GM Lansing Grand River plant production halted for semiconductor shortage

Detroit — The auto industry’s global semiconductor supply constraint is hitting General Motors Co.’s Lansing Grand River plant next week. 

The automaker confirmed Thursday that the plant where the Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5 and Chevrolet Camaro are built will be down Monday through at least the end of the month.

“We continue to work closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impact on GM,” spokesman David Barnas said in a statement. “Our intent is to make up as much production lost at these plants as possible.”

An industry-wide shortage of semiconductors or chips, which are found throughout a vehicle from the steering wheel to the seats, has cost valuable production time for all of the Detroit Three automakers and others.

GM is focused on protecting its prime product: full-size trucks and SUVs, and hasn’t had to shut down those plants for the supply constraint. 

The Detroit automaker in early March extended downtime through the end of the month at its San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico where the Equinox, the Chevrolet Trax and the GMC Terrain SUVs are built; to at least mid-April at the Fairfax, Kansas, plant where the Cadillac XT4 and the Chevrolet Malibu are built; and in the CAMI plant in Ontario where the Chevrolet Equinox is built. 

GM now expects its San Luis Potosi Assembly plant in Mexico will resume production beginning the week of April 5. The plant has been down since the week of Feb. 8. GM’s Gravatai plant in Brazil, where the Chevrolet Onix and Onix Plus are built, will take downtime in April and May.

Both Stellantis NV and Ford Motor Co. have had to cancel production at various plant because of the supply constraint.