Nissan->ke62 said today that it may halt production of its vehicles in Tennessee and Mexico because of a parts shortage from Hitachi Ltd.

The company has not yet decided to stop production as of now, Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan’s chief operating officer told Automotive News. If production does come to a halt, it could mean a loss of 15,000 vehicles. Production in Japan will stop on July 14 to July 16 because of the parts delay.

The part in question is an engine control unit that wasn’t delivered on time. The supplier said that integrated circuits needed were not available at the time.

"We're working around the clock to try and minimize any inconvenience to our customers," Shiga said at the launch of the fourth-generation March compact car.

"For now, we're still gauging when and whether we would need to halt production in the United States."

If Nissan do decide to stop production, the first models affected might be the Altima->ke542 and the Sentra->ke557.

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