Nissan Reduces Production in Tennessee Due to Aluminum Shortage

The aluminum shortage has led Nissan to scale back production at its assembly facility in Tennessee throughout October.

In a message sent to suppliers, the company indicated that the temporary suspension of two production lines on October 24 and 27 resulted in an estimated loss of about 7,400 vehicles.

The factory is responsible for assembling four popular SUV and crossover models for both the Nissan and Infiniti brands. Among the vehicles most affected is the Rogue, Nissan’s top-selling model in the U.S.

Plans to allocate additional shifts for Rogue production were canceled, with the company instead focusing on rebuilding inventory for the Murano, Pathfinder, and QX60 throughout November.

The production changes stem from a shortage of aluminum caused by a fire at a smelting facility in New York last September, an incident that has also disrupted manufacturing operations for other automakers.

Novelis, the supplier operating the damaged smelter, has stated that the affected section is expected to be back online by late December. In the meantime, automakers are seeking alternative material sources to minimize production delays.

For Nissan, the situation remains uncertain until a stable supply is secured. Production output, for now, will continue to be managed on a “day-to-day” basis, according to an internal source.