The semiconductor shortage roiling global auto production has hit Nissan Motor Co.’s Canton, Miss., assembly plant, where the company builds pickups, sedans and commercial vans.
Frontier and Titan pickup output was idled for two days in late January, according to a factory memo obtained by Automotive News. The pickup line is also scheduled to be down on Feb. 8, the memo indicates.
Nissan builds about 410 mid- and full-size pickups at the factory each day, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
The midsize Frontier will undergo a major redesign in late summer, its first since 2004.
Altima assembly at Canton has also been affected. Overtime and Saturday production of the midsize sedan was cut for a part of January, the memo notes.
Output at Nissan’s larger Smyrna, Tenn., factory so far has not been affected by the chip shortage. Nissan builds mostly crossovers at Smyrna, including the brand’s best-selling Rogue compact crossover.
“Nissan is adjusting production capacity within our North American manufacturing operations due to the global semiconductor shortage,” a Nissan spokesman said in an e-mail late Friday. “We continue to work closely with our supplier partners to monitor the situation and assess the longer-term impact on our operations.”
The microchip shortage has affected U.S. production at several automakers, including Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.
IHS Markit forecasts that chip-related supply issues will linger into the second quarter and possibly even the second half of the year.
