General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. canceled or shortened shifts at seven assembly plants because of weather-related road closings in Canada.
At GM, the changes affect production of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact sport-utility vehicles, the Chevrolet Impala sedan and Camaro coupe, and the Cadillac CTS and STS models.
The Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Mich., which makes the CTS and STS, closed earlier today because of a parts shortage caused by highway closings in Canada, said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman. He declined to specify the part.
Workers at GM’s assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, were sent home early during the day shift and the late shift today was canceled, said Jason Easton, a spokesman. GM shortened shifts at its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, starting Monday, he said. The CAMI facility makes the Equinox and Terrain, and the Oshawa plant makes the Impala and Camaro.
GM also suspended output at a plant in Flint, Mich., that builds light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks because of a shortage of parts.
Ford halted output at two plants – Oakville Assembly and St. Thomas Assembly – in Ontario, and at a factory in Chicago. The Ford shutdowns affect output of the Ford Flex, Edge, Explorer and Lincoln MKX SUVs, and the Lincoln MKT crossover and MKS sedan.
Chrysler’s Canadian operations were unaffected by the storms, said Mary Gauthier, a spokeswoman.
Ron Lietzke, a spokesman for Honda Motor Co.’s U.S. manufacturing unit in Marysville, Ohio, said the company’s factories in Ohio, Indiana and Ontario have continued operating normally this week.
Toyota Motor Corp. has maintained regular production schedules at its plants in Kentucky, Indiana and Ontario this week, said Mike Goss, a spokesman for the company’s North American manufacturing unit based in Erlanger, Ky.
Lambton County in Ontario declared a state of emergency because of a winter storm, the Ontario Provincial Police said today in a statement on its website. Police are rescuing drivers from about 360 stranded vehicles on Highway 402, which crosses over to Port Huron, Mich., the police said.
The road has been closed to commercial traffic because of the weather.
