The Honda Fit is a nice vehicle, with a lot of behind-the-wheel fun in a small, clever package. The problem is, however, that it could take a long time for potential buyers to get their hands on one because, as reported by Automotive News, production of the Fit, as well as its soon-to-come HR-V sibling, has been hit with severe delays.
Shipments of the Fit have been delayed by two months, while the HR-V is expected to arrive at dealerships next spring, rather than late 2014 which was the original plan. Honda Motors and its dealers had hoped to benefit from the sales growth and the buzz that surrounds the launch of the two vehicles, and these delays will cost them dearly.
The delays are due to the massive problems that Honda has been facing at its $800-million manufacturing plant in Celaya, a medium-sized city about 160 miles northwest of Mexico City. The Japanese automaker has reported that the brand-new plants is suffering from a plethora of quality glitches and component-supply issues.
According to automotive-production expert Ron Harbour, it’s difficult for Honda to find skilled laborers. Even worse is that fact that something as simple as transporting the necessary parts into the factory and transporting the finished cars out can be a problems, as “railcars do get hijacked” and completed vehicles have had parts stripped from them.
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