Honda to Cut More North American Production

Honda Mfg. of America Inc. reportedly plans to cut North American production by 18,000 units in the current fiscal year, which ends March 31.

The Japanese auto maker blames the move on a sharp drop in sales, a report in The Wall Street Journal says.

The cuts include a combined 12,000 units of the Honda Pilot cross/utility vehicle and Odyssey minivan built in Lincoln, AL; plus reduced output of the Element and CR-V CUVs and Accord sedan built at the auto maker’s Ohio facility, Honda spokesman Ed Miller says in the report.

The auto maker will extend the Christmas holiday by two days in Ohio and slow production lines in January at its Alabama plant to 1,150 vehicles daily from the current 1,300. Another trim in March will reduce daily output to 1,000 units.

Including earlier reductions, Honda will have cut its production slate a total of 50,000 units by the end of the fiscal year. The auto maker reportedly expects to build 1,412,000 vehicles in the timeframe.