Axle Shortage Hampers GM Pickup Truck Rollout

A shortage of rear axles has forced General Motors Co. to trim production of its redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickups by about 13%, Automotive News reports.

Union officials at GM's truck plant in Fort Wayne, Ind., tell the newspaper that American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. hasn't been able to keep pace with truck production from their axle-making facility in Silao, Mexico.

AN cites unidentified sources who say the problem is capacity, not quality. GM acknowledges the slowdown but expects to recover the lost production later.

The Ft. Wayne assembly plant makes relatively low-priced single and double-cab trucks. Pricier crew-cab models, which went into production in June at another facility in Silao, are not affected.