Ford to restart some plants in April; Toyota, Honda, others extend closings

Ford Motor, Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. on Thursday updated plans to resume North American light-vehicle output. Here’s the latest:

Ford

Ford Motor Co.will restart production at some of idled North American plants in early April.

It expects to reopen a Hermosillo assembly plant in Mexico with one shift on April 6 and plans to restart production April 14 at Dearborn Truck, Kentucky Truck, Kansas City Assembly and Ohio Assembly.

The company's plans raised more concerns at the UAW, which has pressed the Detroit 3 to shutter plants to protect workers. Several FCA hourly workers have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by exposure to the coronavirus.

"We are reviewing with great concern and caution today's announcement," the UAW said in a statement Thursday. "Our priority is the health and safety of our members, their families and the American public."

The Hermosillo plant builds sedans: The Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, although both vehicles will be discontinued in coming years. The four U.S. assembly plants slated to restart production all build Ford’s most profitable vehicles; F-Series pickups, vans and full-size SUVs. 

Dearborn Truck produces the F-150 pickup, Kansas City builds the F-150 and Transit vans, Kentucky Truck builds Super Duty pickups, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, and Ohio Assembly builds larger pickups and E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis vans.

The automaker said a number of other operations also are scheduled to restart April 14 to support the assembly plants. Those are Dearborn Stamping, Dearborn Diversified Manufacturing, integrated stamping plants inside Kansas City Assembly and Kentucky Truck, Sharonville Transmission and portions of Van Dyke Transmission, Lima Engine and Rawsonville Components.

Ford did not offer restart dates for Chicago Assembly, Flat Rock Assembly, Michigan Assembly, Louisville Assembly, Cuautitlan Assembly in Mexico or Oakville Assembly in Canada.

"We will continue to assess public health conditions as well as supplier readiness and will adjust plans if necessary," Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of North America, said in a statement.

The automaker's North American plants have been down since March 20. Ford originally planned to restart production March 30 but pushed back the deadline after many states, including Michigan, issued stay-at-home orders that extend beyond those dates.

Michigan's order ends April 13.

Toyota, citing a decline in vehicle demand, said it will extend the shutdown of all light-vehicle and components plants in North America, including Canada and Mexico, through April 17, with output to resume April 20.

The company planned to restart plants on April 6.

"Our service parts operations and finished vehicle logistics centers will continue to operate in order to continue meeting the needs of our customers," the company said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action in a timely manner."

Honda Motor Co. will extend the shutdown of U.S. and Canada plants by a week, resuming production April 7, as the coronavirus saps consumer demand for cars and light trucks. The company's suspension was originally scheduled for March 23-30.

Honda operates four vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. and one in Ontario. It also manufactures engines, transmissions and other components.

The company, in a statement Thursday, said it will continue to provide opportunities for workers to be paid, including providing full pay for some nonproduction days and pulling ahead vacation for others.

General Motors said it plans to extend a shutdown of its North American plants beyond a previous March 30 target date.

"The situation is fluid and can change week to week," a GM spokesman told Automotive News. "We don’t have firm return to work dates at this time.”

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said its plants across the U.S. and Canada, as well as its Detroit area headquarters operations and construction projects, will stay closed closed until April 14.

"The Mopar Parts Distribution Centers, which have been deemed essential to keeping first responders and commercial vehicles on the road, will continue to operate with paid volunteers," the company said in a statement. "The status of production at FCA’s Mexican operations will be subject to a separate announcement."

Meanwhile, Volkswagen of America said it would extend the shutdown of its Chattanooga assembly plant another week until 10 p.m. ET on April 5. The plant had originally been scheduled to resume production of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport crossovers and Passat sedan this coming Sunday evening after halting production March 21. The German automaker said it would “continue to provide full pay next week for all team members at the factory.”

Omari Gardner, Larry Vellequette and Hannah Lutz contributed to this report.