A T Kearney: Japanese automakers may lose nearly 200,000 sales 05/18/2011
Japanese automakers stand to lose nearly 200,000 sales to competitors due to the recent earthquake and subsequent production slowdown, according to a new analysis by A.T Kearney.
Honda, Toyota and Nissan are dealing with supply chain issues, mainly having to do with receiving parts from distributors that may have been impacted by the quake. The parts issues may also have an effect in the U.S., as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all use Japanese parts. However, they'll likely only lose 3,000 sales.
The study claims that the major Japanese automakers stand to lose 193,000 sales to competitors. This doesn't include sales that will simply be lost by the industry as a whole. Analysts have already tempered their expectations slightly for annual sales, although they're still expected to top 13 million.
"It’s a pretty big deal in a very highly competitive market," said Dan Cheng, head of A.T. Kearney's automotive branch.
While the sales losses aren't likely to upset the balance in the U.S. market, they'll definitely be a sore spot for the Japanese brands. A driver switching brands for any reason can ultimately be a big loss, as they may become enamored with their new brand and not go back to the old one.