Honda Curtailing U.S. Production Due to Parts Shortage Beginning Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Honda Motor Co. will cut daily output at its assembly plants in the United States by as much as 50 percent due to dwindling supplies from Japan, where manufacturers continue to reel in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Ford Feels Paint Pinch from Japanese Earthquake Ford Motor Co. has asked its dealers not to place orders for full-sized pick-ups or SUVs in "Tuxedo Black" because the company is experiencing difficulty obtaining a key ingredient of the paint mixture from a supplier in Japan.
Toyota Delays Launch of Prius Wagon in Japan As the Japanese auto industry continues to struggle with the aftermath of the nation's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, Toyota Motor Corp. has delayed the Japan launch of the new Prius wagon, which had been scheduled to go on sale at the end of April.
North American Auto Plants Brace for Parts Shortages The aftermath of the crisis and destruction in Japan will translate to a shortage of parts for automakers in North America. Currently assembly plants owned by Japanese carmakers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico are operating normally, but teams are evaluating the condition of global supply lines to develop contingency plans to handle the coming shortfalls.
Japanese Automakers Suspend Production After Earthquake Production at plants making a variety of vehicles for Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were suspended on Friday, March 11, 2011 to evaluate damage sustained from the 8.9 and 6.2 magnitude earthquakes that hit the island nation of Japan Thursday and Friday.
Next Mustang to be a Product of Global Ford Design The next generation Ford Mustang , likely to appear for the 2014 or 2015 model year, will be the result of collaborative design ideas from the company's design studios around the world, a marked departure for a car that has a reputation as an iconic American vehicles.
Spiders Prompt Recall of Mazda6 In one of the more unusual causes for a recall in automotive history, Mazda announced on Friday, March 4, 2011 the company is recalling 65,000 cars in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for a problem that causes fuel hoses to leak and potentially to catch on fire.
Auto Industry Sales Numbers Strong for February Although the rising price of gasoline threatens to derail the recovery of the American auto industry, February numbers were strong, with sales of light vehicles making an impressive 27 percent jump.
NHTSA Delays Backup Camera Ruling The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was expected to issue its ruling on the proposed requirement for backup cameras on all vehicles by September 2014, but the agency has now announced a delay of the decision with no timeframe stipulated.
