March 13, 2026 — Renton, Washington Boeing is repairing as many as 25 undelivered 737 MAX jets with wiring flaws caused by a machining error that produced small scratches on wire bundles, temporarily halting some near-term deliveries, according to Bloomberg News.
The issue, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on March 10, affects aircraft that have passed through production but remain undelivered. Boeing has notified customers and the FAA, stating the flaws pose no immediate safety risk to in-service planes.
Boeing’s Official Response
Boeing issued a statement confirming the problem:
“Our 737 program is performing rework on a group of airplanes to fix wires that have small scratches due to a machining error. This ensures they meet our quality standards before the airplanes are delivered.”
The company added that production of new 737 MAX jets continues at a rate of 42 per month, and an engineering analysis determined the scratches do not present a safety-of-flight issue. In-service aircraft can operate safely, with potential service bulletins to follow if needed. Rework is expected to take days, not weeks.
Delivery and Production Impact
The repairs have slowed first-quarter deliveries. Boeing handed over 43 737 MAX jets in February, its highest for that month since 2017, but only three in March as of early in the month, per Cirium data. Despite near-term delays, Boeing assured customers the impact will be minor and does not alter its full-year target of about 500 jets, as stated in reports from Reuters and the Seattle Times.
Boeing’s chief financial officer, Jay Malave, is scheduled to discuss the issue at a Bank of America conference on March 17.
Market Reaction
Boeing shares fell 3% on March 10 following initial reports but showed resilience amid ongoing quality scrutiny for the 737 MAX program. An X post from @tenet_research highlighted: “BOEING IS REPAIRING 25 MAX JETS AS WIRE FLAWS HALT DELIVERIES BOEING TELLS CUSTOMERS 737 DELIVERY IMPACT WILL BE MINOR.”
The flaw adds to recent production challenges at Boeing’s Renton facility, though the company maintains it will not affect new builds.
