Honda to cut output at 2 Japan plants amid parts shortage

Honda Motor Co. said on Tuesday it will temporarily cut back production in Japan due to difficulty in sourcing parts amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"Honda has slightly adjusted its production plan at the (two) plants in Saitama. The overall impact is limited," a company spokesman told Reuters.

"For certain models, we are swapping originally intended trims to others and adjusting production to other models as needed," the spokesman added, without providing further details.

Japan's third-largest automaker has seen its profitability decline by more than half in the past two years, led by a series of quality-related issues.

The cutbacks, which will last for a few days beginning early March, will see a reduction in output by a few hundred vehicles at two plants in Saitama Prefecture, the Nikkei reported on Monday. 

The facilities produce the Vezel utility vehicle and the Odyssey minivan, Nikkei reported. In recent weeks, "components for items such as brakes and doors have shown signs of shortages," a supplier executive said in the report.