General Motors has done everything it can to protect production of its in-demand and highly profitable full-size pickups from the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor chips used in many car parts.
But now GM will be pausing most of its pickup production in North America.
In a notice to union members, the automaker said it will cut production Monday at its Flint sssembly plant that makes the full-size heavy duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, the Fort Wayne, Indiana plant that builds the full-size light-duty pickups and the Silao plant in Mexico, which also builds full-size light-duty pickups.
“These most recent scheduling adjustments are being driven by temporary parts shortages caused by semiconductor supply constraints from international markets experiencing COVID-19-related restrictions,” GM spokesman David Barnas said in a statement. “We expect it to be a near-term issue.”
The news comes less than seven days after GM said it would have to idle four of its North American plants that build midsize SUVs, starting July 19 and running for two weeks due to the chips shortage. Additionally, at CAMI Assembly in Ontario, where GM builds the Equinox, GM will extend downtime to Aug. 16. CAMI was supposed to resume production next week following its scheduled two-week summer shutdown.