Bay Area Auto Dealers Face Shortage Of Japanese Cars & Parts
VALLEJO (KCBS) – Bay Area car dealerships that sell Japanese-made vehicles are expecting to face lengthy delays in new car deliveries, as the country tries to rebuild from last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
There is a shortage of auto parts in Japan and Toyota Vallejo General Manager Dave Johnston said that will severely impact new car deliveries in the Bay Area.
"We're trying to acquire as many used cars as we possibly can. We won't be able to control the amount of cars we're going to get from Toyota," Johnston said. "But we can stock our used car lot."
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
Johnston said inventory at his new, expanded lot could shrink from 300 to 150 in the coming months.
Jim Treece, Industry Editor for Automotive News, said this is going to be a lean summer season for car dealers across the U.S.
"In early June, most of the carmakers will be operating at half-schedule at best," he said. "Could it go beyond there? They're still working on that nuclear power plant, which affects a lot of suppliers in that area."
Treece said Toyota, Honda and Nissan appear to be the most severely affected by the auto parts shortage in Japan.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
