Nissan has been forced to shut production lines at its assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee due to a COVID-19 outbreak at a chip supplier in Malaysia.
The Japanese car manufacturer has, according to Auto News, confirmed that it will halt production at the plant during the weeks of August 16 and August 23 before resuming production on August 30. It has not specified the name of the supplier battling the COVID-19 outbreak.
Nissan builds six models at the Smyrna plant: the Maxima, Pathfinder, Leaf, Rogue, Murano, and the Infiniti QX60. The 6 million square-foot factory employs 6,700 people.
Read Also: Nissan Blames Supplier Technician For Third 2021 Rogue Recall In As Many Months
“Nissan will further adjust its North American production schedules in August due to a Malaysia-based supplier that has shut down because of an outbreak of new COVID-19 cases,” the carmaker said in a statement. “All production lines at our Smyrna, Tenn. facility will be down the weeks of August 16 and August 23, with production expected to resume the week of August 30. We continue to work closely with our supplier partners to assess the impact of supply chain issues and minimize disruption for vehicle deliveries to our dealers and customers.”
Like most automakers, Nissan has already had to deal with production issues caused by the semiconductor shortage which is expected to stretch through into 2022. AutoForecast Solutions LLC expects 7.1 million fewer vehicles to be produced this year because of the shortage.
Nissan’s decision to stop production at its Smyrna site comes just a week after General Motors announced that it will shut three of its full-size pickup truck assembly plants in North America due to the semiconductor shortage.
