Japanese Quake and Tsunami Impacts Auto Manufacturers

The devastation from last month's earthquake and tsunami in Japan is still exacting a human toll on the region, but the impact on businesses has now spread overseas, as automakers and other technology firms take stock of what's left and how long it will take to rebuild.

Earlier this week, Toyota announced its North American plants will cut production in half between April 26 and June 3, and continue to suspend operations on Mondays and Fridays as it has already done since April 15. American Toyota plants will be closed during the Memorial Day holiday, all part of efforts to combat a parts shortage in the wake of the Japanese disaster. The Associated Press and Reuters are among the news outlets reporting the possibility of similar impacts for other automakers, including General Motors  and Ford.

What does that mean for people buying cars in Creve Coeur? The answer is, we don't really know yet.

"It was really hard for Toyota to assess the damage that was done because the magnitude of the crisis," Seeger Toyota's Tom Seeger told Patch last week. "They couldn't literally find out what suppliers were harmed in any way. We have found out it's pretty dramatic, and it's going to be a worldwide shortage of parts not only for Japanese-made vehicles but for all vehicles over there because a trememendous amount of computer chips come out of that part of Japan which supply all kinds of manufacturers' vehicles," he said.

Toyota said it will re-evaluate its supply options in June. Seeger said it could be another six months before a clearer picture emerges as far as the impact on local dealerships.