new crossover utility vehicle out the door. Thousands have been shipped 270 miles away to another Ford factory for rework.
