DETROIT — Shortages of auto parts from Japan are hitting North American operations at Honda and Toyota.
Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday said it wants its U.S. car dealers to stop ordering more than 200 replacement parts made in Japan because it’s worried about running out of them. And Honda Motor Co. said it will temporarily cut production at its North American auto factories starting Wednesday due to shortages.
It’s all because of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and its huge auto industry. The quake damaged many parts supply companies that make key components for cars and trucks in the U.S. and other countries. Industry analysts expect many automakers to run into shortages until production returns to normal. No one’s certain when that will be.
Already several automakers have been forced to cut production. Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and others have stopped taking orders for certain paint colors because a specialized pigment factory hasn’t been able to come back on line.
Toyota has restricted orders for some Japanese components made at more severely damaged plants to make sure they remain available.
It has told U.S. dealers they can’t order 233 parts for Lexus, Scion and Toyota models unless they have a customer who needs one for a repair.
Dealers said the parts include brake rotors, body panels, shock absorbers and other components. They mainly are for the Prius gas-electric hybrid
and hybrid versions of the Highlander SUV, and the Camry midsize sedan.
Toyota spokesman Steve Curtis said he did not know specifically which models were affected.
“We are asking the dealers to refrain from ordering parts in excess of what they need,” he said.
Parts managers at some dealerships may have ordered additional parts made in Japan in anticipation of shortages, and those orders could cause Toyota to run short, said Earl Stewart, who owns a Toyota dealership in North Palm Beach, Florida.
“It’s not necessarily being a bad guy. It’s just doing your job,” Stewart said. “If everybody decides to stock up in advance, it’s kind of like hoarding and suddenly there’s a shortage.”
About 70 percent of Toyota cars and trucks sold in the U.S. are built in North America, but roughly one in four parts in those vehicles still come from factories in Japan.
Production of most replacement parts resumed in Japan on March 17, and Toyota began shipping them to the U.S. soon after.
Meanwhile, Honda has run short of some engine, transmission and electrical parts that come from Japan. As a result, it will cut the number of hours that some North American assembly lines operate each day. Cuts
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