North American Auto Output Takes Another Hit

North American fourth-quarter vehicle output is taking another hit this month, with 204,600 units wiped from the slate.

That tally includes a sharp October underbuild, estimated at 63,800 vehicles, or 5% of plan, much of it due to parts shortages related to recent floods in Thailand.

Replacement for current Honda CR-V may be delayed by Thailand flood.

Related document: North America Production Schedule Q4

Those floods have swamped supplier plants feeding subassemblies to several Japanese auto makers in North America, most notably Honda and Toyota.

Together, they account for most of the industry’s November-December production cuts, slashing 140,800 vehicles from their schedules.

Nissan also will build 18,900 fewer vehicles in October-December than previously planned.

Other difficulties, including a shortage of V-6 engines at Chrysler due to quality-related issues, continue to hamper the production outlook.

Although the same V-6 is used in numerous Chrysler vehicles, the shortage is felt most acutely at the Windsor, ON, Canada, van plant, which will lose the equivalent of one shift at least through November.

After falling 28,400 units below plan in September, Chrysler’s overall fourth-quarter slate appears little changed from a month ago, as increased output of cross/utility vehicles and SUVs, plus large cars and pickups, mostly is offsetting cuts in van and midsize- and small-car production.

General Motors also shows little overall change for the quarter, as a 14,300-unit September underbuild largely is offset by increases of 4,000 in November and 5,000 in December.

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Although unrelated to the Thailand disaster, GM is halting production of the Chevy Sonic at its Orion Township, MI, plant for at least two days this month due to an unidentified parts shortage.

The auto maker says it still expects to reach a planned 542-a-day pace in November, before adding output of the Buick Verano, which will bring daily output to 825 vehicles once ramp-up is completed.

Ford is countering the trend with a 2.4% increase in its Q4 numbers , where an October overbuild of 4,800 units is followed by gains of 7,400 in November and 2,600 in December.

Industry output for the year now is expected to reach 13,277,500 cars and trucks, down 1.5% from 13,482,100 a month ago, but still 9.2% ahead of 2010.

Operating at 114.7% of their year-earlier volume, the Detroit Three is set to produce 7,690,400 vehicles.

Transplant output of 5,269,300 equals 100.5% of 2010 levels, while independent medium- and heavy-duty truck makers plan to best 2010 volume by 54.2% with 317,800 completions.

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