- General Motors will pause production of both its midsize pickups for three weeks due to a parts shortage
- Dealers have enough in stock that the move is unlikely to trigger a price-raising shortage
General Motors will idle the Missouri plant that builds its Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups for three weeks, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Car shoppers may not notice a shortage during the pause. Kelley Blue Book data show that dealers have about a 60-day supply of both trucks in stock – lower than the traditional industry target of 75, but enough to weather a 3-week production pause without lots running dry.
Industry publication Automotive News blames an unspecified parts shortage for the move. The site doesn’t specify which part, and recent trends make it hard to guess. The automotive sector faces turbulence from hefty tariffs on car parts, the metals used to make them, and semiconductors.
The extensive network of parts suppliers that automakers depend on is more vulnerable to economic shocks than the large automakers that buy from them.
AN reports that “The factory is scheduled to resume normal production Oct. 20,” and will continue stamping body panels used as repair parts in the meantime.
