(March 21, 2011) Honda Motor Co., which builds more than 80 percent of its autos for the U.S. market in North American plants, suspended orders from U.S. dealers for Japan-built models after halting production there following last week’s earthquake.

Honda told U.S. Honda and Acura dealers, who typically order vehicles six weeks in advance, of the plan (Thursday) in a memo, said Christina Ra and Gary Robinson, U.S. representatives for the Tokyo-based company.

The suspension affects models that would have been built in May for sale in the U.S., they said. “While we plan to resume automobile production in Japan as quickly as possible, we cannot say with certainty when those production plants will return to their full capacity,” John Mendel, Honda’s U.S. executive vice president, said in the memo.


Honda products manufactured in Japan for the North American market are the Honda Fit, Honda Insight, Honda CR-Z, Honda Civic Hybrid, Acura TSX and Acura RL. Honda produces a small percentage of CR-Vs in Japan for the U.S. as well.

Source: Bloomberg