Gasgoo.com (Shanghai April 8) - The aftershocks of last month's Sendai earthquake are still rippling through the automobile industry, with the Hangzhou Daily reporting today that Shanghai GM is facing a severe shortage of auto parts. The report said that Shanghai GM, China's largest manufacturer, had drastically pulled back on production of gearboxes, putting continued production of its best-selling models, including the Buick Excelle, Chevrolet Cruze and Buick Regal, in jeopardy. However, Shanghai GM denied any claims that they were cutting back on production.
In 2008, Shanghai GM joined GM's North American and Korean branches in using the GF6 series of gearboxes. The GF6s transmission control unit are imported from a supplier in Japan whose factory was heavily damaged during the earthquake and has yet to resume production. The GF6 is used in Shanghai GM's Chevrolet Cruze and Epica, as well as in the Buick Excelle (Yinglang), Regal, LaCrosse and new GL8.
