The earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami have exacerbated the supply situation for new cars. The Japanese manufacturers, above all Toyota and Honda, have been hit the hardest, reports the trade magazine "kfz-betrieb" in the current May issue.



German Toyota customers are having to accept significantly longer delivery times in some cases. For the Yaris, Auris, Avensis and Verso models produced in Europe, delivery times have increased from around four weeks to three to five months. However, the situation is improving faster than originally feared by the manufacturer: Toyota production in Europe should be back to normal in June. "Overall, the natural disaster in Japan will cost Toyota Germany 7,000 to 8,000 units," estimates Burkhard Weller, President of the Toyota Dealer Association.



Honda is also suffering greatly from the consequences of the earthquake. The company was forced to halt production for three weeks immediately after the disaster. Only the Chinese plant, from which the majority of European Jazz production originates, is already running at full capacity again. According to Honda Germany, around 70 percent of vehicles for the German market are currently affected by the production adjustments. Delivery times, which were between two and three months before the earthquake, are now between four and nine months. Honda Germany expects the situation to normalize "as far as possible" by the end of the year at the latest.



In order to reassure customers who are afraid of contaminated components, Honda and Mazda are considering developing "safety certificates". Honda is having ten cars per shipload randomly and very precisely tested for radioactivity - with absolutely reassuring results so far: "The measured value corresponds to the natural ambient radiation," remarks a Honda spokesperson.



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"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German Motor Trade (ZDK), the professional interest group for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. Daily news from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German providers of specialist information with around 100 trade journals and 60 websites as well as numerous international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2011.