The Detroit News is reporting that Toyota believes its production will be back on track by November or December of this year. The automaker saw global manufacturing slow after the tragic earthquake and tsunami activity of last month, though pre-disaster levels of production may return in Japan as soon as July. Meanwhile, ship
Toyota will continue its three-days-a-week schedule at North American plants for the rest of April and May, due to continued parts shortages as a result of the March 11 Japan earthquake. Toyota's original production suspension halted lines on Mondays and Fridays from April 15 to April 25, but will be extended to include April 26 to June 3
The March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan hit Honda hard, as production was down for weeks and the automaker's research and development center was badly damaged. In fact, the quake damaged the Tochigi facility so badly that one employee died and 17 others were injured after a cafeteria wall collapsed.
According to Automotive News, Japanese automakers have seen their production drop by over 500,000 units since the March 11 earthquake struck the island nation. In the month since the disaster, the country's seven largest automakers lost around 516,000 units of production due to damage to production facilities and supplier delays. Toyota has been the hardest hit, with a loss of 260,000 units as of April 8. The automaker has a total of 18
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami has wreaked havoc on Japanese automakers' ability to build new vehicles, while also shuttering many suppliers that automakers around the world count on for production. Integrity Exports reports the devastating natural disaster has thrown a massive wrench in auto sales as well.
Automakers in Japan are desperate to restart their factories, but part shortages are in many instances holding up production. But that's not the only issue, as rolling blackouts are making it difficult for the manufacturing sector to maintain steady operation.
Automotive News is reporting that Mazda has suspended U.S. dealers from ordering vehicles made in Japan. The automaker is apparently preparing to close down plants once more after briefly opening doors after the earthquake and tsunami activity on March 11.
Prius production resumes, Honda further delays restarting plants
You've likely seen plenty of news lately about how Japanese automakers have been affected by the March 11 earthquake in Japan, but what about the rest of the industry? The Detroit News reports that research firm IHS Automotive thinks that global auto production could drop by 30 percent, and nearly every major automaker will be affected.
The problems facing automakers in the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake and the resulting tsunami are already manifesting themselves in the form of higher transaction prices on some Japanese cars, as U.S. dealers show less willingness to negotiate downward from the number on the window sticker, according to an AP report.
Japanese tsunami footage from inside a car – Click above to watch the video after the break
