Ford and Dacia Halt Production in Romania Due to Danube Water Level Drop

Ford and Dacia have suspended production at their manufacturing plants in Romania until August 19, according to local media reports. The shutdown is caused by a drop in the Danube River water level, which has impaired the cooling capacity of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant that supplies electricity. Ford's Craiova plant produces models such as the Puma, Transit Courier, and Transit Tourneo, which are less common in Israel. Dacia's plant in Pitești manufactures the Duster and Bigster, models popular in Israel. However, since the production halt is expected to last about two weeks, significant impacts on the Israeli car market are not anticipated.

According to ACAROM, the Romanian car manufacturers' association, Ford and Dacia's plants are the largest in Romania and account for most local production. In the first half of 2026, these plants produced 247,972 vehicles combined. In 2025, Romania produced a total of 545,510 cars, with 297,182 from Dacia and 248,328 from Ford. This production halt follows similar announcements from other automakers like Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, who recently stopped production at their Japanese plants due to an earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture.