Toyota to halt North America vehicle output for 5 days this month

Toyota Motor Corp. will suspend production at its North American assembly plants for five days this month due to earthquake-related parts shortages.

All but one of Toyota's assembly plants are scheduled to be idled on April 15, 18, 21, 22 and 25, the automaker said in a statement Friday. Its plant in Georgetown, Ky., will assemble vehicles on April 21 and be down the four other days.

The automaker estimates the latest production cuts, combined with previously announced plans to eliminate overtime, will result in the loss of 35,000 vehicles through April 25, spokeswoman Tania Saldana said.

Most of Toyota's engine and parts plants in North America will be idled for the five days as well.

Toyota said on March 23 that thinning supplies of parts would prompt interruptions of North American production. So far, the company has only curtailed overtime.

"We are slowing down to conserve parts yet maintain production as much as possible," Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, said in the statement.

During the non-production days, Toyota's roughly 25,000 plant employees can still report to work for training and plant improvement duties, take vacation or take unpaid time off.

By Ryan Beene- Automotive News