A wintry storm that closed a major highway in Ontario has hobbled auto production in Canada as auto makers grapple with temporary parts shortages.
General Motors Co. temporarily closed its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont., Tuesday and sent workers home after only partial shifts at a second plant in Ingersol, Ont., Monday, representatives said.
Ford Motor Co. said it also expected some "production disruption" on Tuesday related to the storm.
The GM plant in Oshawa builds the Chevrolet Camaro muscle car. The Ingersol plant makes the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain, both small crossover SUVs.
GM's two Ontario plants accounted for about 20 per cent of its North American production through November.
Workers at the Oshawa assembly plant were sent home and the night shift was told not to report to work, said spokesman Tony LaRocca.
The midnight shift of workers at Oshawa is still scheduled to report for work, GM spokesman Jason Easton said.
Blizzard conditions near Sarnia, Ont., have closed Highway 402, a major transport link to Michigan, reducing just-in-time parts deliveries to the factory.
The storm, with violent winds and heavy snow, has also stranded 300 drivers on the highway, and officials have not said when the road will be reopened.
GM's Ingersol plant, which was once a joint-venture with Suzuki Motor Corp., is known by the acronym Cami.
At Cami, the afternoon and midnight shifts were sent home after half of a normal shift and the day shift worked just three-quarters of a normal day because of parts shortages, Mr. Easton said.
"They are continuing to operate but we are operating hour by hour," he said. "All accounts would suggest we're through the worst of it."
Ford has Ontario plants at Oakville and St. Thomas that make vehicles including the Ford Edge crossover and the Crown Victoria town car. The Canadian plants account for about 13 per cent of Ford's North American output.
"We expect that our Canadian assembly plants will have some production disruption issues today," Ford spokesman Todd Nissen said. "We are working with our suppliers to minimize any additional ones that might occur."
Chrysler Group LLC spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said the storms had not affected production at the firm's two Ontario plants.
Chrysler makes its Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans in Windsor. A plant in Brampton makes the Chrysler 300 sedan, the Dodge Challenger muscle car and the Dodge Charger sedan.
Canada accounts for about one-fifth of Chrysler's North American output.